By Peter Kuchinsky II Senior Risk Management Consultant

January 2013

BULLETIN

Risk Control

ACWA/Joint Powers Insurance Authority, P.O. Box 619082, Roseville, CA 95661-9082 (800) 231-

5742

By: Lee Patton, Sr. Risk Management Consultant March 2016

BULLETIN

Risk Control

ACWA Joint Powers Insurance Authority, P.O. Box 619082, Roseville, CA 95661-9082 (800) 231-5742

In October 2013, the JPIA initiated its Commitment to Excellence (C2E) outreach. This was the result of analyzing all claims from our members and determining the top five loss leaders as follows:

Vehicle Operations Construction Infrastructure Employment Practices Liability Ergonomics/Falls

When we initiated the C2E outreach, we were looking at this program to be a partnership between the JPIA and its members, to bring about change that would result in a reduction in the number and severity of claims in these categories. We placed best practices for each category on our website for our members to draw from. This outreach program has now been in place for a little over two years. In January, we sent out to General Managers and Risk Management Contacts, the JPIA Commitment to Excellence Program “Opportunity Review.” The goal behind the “Part A” form review is to see which best practices you currently have in place, which additional ones make sense to implement, and where we can assist you in the implementation process. We recognize that this review may take some time to complete; however, the results will help us to better focus and direct our resources to assist our membership in the mutual goal of controlling losses from the five categories. The “Part B” form is for our members’ use internally, to show how effective your current programs are based on the best practices that are available. Remember, the best practices your agency

commits to will have multiple benefits. Not only will they help preserve your mission-critical financial, equipment, and personnel resources, they will also help to reduce your insurance costs by reducing the total losses JPIA members financially share. We are seeing some very positive results from the C2E outreach. Some of our members have decided to apply C2E to how they do business. When purchasing new equipment, they let their board know the benefits based on C2E. Some of these benefits include: having backup cameras installed on new vehicles to control backing accidents, purchasing a valve machine or Vactor to reduce employee ergonomic exposures in the field, and purchasing sit/stand stations for employees in the office so they can change their positions regularly to be more comfortable and stay healthy. Please submit your agency’s completed Part-A to rmc@acwajpia.com no later than April 1, 2016.

Commitment to Excellence

UPDATE

Commitment to Excellence

Opportunity Review

Part A

Ergonomics is one of the five best practices focus areas within the JPIA’s (C2E) Program. It’s a focus because the goal of ergonomics is to reduce stress and eliminate injuries and disorders associated with the overuse of muscles, bad posture, and repeated tasks. Countless studies demonstrate static postures produce muscle fatigue; however, having the best posture or the most ergonomically correct workstation will not prevent fatigue or musculoskeletal disorders if one remains in the same posture, standing or sitting, for a long time. A good ergonomic practice is to take frequent stretch breaks. Another excellent practice is to adopt a variety of comfortable postures throughout your workday. Scientific studies over the last six years find a strong correlation between long periods of sitting and the in-creased risk of illness or injury. In 2013, the American Medical Association adopted a policy recognizing po-tential risks of prolonged sitting and encourages alter-natives to sitting. A 2011 community case study pub-lished by the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion, shows that when workers are equipped with sit/stand workstations, prolonged sitting is reduced and health improves. This case study highlights the Take-a-Stand Project designed to study the effect of a sit/stand device and assess its health related outcomes. The project reported that after only seven weeks, participants indicated feeling more comfortable, ener-gized, healthier, focused, productive, and less stressed as a result of having a sit/stand device. The Centers for Disease Control recommends:

Taking a short walk away from your work-

station.

Standing up and stretching or walking in place

at your desk without looking at your computer

monitor.

Getting out of your chair whenever you take

phone calls at your desk.

Changing positions at your workstation.

Taking a walk while you have a drink of water or

a light snack.

At the JPIA, we have outside walking groups as well as indoor walking videos. We also have a program on our computers that will pop up with exercises. In addi-tion, we are getting sit/stand workstations for employ-ees that request them.

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A JPIA staff member using a

WorkFit-S sit/stand station.

Another JPIA staff member using a

WorkFit-S sit/stand station.

What Makes A Good Sit/Stand Workstation?

When assessing a workstation, we look at the employ-ee’s sitting elbow height to be at or slightly above key-board height. The same goes when the employee is standing, elbow height at or slightly above keyboard height. We also look at monitor height. Typically, the top of the screen should be at or just below eye level. This may vary if the employee wears glasses, and whether they are regular reading glasses, bifocals, or progressives. There are a number of options for Sit/Stand Work-stations: 1. Varidesk – Go to www.varidesk.com. This option

sits on the desk and will move the keyboard, mouse, and monitors to a standing position. This will only work if the employee’s sitting elbow height is above the desk surface, as their various models will raise 14 to 18 inches off the desk surface.

2. Ergotron WorkFit – Go to www.ergotron.com.

They have several models:

The WorkFit-T is similar to the Varidesk, sit-

ting on top of the desk surface it will rise 15 ¾

inches.

The WorkFit-S attaches to the front of the

desk and a keyboard extension can be pur-

chased to allow the keyboard tray to drop below

desk height. This unit is fixed, and does take up

a lot of desk space.

The WorkFit-A attaches to the back of the

desk or through a grommet hole; and allows you

to swing your computer system left, right, up, or

down to wherever you need it. One model has a

keyboard extension that allows the keyboard to

drop below desk height. You must be sure when

setting up, that it will extend forward to allow the

keyboard to drop below desk height, if that is

needed. There is also a model that accommo-

dates a tall user. The neat thing about the Work-

Fit-A, is that it can be moved in a number of

directions, so you can free up desk space if you

need to use the desk for writing or organizing

paperwork.

WorkFit-LX allows complete control over fo-

cal distance, which the other models do not al-

low. It also allows 20 inches of height adjust-

ment.

3. QuickStand – Go to www.humanscale.com/landing/introducingquickstand.cfm. This is similar to the Varidesk and the WorkFit-T, only allowing the keyboard to be at desk height and above. Also, it has a fixed focal distance.

4. Kangaroo Pro Ergo Desktop – Go to: http://www.ergodesktop.com/content/kangaroo-pro. This is

similar to Varidesk, WorkFit-T, and QuickStand.

5. WorkRite Ergonomics Go to www.workriteergo.com. They have adjustable height work centers that will rise from 22.6 inches to 48.7 inches, to accommo-date the 5th to 95th percentile of the workforce. The work centers are electrically operated, crank oper-ated, or counterbalanced. You can also purchase the frameset to put under an existing work surface. This will work especially well in a cubicle where the file drawers are not attached to the work surface.

Something else to consider is an ergo mat. There are a number on the market. Some you can roll your chair on and others must be moved out of the way when sitting. Consider one that provides good cushioning, but can easily be moved out of the way when you want to sit down. We have one of these mats (pictured below) at the JPIA. The employee who uses it, loves it. Remember that with any workstation, you must fit the workstation to the employee, not the employee to the workstation. Each person also needs to remember to change their position regularly throughout the day. Use the CDC recommendations as a guide.

Members participating in JPIA medical plans will be eligible to apply for Wellness Grants in March/April this year. Stay tuned for more information about how to apply.

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Risk Management Staff

John Haaf, Risk Management Manager

Robin Flint, Senior Risk Management Consultant

Keith Forbes, Senior Risk Management Consultant

Peter Kuchinsky II, Lead Risk Management Consultant

Terry Lofing, Administrative Assistant II

Lee Patton, Senior Risk Management Consultant

Chuck Wagenseller, Cost Estimator/RM Consultant

R. Scott Wood, Senior Risk Management Consultant

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

These samples are provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as legal advice. The sample documents are never a substitute to legal advice. The samples provided cannot and do not address the unique facts and circumstances of your specific situation and should not be relied on as a substitute for legal advice for your particular situation. We make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, timeli-ness, or adequacy of any information contained in these sample forms and should be used as a source of general information. Although every effort is made to present current and accurate information, courts issue opinions every day that may have an impact on your specific situation. Therefore, you should not use the samples without first obtaining the advice of legal counsel. Use of these sample documents is voluntary, and reliance on it should only be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy, completeness, applicability, and timeliness.

JPIA Risk Management Consultants often find and document hazards they find during risk assessment visits. Here’s an opportunity for you to see if you can identify the hazard(s) found during such a visit. Look at the following photo. Identify the problem(s) shown and determine the corrective action(s) needed. Then review next month’s Risk Control Bulletin for highlights of the problem(s) indicated and the correc-tive actions suggested. Every other month, new photos will be included in the Risk Control Bulletin showing conditions that have one or more loss potential hazards. Consideration should be given to reviewing these photos during toolbox safety meetings/training.

A JPIA staff member using a

WorkFit-A sit/stand station

without extended keyboard.

We are accepting nominations for the spring round of safety awards. You may submit your nomination by completing the nomination form at: http://www.acwajpia.com/SafetyAwards.aspx

Email your completed nomination to tlofing@acwajpia.com.

The deadline is April 1, 2016.

H.R. LaBounty Safety Awards

El Niño? The JPIA Risk Management Department is ready.

Are you?