Looking for Ways to Save Your County Money?

Print this article

Looking for a Way to Save the County Money?

ACCG’s Insurance Programs Offers Safety Discounts

When workplace safety is encouraged by county leaders and practiced in day-to-day operations, it can be a win-win for the county and its employees. According to David Uhlman, ACCG’s Property & Casualty Insurance Programs Director, "If our members are committed to running a safe operation, it is likely that they will have fewer and less severe claims." As a way of encouraging safety, the ACCG Insurance Programs offer a significant premium discount for those members who elect to participate.

In 2015, 133 of the 167 ACCG – Group Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Fund members qualified for the discount, collectively saving approximately $2.9 million in premium. In the latest renewal of the ACCG Property & Liability program, 91 out of 106 eligible members qualified for the discount, saving over $435,000 in premium. Not only did these members see a reduction in their premium, they should see a reduction in their losses due to their efforts, which decreases the payouts within their deductibles as well as future premium costs. Most importantly, they are taking better care of their most valuable resources – their employees and constituents.

If your organization is not currently receiving a safety discount or wants to maintain its safety discount, ACCG encourages you to review the specific standards outlined in the 2016 ACCG Safety Discount Program booklet which will be sent to each member in February. Your county can take advantage of this incentive program and save money on its future premiums. The deadline for your submission is September 15, 2015.

To qualify for the safety discount, a member must agree to implement and maintain a basic safety program. The first step is to appoint a safety coordinator. (Except in the largest of counties, this is not a full-time position. To be most effective, this should be an employee who has an interest in safety and has a good rapport with county leaders and co-workers.) This person will attend professionally-administered training, hold safety meetings within the county, and review employee accidents to determine how to prevent or minimize the effects of a similar occurrence. They will make certain that appropriate documents are posted at or near jobsites that instruct injured employees how they should proceed in the event of an on-the-job accident. The coordinator will oversee the drug-free workplace policy and work with a loss control representative from Local Government Risk Management Services (LGRMS), a safety and loss control resource provided to ACCG Insurance Program members at no additional charge. Check out the booklet for more information. It will also be online at http://www.accginsurance.com.

If you would like additional details, please contact your LGRMS Field Representative or ACCG Deputy Director of Insurance Programs Ashley Abercrombie at 404-589-7828.