Pinnacol Policyholders Reap Benefits from Ease of Doing Business ...

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To make it even easier, the CD-ROM includes more than 50 downloadable files, including a 20- page Employer’s Guide to Return-to-Work booklet; a RTW policy sample; sample letters for employees and medical providers; and lists of modified-duty jobs and tasks covering more than 40 industries. The Return-to-Work CD-ROM is free to all Pinnacol policyholders. To order it, call customer service at 303-361-4000 or 1-800-873-7242, or visit www.pinnacol.com/employers. Click on “Loss Prevention” and then on “Return-to-Work CD.” Safety/Loss Prevention Mark Your Calendar for 2007 Safety Events Pinnacol Assurance is again sponsoring two important Colorado safety events. We encourage policyholders – in particular, management personnel who are responsible for safety programs and procedures – to attend. SafetyFest of the West – March 21-22, 2007 SafetyFest of the West provides low-cost safety training in English and Spanish to construction personnel, as well as an advanced safety course called Focused Advanced Supervisor Training (FAST) to help foremen, supervisors, and safety personnel provide safety leadership on the job site. There’s also an exhibition featuring vendors of safety supplies and materials. Visit the SafetyFest Web site at www.safetyfest.org for information and to register for the event. The Rocky Mountain Health and Safety Conference and Expo – April 24-25, 2007 Hosted by the Colorado Safety Association, this annual event is the largest safety conference in the Rocky Mountain region. The seminar program features safety experts from around the country, and the exposition showcases a wide variety of safety vendors. Pinnacol policyholders receive a 10 percent discount on their registration fee. For more information and to register, visit www.coloradosafety.org. Safety/Loss Prevention Tips on Avoiding Slips, Trips, and Falls The National Safety Council estimates that, nationwide, workers’ compensation and medical costs associated with employee slip and fall accidents are approximately $70 billion per year. Even more disturbing, slips and falls are the leading cause of death in the workplace and cause more than 20 percent of all disabling workplace injuries. As a result of Colorado’s recent snowstorms, Pinnacol has seen a jump in the number of slip, trip, and fall claims reported. You can help educate and protect your employees from these types of accidents by viewing Pinnacol’s Slips, Trips, and Falls PowerPoint presentation. Visit www.pinnacol.com/employers/loss prevention and click on “Slips, Trips and Falls PowerPoint.” This four-minute presentation is full of tips about how to be safe during snowy conditions as well as general information about avoiding slip, trip, and fall injuries. Corporate News Pinnacol Announces 2007 Rate Reduction For 2007, Pinnacol is decreasing rates overall by an average of 9 percent. This decrease is due in part to the frequency of workplace accidents decreasing in each of the past five years, including 2006. Bear in mind that the 9 percent decrease is an average and may be higher or lower based on class codes and classifications. Some policyholders, with an increasing experience modifier, may see premium increases because of accident history or payroll growth. With Colorado's improving economy, many companies have hired more employees, which raises their total payroll amount and thus their workers' compensation premium. But while some policyholders' premiums may go up, the good news for Colorado overall is that employers are hiring and workers' comp rates are continuing to come down. If you have any questions about this rate change, please contact your agent or your Pinnacol underwriter. >>“Safety Training, Materials for Non-English-Speaking Employees” cont. from page 6 Pinnacol offers many free bilingual safety training materials, including posters, training booklets, and paycheck stuffers. (Our latest bilingual safety poster, “Report Injuries Immediately,” is included in this issue of Focus.) Our safety consultants are also available to help you with effective employee training. To order these materials or to speak with a Pinnacol safety consultant, call us at 303-361-4000 or 1-800-873-7242. We also offer a free policyholder safety seminar titled “Effective Training for All Employees” that teaches proven safety training methods for English and non-English-speaking employees. This seminar will be held twice in 2007: Wednesday, May 30, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Pinnacol’s Denver offices; and Tuesday, August 14, 8–11 a.m., at the Doubletree Hotel in Colorado Springs. To attend, please register online at www.pinnacol.com/employers/ semlist.html or call 303-361-4776. Safety/Loss Prevention Pinnacol, Red Rocks Community College, and OSHA Host Free Seminar Pinnacol Assurance is partnering with Red Rocks Community College and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to present a free seminar focusing on OSHA recordkeeping and workers’ compensation cost containment. The class is divided into two parts. OSHA compliance assistance specialists will teach part 1, “OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping.” Part 2, “Timely Reporting Saves Workers’ Comp $,” will be taught by Pinnacol safety consultants. This free class is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14, from 8:30–11:30 a.m. at Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood Campus, 13300 W. 6th Ave., Lakewood, CO 81004. To register, contact George Flynn at flynn.george@dol.gov or 303-843-4500, extension 132. 7
Corporate News Supporting the Community Pinnacol is proud of our efforts to support the community. Our newly published Community Involvement Report shows how these efforts not only benefit people in need, but also help Pinnacol improve employee satisfaction, customer service, and our business relationships. Here are a few highlights from the report: • In 2005 and 2006, Pinnacol employees volunteered 7,000 hours to organizations such as 9Health Fair, Big Brothers and Sisters of Colorado, and Adopt-A-Spot. • In these two years, employees also donated more than $143,000 to the United Way, Community Health Charities, and victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami. • In addition, the Pinnacol Foundation awarded $237,000 in college scholarships over the last two years to children of injured workers. If you’d like a copy of the report, please call our customer service team at 303-361-4000 or 1-800-873-7242. In addition to learning about Pinnacol’s community outreach efforts, we’d also like to invite you to support these efforts by telling others about the Pinnacol Foundation scholarship program and helping us attract more applicants. To learn more about the Foundation, go to www.pinnacol.com/ foundation or contact Elizabeth Starkey, program manager, at 303-361-4775. Managing Claims What Is “Subrogation”? Subrogation means “to substitute.” In workers’ compensation, subrogation occurs when a third party – someone other than the injured worker or the employer – is responsible for the injury. In these cases, Pinnacol Assurance can legally substitute itself for the injured worker to recover claims costs from the third party. Subrogation is common with on-the-job automobile accidents in which a third party – the other driver – causes the accident. While Pinnacol must pay benefits to the injured worker, we use subrogation to attempt to recover benefits costs from that driver and/or the driver’s insurance company. Another example might be going after an equipment manufacturer if an equipment malfunction causes an injury. Recovering claims costs helps hold down the policyholder’s premium. For this reason, Pinnacol aggressively pursues third parties that we believe bear responsibility for workers’ injuries. What You Can Do If one of your employees is injured and a third party may responsible, document everything. Take pictures of the accident scene as soon as possible. Also preserve any evidence, such as a broken piece of equipment. And – as with any injury – contact Pinnacol immediately. If you have any questions about subrogation, contact your agent or call Pinnacol’s customer service team at 303-361-4000 or 1-800-873-7242. Upcoming Policyholder Seminars March March 13: Office Ergonomics/Train the Evaluator 8 – 11 a.m. Fort Collins, Hilton Hotel March 14: Accident Investigation and Analysis 8 – 11 a.m. Denver, Pinnacol Assurance March 20: Modified Duty: Identifying Tasks and Developing Programs 8 – 10 a.m. Denver, Pinnacol Assurance March 21: OSHA 10-Hour Construction 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Durango, Doubletree Hotel March 28: Domestic and Workplace Violence 8 a.m. – Noon Denver, Pinnacol Assurance April April 3 & 4:OSHA 10-Hour Construction April 3: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. April 4: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Pueblo, Pueblo Convention Center April 18: Safety Program Development 8 a.m. – Noon Grand Junction, UTEC May May 3: Modified Duty: The Formal Job-Offer Process 8 – 10 a.m. Sterling, Ramada Inn May 17: Modified Duty: Identifying Tasks and Developing Programs 8 – 10 a.m. Fort Collins, Hilton Hotel May 30: Effective Training for All Employees 8 – 11 a.m. Denver, Pinnacol Assurance To register for a seminar, contact Rachel Morley at 303-361-4776 or go to www.pinnacol.com/employers /semlist.html. The 2007 Policyholder Seminar Schedule, which is included in this issue of Focus, contains a complete listing of 2007 seminars. Please pass the schedule on to your company’s safety manager. If you have ideas for future seminar topics, call 303-361-4776. 7501 E. Lowry Blvd. Denver, CO 80230 PRSRT STD U S POSTAGE PAID DENVER CO 80203 PERMIT NO. 680
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