The New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) supports creating a safe workplace for employers and employees in the Empire State. Each year during National Safety Month (this past June), The National Safety Council promotes tips, strategies, and guidelines for maintaining a safe work environment. NYSIF supports this effort 12 months a year with its safety services, outreach and free workplace safety training materials.
“NYSIF’s mission statement reflects our commitment to helping New York businesses control the cost of workers’ compensation insurance,” stated NYSIF Executive Director James Wrynn. “Promoting safety, providing training, and making loss prevention resources available to New York businesses are all ways NYSIF fulfills its mission.”
“Proactive safety training and ongoing safety awareness is essential to maintain a safe work environment,” said Armin Holdorf, director of NYSIF’s Field Services Department. “Supervisors and employees must take an active role in the prevention of workplace accidents.”
1. Last year, NYSIF added additional safety DVDs to its safety resources that are used by NYSIF Safety Consultants for on-site safety presentations for New York businesses. Frequently-requested training topics include back and lifting safety, hazard communication, electrical safety, safe forklift operation, blood borne pathogens, and lockout/tagout.
2. In 2008, NYSIF safety specialists made more than 18,000 field visits to NYSIF policyholders to assist them with creating and maintaining safe workplaces. This includes more than 550 Industrial Code Rule 59 consultation and compliance calls, 13,695 workplace safety surveys, and 1,874 customized safety training classes, reaching thousands of New York workers.
3. Fifty-six NYSIF staff were designated last year as New York State Certified Safety Consultants (CSC) by the New York State Department of Labor. This credential is used only by those persons who have qualified for and been issued a verification under the Workplace Safety and Loss Prevention Program (Industrial Code Rule 59, NYS Workers’ Compensation Law).
4. ICR 59 requires employers undergo a comprehensive safety and loss prevention consultation if they have generated an experience modification rating over 1.20 and have a payroll exceeding $800,000. NYSIF offers this consultation service at no cost to its policyholders. (workersxzcompxzkit).
The program includes an assessment of the employer’s workplace safety and loss prevention program as well as an on-site survey of the workplace. Based on the consultant’s recommendation, the employer must remedy noted safety deficiencies, and institute and maintain an effective loss prevention program.
Author: Robert Elliott, J.D.
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