Inside this issue:

Florida International University‟s

Safety Program Embraces

Excellence And Diversity

1

Random Inspections Improve

Workplace Safety 2

Safety Spotlight 3

Department Of Management

Services Holds Training 4

2012 Fire Prevention Week

Education & Training Opportunities 5

Highway Health: Stay Safe When

Driving For Work 5

New „Workplace Wellness Cam-

paign‟ Launched In New Jersey 6

SFLPP Staff Completes

Osha Trainer Course For

General Industry

6

Upcoming Training Sessions 7

Volume 3, Issue 5

September/October 2012

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY’S SAFETY

PROGRAM EMBRACES EXCELLENCE AND DIVERSITY

Florida International University (FIU), with its diverse student population and robust

faculty and staff, is no stranger when it comes to operating and managing an award-

winning safety and loss prevention program. In fact, earlier this year, FIU was the

first place winner of the Division of Risk Management‟s claim cost reduction award

in the large agency category for its efforts in reducing claim costs at the university

by 43 percent for Fiscal Year 2010-11.

Although FIU has been extremely successful in operating its Safety and Loss Pre-

vention program, this task was no easy feat, according to FIU Safety Coordinator

Alexander Fals. One challenge that continues to face FIU‟s Safety and Loss Pre-

vention program, as well as that of other universities, is shrinking budget resources

for its Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) program combined with a campus

that continues to grow. FIU also faces the challenge of establishing a laboratory

safety culture within university departments that includes self-inspections, depart-

mental safety committee meetings, and new research peer reviews. On a broader

scale, universities across the country continue to face violent activity, such as the

recent Texas A&M University shooting which took place in mid August 2012.

So, how does FIU maintain such a top-notch safety program given these challenges

and the fact that it has such a diverse student body population? FIU‟s success with

its safety program is due to its commitment to excellence and diversity. FIU‟s com-

mitment to excellence can be seen in its efforts to form partnerships and effective

communication networks among its risk management, EH&S, and workers‟ com-

pensation teams. FIU has also recently implemented a new initiative called First

Touch. This new initiative provides electronic accident investigation and tracking as

well as performance metrics. In addition, FIU is in the process of establishing a cen-

tral paperless EH&S database system to track required recordkeeping and increase

program efficiency, effectiveness, and communication with the FIU campus at-large.

Even though the fall semester is underway, heat safety training is another important

Continued on page 2

The Safety Outlook Page 2

RANDOM INSPECTIONS IMPROVE WORKPLACE SAFETY

component of the FIU safety program. According to an

AccuWeather.com report, July 2012 was the hottest

month for the lower 48 states. To help employees beat

the heat during the summer months, FIU encourages

employees who work outdoors to visit the FIU website

where they will find resources on working outdoors in

warm climates. FIU also provides an activity called Hydra-

tion RAW Days, which helps to keep awareness high

regarding heat safety. FIU recommends that supervisors

provide heat safety and prevention training prior to actual

operational work. Even though they do not offer refresher

training on heat safety, they encourage each department

to incorporate the basic heat stress prevention into its

specific policies and standard operating procedures.

The FIU safety and loss prevention program will continue

to improve thanks to its commitment to safety excellence

and diversity. In closing, Mr. Fals added that the EH&S

program at FIU values an open-door policy and team

collaborative effort which helps to make its safety

program one that is leading the way in saving lives

and money.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY’S SAFETY PROGRAM EMBRACES EXCELLENCE AND DIVERSITY

continued from page 1

Do random safety inspections really help to improve over-

all safety? This question has been the subject of many

debates among safety professionals. Finally, a new study

was able to put to this question to rest.

Harvard environmental management expert David Toffel,

along with California‟s Division of the Occupational Safety

and Health Administration, has discovered that randomly

inspected companies tend to have better safety records

than those that aren‟t.

Toffel and two economists, David Levine and Matthew

Johnson, examined workplaces that had been inspected

between 1996 and 2006, and matched those with similar

companies that had not been inspected during the same

timeframe. They found 409 matched pairs of uninspected

and inspected workplaces. The language of the research

states they “used workers' compensation claims over the

period ranging from four years before through four years

after the inspection to determine illness and injury rates.

They also examined injuries during the same block of

time for the companies that weren't inspected.”

What they found was that companies undergoing random

inspections saw workplace injuries decline by about 9

percent in the four years following the inspection dates,

compared to the uninspected control companies. Even

the cost of the injuries, including medical treatment and

missed work, fell by 26 percent.

“Our study suggests that randomized inspections work as

they're meant to, improving safety while not undermining

the company's ability to do business," said Toffel.

SAFETY SPOTLIGHT

Rockal Brown Archie

Department of Environmental Protection

In this issue of the Safety Outlook newsletter, the State of Florida Loss Prevention Program is proud to recognize the outstanding efforts and contributions of Safety and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator Rockal Brown Archie with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Division of Recreation and Parks (DRP). As the safety and ADA coordinator for the department‟s Florida Parks Service (FPS), Ms. Archie‟s responsibilities are extremely vast and diverse given the FPS is one of the largest in the country, with 171 state parks and trails spanning nearly 800,000 acres and over 100 miles of white sandy beaches. In her role, Ms. Archie is responsi-ble for overseeing safety and accessibility for each state park and trail. She is also responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of the 1,600 DRP employees and over 24 million visitors that enjoy the parks each year. In addition, she provides leadership and technical assis-tance on safety issues and ADA accommodations, and she is responsible for monitoring incident reports and loss control issues. Although Ms. Archie has only been in her position since February 2012, she has been able to accomplish many things in a short amount of time. For example, Ms. Archie has made a tremendous impact on the FPS safety program by implementing several new safety initiatives. One of the first programs Ms. Archie implemented was the Safety Incentive Program. The Safety Incentive Program awards $1,000 each month to the district with the least number of workers‟ compensation claims reported to OptaComp, the state‟s medical case manage-ment vendor for workers‟ compensation claims. The winnings are spent on that district‟s safety program for safety equipment such as personal protective equipment, first aid training, and other safety and loss prevention needs. Since the rollout of the program, the FPS has seen a significant decrease in employee injuries compared to the same time period for the prior year. In addition, Ms. Archie recently expanded her Safety Incentive Program by adding a new “honorable mention” award to the district having the least number of general liability claims each month which addresses the area of public safety and the safety of visitors and guests. Ms. Archie has also implemented a safety newsletter called the “FPSafety Minute,” which is electronically sent to all recreation and parks employees. The FPSafety Minute is a one-page newsletter that focuses on two key factors of their safety program: “How did we do,” which measures the number of injuries for the month, and “How can we get better?” After identifying the types of injuries in the newsletter, they then provide training or administrative and engineering controls to prevent future incidents, according to Ms. Archie.

The FPS safety program has experienced great success under Ms. Archie‟s leadership; however, it has not been easy. “I would say the most challenging part of my job is not having the time and funding to address all of our safety and ADA needs within the park service,” said Ms. Archie. Many of the safety and ADA needs for the Division of Recreation and Parks centers around its parks, which have older buildings built in the 1940s and 1950s before ADA existed. Addressing those needs with limited funding can be difficult. Ms. Archie added, “Safety and ADA often go hand in hand. Many times we find when addressing an ADA need within a park, it also improves the safety and usability of the park for all visitors.” In the future, Ms. Archie hopes to improve the FPS‟s safety program by using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to help promote and encourage safety. She also hopes to use social media to further highlight their Safety Incentive Program. Ms. Archie is dedicated to safety and improving the safety program within DEP. She encourages new safety coordinators to always look for ways to improve by implementing new and innovative ideas to revamp and recreate your safety program. Ms. Archie is a graduate of Troy University, and she also holds an MBA from Florida International University. Before coming to DEP, she worked at the Florida Commission on Human Relations for more than eight years as a civil rights investigator. She is a member of the DEP Safety Advisory Board and the Dive Safety Advisory Board. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. She also enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, and serving the community.

The Safety Outlook Page 3

Photo taken at

Alfred B. Maclay

Gardens State

Park, one of the

171 parks and

trails of the

Florida Park

Service.

Page 4 September/October 2012

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES HOLDS TRAINING

SESSION TO ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO TAKE FIRE DRILLS

AND OTHER EMERGENCIES SERIOUSLY

Fire drills are an important prevention tool to ensure that

everyone remains safe and knows what do to do in case of

a real fire or other emergency. Fire drills can mean the

difference between life and death. It is important to take

them seriously so that when the first alarm sounds, the first

thing that comes to mind is safety first.

The floor warden and Fire Safety Program training was

hosted by DMS as part of their quarterly safety training.

The training was recorded and will be presented to DMS

employees throughout the state.

What do you think is the first thing that most employees

think about when they hear a fire alarm go off in the

workplace? The alarm is only a drill or some type of

notification to take an early lunch or leave early for the

day, according to Pam Damitz, emergency coordinating

officer with the Department of Elder Affairs and training

specialist with the Florida Department of Law

Enforcement (FDLE). Ms. Damitz recently spoke to a

group of Department of Management Services (DMS)

employees during their fire safety training at the

Winewood Office Complex.

“One of the biggest problems in the workplace when it

comes to fire alarms is that some employees don‟t take

them seriously,” said Ms. Damitz. Another big issue when

the fire alarm sounds is that employees will go back to

their offices for personal items or, conversely, they do not

want to leave their offices, she said.

As part of the training session, Ms. Damitz emphasized

that when a fire alarm goes off, there is truly no way to

know whether it is only a drill or if it indicates an actual

fire, a hazardous release, or any other number of

emergencies requiring building evacuation.

“It is important to take all fire alarms seriously

because you never know if it is a drill or the real thing,”

said Damitz.

In addition to encouraging DMS employees to take fire

drills seriously, Ms. Damitz also offered several other tips

to ensure employees remain safe during a fire drill. The

other tips included being sure that all employees know

their escape route beforehand, which is especially

important for new employees. Employees should also

know where the fire extinguishers are located in their

buildings. If there is a fire, floor wardens should know

how to use the fire extinguisher properly to fight the fire.

When fighting a fire, floor wardens and other trained

employees should use the “Pass” system. The “P” stands

for “Pull the trigger,” “A” stands for “Aim the nozzle,” “S”

stands for “Squeeze the handle,” and “S” stands for

“Sweep from side to side” at the base of the fire. Employ-

ees should also be trained on what is expected of them

during a fire drill and where to meet once they evacuate

the building.

2012 FIRE PREVENTION WEEK EDUCATION & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

The Safety Outlook Page 5

HIGHWAY HEALTH: STAY SAFE WHEN DRIVING FOR WORK

Every year during the first full week of October, the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) celebrates Drive Safely Work Week, whose stated mission is to improve “the safety and health of the nation‟s workforce by promoting safe driving practices at their place of business.” You can‟t stay healthy if you‟re in a car crash and are

injured or perhaps permanently disabled. So follow these

defensive driving techniques on your commute, on the

job, and any time you drive:

Wear your seat belt.

Allow at least 2 seconds between yourself and the

vehicle in front of you.

Allow at least 4 seconds in inclement weather.

Turn your headlights on at dusk and whenever

you use your wiper blades.

Use your turn signals so other drivers know

where you‟re going.

Brake gradually at stop lights and signs, and

leave enough space from the vehicle in front of you so that you can see its tires touch the road surface.

Make sure all your lights are working.

Make sure your wiper blades are in good

shape. Replace them regularly; they‟re cheap so it‟s a small price to pay for your safety.

It only takes a few minutes for a house or office fire to

become out of control. As a result, it is extremely

important that employees and families know their emer-

gency escape routes and have a backup route in case

the first route is blocked by fire.

This year Fire Prevention Week, which takes place Oct. 7

-13, will focus on the importance of making sure that

employees have two ways out of a building in the event

of a fire. Fire Prevention Week will focus on fire safety

education and training opportunities.

In addition to Fire Prevention Week educational activities,

OSHA standards require employers to provide proper

exits, firefighting equipment, emergency plans, and

employee training to prevent fire deaths and injuries in

the workplace.

As part of Fire Prevention week, the Division of Risk

Management and the State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Fire

Prevention is offering fire safety training. The training is

scheduled for Wednesday, Oct.10 from 9:30 a.m. to

11:30 a.m. at the Betty Easley Center.

Participants will learn fire safety tips and receive hands-on

training on how to properly use a fire extinguisher.

Workplace fires have always been a major concern for

U.S. workers. One of the most notable workplace fires was

the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York in

1911 in which nearly 150 women and young girls died

because of locked fire exits and inadequate fire

extinguishing systems.

Fire Prevention Week is a perfect time for you to remind

employees of the importance of fire safety for the work-

place and home. We encourage you to visit the Fire

Prevention Week website at www.fpw.org. We also

encourage you to attend the annual fire prevention training

presented by the Division of Risk Management and the

State Fire Marshal. There are numerous educational and

training opportunities to encourage fire safety at your

agency or university so be sure to take advantage of

these resources.

Page 6 September/October 2012

NEW ‘WORKPLACE WELLNESS CAMPAIGN’ LAUNCHED IN NEW JERSEY

A new statewide effort aimed at Garden State employers called the "Workplace Wellness Campaign" has been launched by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute in partnership with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association and New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce. The Workplace Wellness Campaign (WWC) is being supported with a grant from The Walmart Foundation. The mission of the Workplace Wellness Campaign is to equip CEOs and other key business leaders with the tools to develop and implement active-living initiatives for their employees with the ultimate goal of improving health and reducing healthcare costs. "This new program is modeled after our highly successful Mayors Wellness campaign, which now has more than two-thirds of the state's municipalities engaged in fitness, nutrition and community health activities on a regular basis," said David L. Knowlton, president and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. "In the Mayors Wellness Campaign, we made mayors „champions of community health‟. We hope to do the same for corporate leaders with the WWC." New Jersey employers are being asked to sign a simple "wellness pledge" in order to join the WWC.

The pledge states that the firm "pledges to promote wellness within our company." There is no cost to join. Knowlton said the WWC has set an ambitious goal of having 1,000 employers representing 100,000 workers signed up by next summer and a goal of 10,000 Garden State employers and 1 million workers in five years. "We believe these goals are achievable," he said. NJBIA President Phil Kirschner explained, "Healthcare costs are having an enormous negative impact on New Jersey companies, both large and small. Anything we can do to lower these high costs is worth doing. Wellness programs offer hope for doing just that. What makes this program so great is that it will help small businesses that may not have the resources to implement wellness programs by themselves." "Wellness is now an imperative for the business

community," said New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce

president & CEO Tom Bracken. "The opportunities are

enormous. A recent study published just this month by the

International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans found

that employers who actually measured their workplace

wellness efforts showed a three to one return on their

investment. Three to one—I do not know many in the

business world who would turn away that kind of ROI."

SFLPP STAFF COMPLETES OSHA TRAINER COURSE FOR GENERAL INDUSTRY

The Division of Risk Management‟s State of Florida Loss

Prevention Program (SFLPP) is proud to announce that

four staff members within the Bureau of Loss Prevention

are now authorized Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA) trainers for General Industry.

Christia Nunnery, Deidra Jones, Juana Powell and

Wendy McSwain are all authorized OSHA trainers

through the University of South Florida OSHA Training

Institute (OTI). As an authorized OSHA trainer, they are

qualified to teach the OSHA 10- or 30-hour General

Industry Outreach courses. The OSHA 10-hour course is

intended to provide entry level workers general aware-

ness on recognizing and preventing hazards in a general

Page 7 The Safety Outlook

The Division of Risk Management, State of Florida Loss Prevention Program (SFLPP) is offering the following upcoming

training sessions for the months of October 2012 through November 2012.

October 2012 Fire Prevention Training | October 10, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. | Betty Easley

Center, Tallahassee, FL SFLPP is partnering with the State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Fire Prevention to offer fire prevention training and hands-on

fire extinguisher training. This year‟s fire prevention week is Oct. 7-13, and the theme for the week is “Have 2 ways out.”

Renee McCord with the Bureau of Fire Prevention will talk about the importance of ensuring that all employees know the

evacuation procedures for their building and for their home. Participants will also learn hands-on fire prevention skills in

using fire extinguishers.

November 2012 | IAC November Quarterly Meeting | November 14, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The IAC November Quarterly Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 14

from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the

Hermitage Center located in Tallahassee. The training topic for this quarter is “struck by claims”. Thanks to input from

IAC members there are new procedures we are implementing at our IAC meetings to engage members and to foster

safety best practices. As you know, we implemented the open forum at the August meeting and at the November meeting

we are looking to provide a very valuable training on “struck by claims”. If you have not attended an IAC quarterly meet-

ing lately, please plan to attend. Also, the November meeting is being held on a Wednesday due to room availability and

the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Beginning with the February quarterly IAC meeting we will resume meeting on

Tuesdays.

PROPERTY INSURANCE TRAINING | November 15-16, 2012, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 P.M. | Orlando, FL The Division of Risk Management, Bureau of State Liability and Property Claims have scheduled a two-day property

insurance training session. The training will review such topics such as certificates of coverage and leases, building

valuation process, and the property claims process. For more information or to register, please contact Adria Dixon at

Adria.Dixon@myfloridacfo.com. Space is limited to 25 participants. The deadline to register is October 24th,

2012.

UPCOMING TRAINING SESSIONS & IAC MEETINGS

industry setting. The course covers topics such as walking

and working surfaces, emergency action plans, hazardous

materials, personal protective equipment, and electrical

safety. The 30-hour course is a comprehensive safety

program training intended for safety directors, supervisors

and health care professionals. The 30-hour course provides

complete information on OSHA compliance issues.

Each SFLPP staff member received their OSHA trainer

authorization by first successfully completing the OSHA

511 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General

Industry. Staff members then had to complete the OSHA

501 trainer course by passing a knowledge test and a

performance test with a score of 80 percent or higher.

SFLPP hopes agencies and universities begin to utilize the

expertise of the division‟s four OSHA authorized trainers to

improve their safety programs. The best opportunity to util-

ize the OSHA trainers would be during new employee

orientation. If your agency or university is interested in

having an OSHA authorized trainer conduct training at any

of your new employee orientation, please contact the State

of Florida Loss Prevention Program at statelossprevention-

program@myfloridacfo.com.

Page 8 September/October 2012

DIVISION OF RISK MANAGEMENT R.J. Castellanos, ARM, J.D. - Division Director

Molly Merry, CPA, Assistant Director, Division of Risk Management

Shannon Segers, ARM-P., Chief of Loss Prevention

Deidra Jones, Interim Manager, State of Florida Loss Prevention Program

Office of the Director 850/413-4700

State Loss Prevention Program 850/413-4756

Bureau of State Liability and Property Claims 850/413-4850

Bureau of State Employee Workers‟ Compensation Claims 850/413-3123

Workers‟ Compensation Claim Change Form 850/413-4802

State Liability Claim Change Form 850/413-4852

Safety Coordinator Appointment Form 850/413-4756

Virtual Library

Be sure to visit our website for the training resources on

safety and loss prevention. We post our newsletters and

e-bulletins at the website, and have helpful industry links

and videos. We also have several forms posted.

http://www.myfloridacfo.com/risk/Loss%20Prevention/Virtual%20Library

Workers’ Compensation Claim Change Form (available electronically & in Adobe Acrobat)

State Liability Claim Change Form (available electronically & in Adobe Acrobat)

Safety Coordinator Appointment Form (available in Adobe Acrobat only)

Articles or Suggestions for Improvement of

this Newsletter are always welcome.

Please e-mail deidra.Jones@myfloridacfo.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Deidra Jones

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Terry Taylor

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Julian Kemper

Florida Department of

Financial Services

Division of Risk Management

200 East Gaines Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0337

850/413-4700

Fax: 850/413-8196