With a dry winter and California snow pack at 55% of normal, some California fire experts are concerned about the possibilities of wildfires sparking later this year.

“An unusually wet March improved conditions, but did not make up for the previous dry months,” said California Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin after the April 1 Snow Survey. “The take-home message is that we’ve had a dry winter and although good reservoir storage will lessen impacts this summer, we need to be prepared for a potentially dry 2013.”

This could make some risk managers a little nervous. So what to do?

“The message we’re sharing with the public is we all need to take extra precautions in the forest when conditions are so dry,” said Los Padres Forest Supervisor Peggy Hernandez. “It’s important to recognize that fires can occur at any time of the year and we need to keep our guard up year round.”

As risk managers, you have the opportunity to suggest ways for your municipality or county or school district to minimize risk, especially when it comes to the human cost.

Wildfire Preparedness Tips from OSHA

•  Have an evacuation plan in place that includes activation conditions, chain of command, evacuation procedures, and personnel accounting procedures

•  Ensure all workers know what to do in an emergency and practice evacuation

•  Create a safety zone around buildings to protect both people and property. This includes clearing brush and other combustibles within a 30-foot zone. For more information, see the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s safety zone guide. 

Being prepared for wildfires enables you to increase the safety of those people who work for your entity, and decrease your risk.

For more information on risk management, contact the EIA Loss Prevention Department for training opportunities and risk management services.

How does your entity prepare for fires? Discuss in the comments section below.

• A man in Brittan recently had his taste buds insured for $1.5 million, but since he works as a master butcher and is a baconologist, guess it makes sense.

• Last year, a custom car maker in California was sued by DC Comics for making replicas of the Batmobile. Apparently buyers had their choice of the 1966, 1989, or 1996 versions of the Batmobile. Holy copyright infringement, Batman!

• According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada , a driver reported severe damage to his car when he hit a deer on a rural highway. But later on he changed it to a rabbit. The claims investigator wondered just how big the rabbits were in that part of Canada. Then the man changed his story to a fence post—guess it just jumped right out in front of him.

• Earlier this year, a movie theater patron in Michigan sued AMC theaters for the high price of concessions. The moviegoer believed that paying $8 for a soda and candy violated the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. Popcorn anyone?

• According to an article by CNBC, Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers has a $1 million dollar insurance policy on his hair. Keith Richards has a $1.6 million dollar policy on his hands, and Bruce Springsteen’s voice is insured for $6 million.

Protect your entity from jumping fences, fake Batmobiles, and other hazards by checking out the EIA Loss Prevention Information Sheets.

By creating a workstation with the ability to be ergonomically adjusted for each worker, you are in effect decreasing the likelihood of office related repetitive stress injuries and musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis. Properly adjusted workstations also reduce fatigue and increase worker efficiency—avoiding workers’ compensation claims in the process.

A mantra of many ergonomic specialists is “fit the job to the person.” Creating an ergonomically efficient workstation involves adjusting chairs, keyboards, mice, computer monitors, phones and other office equipment to the specific needs of each person.

Office Ergonomic Basics

Chair
• Easily Adjustable
• Feet can sit comfortably on the floor
• Lumbar support of chair fits the curve of the back
• Armrests adjusted so elbows are at 90 degrees and don’t interfere with typing, mousing or writing surfaces

Keyboard
• Slightly below elbows
• Front slightly higher than the back (at a negative incline)
• Shoulders relaxed
• Wrists straight while typing

Mouse
• Near to and same level as keyboard
• Avoid overreaching
• Keep shoulders relaxed

Monitor
• Keep at height equal or just slightly lower than eye height when sitting in properly adjusted chair
• Keep free of glare with glare screen or by keeping at 90 degree angle to light sources

Phones
• Keep within reach to avoid overreaching
• Use a hands-free headset if possible

Tips for Work Improvement from the Calif. Department of Industrial Relations

• Take micro-breaks from repetitious activities or static postures every 30 minutes for one or two minutes before resuming that activity or posture. Find opportunities to get out of your chair and move around.

• Place the telephone on your non-dominant hand side. Your dominant hand will be free for writing, and cradling the telephone between your ear and shoulder while writing will not be necessary.

• Use a telephone headset or the speaker when performing tasks simultaneously with the telephone. This practice will prevent awkward neck and shoulder postures associated with cradling the telephone between your ear and shoulder.

• Type with the tips of the fingers. Less force is needed to depress the keys with the tips of the fingers. Use a light touch when keying.

• Change postures frequently throughout the day. Alternate working from a sitting to a standing position whenever possible. Change the tilt of the back of the chair frequently.

• Use shortcut keys whenever possible, instead of a pointing device (mouse, trackball, etc.).

• Alternate hands when using the pointing device, OR alternate between pointing devices (e.g. alternate between mouse and trackball). Use larger muscles by moving from the elbow and shoulder, rather than from the wrist, when operating the pointing device.

• Stand up to reach into overhead bins rather than reaching up from a sitting position, OR lower the overhead storage bins if possible.

From Easy Ergonomics For Desktop Computer Users, California DIR

For more information on improving your offices’ ergonomics, check out the EIA Loss Prevention Office Ergonomics information sheet, or sign-up for the Office Ergonomics: Loss Prevention Training Seminar in April.

• GLII Memorandum of Coverage (MOC)

• Addendum B – Claims Handling Guidelines & Reporting/Settlement/Reimbursement Procedures

Redline/strikeout versions of each document are included.

Regarding the GLII MOC: During the recent GLII Committee Meeting, the GLII Committee requested that staff work with coverage counsel to try to develop language for the MOCs that would clarify that a  “faulty reliance on an exemption from statute” would not, by itself, work to trigger coverage under the MOCs. The GLII Committee requested that we develop that language to be sent out with the other proposed modifications for review and comment.  We have worked with coverage counsel to try to develop further language.  Counsel has opined that the 2010 MOC modifications probably address this concern as best as possible.  Counsel was concerned that additional language may lead to an unintentional limitation in the scope of coverage in other areas of the MOC.  As such, staff will be advising the GLII Committee that additional changes to the MOC in this area are probably unnecessary.

Members of the GLII Program are encouraged to review and comment on these proposed changes. Please post comments on the EIA blog. Members may also contact Brad Reager at breager@csac-eia.org.

The comment period ends June 8, 2012.

Updated March 28, 2012.

During the recent Board Meeting, the Board requested that staff work with coverage counsel to try to develop language for the MOCs that would clarify that a “faulty reliance on an exemption from statute” would not, by itself, work to trigger coverage under the MOCs. The Board requested that we develop that language to be sent out with the other proposed modifications for review and comment. We have worked with coverage counsel to try to develop further language. Counsel has opined that the 2010 MOC modifications probably address this concern as best as possible. Counsel was concerned that additional language may lead to an unintentional limitation in the scope of coverage in other areas of the MOC. As such, staff will be advising the Board that additional changes to the MOC in this area are probably unnecessary.

We encourage you to post your comments regarding the proposed changes to the GLI MOC on the EIA’s Blog, or to email Brad Reager at breager@csac-eia.org.

View the letter and modified version of the GLI MOC.

Comments are due by May 18, 2012.

Updated March 28, 2012.

All comments are due by May 11, 2012.

Complete Details

Action items approved by the Board included:

1. Amendments to our GLI and EWC Claim Handling Guidelines (Addendums A & B).  See blog for details and review and comment.

2. Distribution of $408k risk management dividend.

3. Modifications to the GLI and EWC Target Funding Guidelines.

4. Modifications of the GLI and EWC premium allocation formulas relating to the transition between the old and new formulas.

5. Amendment of the Conflict of Interest Code expanding designated positions to include committee members in addition to board members.

6. Approval of the Board of Directors Standard Operating Procedures.

The theme for this year’s brokers’ annual report was “relationships”.  The point was made that the EIA has an excellent reputation in the insurance market and more favorable terms are achieved with underwriters because of their familiarity and their comfort level with us.  Some of these relationships involve multiple EIA programs as well as underwriters who have changed employers and continued their relationships with us at their new facility.  Under direction from the Alliant Chairman/CEO, Tom Corbett, to keep the report short and entertaining, Ralph Hurst stole the show by giving his report on his knees (that was the short part) while juggling (at least in his mind) hard boiled eggs (definitely the entertaining part).  Relive the experience now:  IMG_0047!

Finally the Board thanked outgoing President Jim Sessions (Riverside County) for an outstanding year as president and recognized Steve Underwood for 25 years of continuous service as EIA’s General Legal Counsel.