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Good Morning Advisory Council Members,
Some of you have been asking about Safety Day and Recognition Awards.
By way of an update, I have recommended to Director of Administration, Scott
Darkenwald, and the Governor's Office, that we not hold the event this year.
They concur.
As you know, we've just completed an arduous and difficult special session
and many state supervisors and employees are already gearing up for the
regular session in January.
It would be difficult to justify the additional expense of Safety Day,
including one hour of paid leave for state employees, when many agencies are
struggling to get their work done with the hiring freeze that is in effect.
Those of you who qualify, however, for the Governor's Employee Recognition
Awards will receive a letter of commendation and a plaque. Your agency heads
will also receive a letter of commendation and we will recommend that your
agency heads find an appropriate time and place to give you and/or your
safety committees this award.
The letter will either be sent from the Governor's Office or from the
Director of Administration. If you have any questions about the recognition
awards or Safety Day, please contact me at ext. 3687.
--Brett
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Good Morning Advisory Council Members:
I hope that you're all enjoying this beautiful fall weather!
We have received a number of recent phone calls from state agencies about 15
passenger vans and liability in light of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration's (NHTSA)Consumer Advisory issued earlier this year. As you
may recall, we provided the state Risk Management Advisory Council with
detailed information about 15 passenger vans some time ago.
By way of an update, there is no current product recall underway for any 15
passenger van through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Since federal legislation does not prohibit use of these vehicles to
transport students over 17, it is our position that state agencies and
universities may use them and we will continue to insure them. Financial
resources permitting, we recommend that state agencies, evaluate alternative
forms of transportation in the future.
At present, however, we recommend that each agency at least download the
abbreviated advisory below from NHTSA for 15 passenger vans and 1) place it
in the van in a conspicous place or; 2) at some other conspicuous location
where the van is 'checked in' and/or 'checked out.' You might also consider
having your drivers read and sign the abbreviated advisory (at the link
below) before they drive the van and then keep a record of this
acknowledgement somewhere. Here is the link to the abbreviated
advisory.........................
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/hot/15PassVans/ROLLOVER_HANGTAG_LaserRes.pdf
Also, I have attached a Power Point slide presentation that we use in our
training which contains some very valuable information about 15 passenger
vans and safety issues as well as web links where you may obtain additional
information. You will need to have Power Point to open it up. You might
check with your data processing people to help you either convert the
document to a readable format or obtain your own, personal version of Power
Point. We use the National Safety Council's DDC 4 hour course as well as
'Coaching the Experienced Van Driver II.' If you're interested in training,
please contact me.
In addition, CBS '60 Minutes' produced a 20 minute video entitled 'Rollover'
which discussed the problems associated with driving 15 passenger vans. I
believe that you'll find it to be insightful and interesting. We have
purchased two copies. Please contact Terry Bomar or Carol Rhodes if you
would like to 'check out' a copy or you can order one yourself for $29.95 by
contacting CBS and asking for the video 'Rollover' which aired during 60
minutes on September 9th, I believe.
Other clarifications and updates:
1) As you know, access to the property/casualty information system (PCIIS)
and web based claims reports is password protected, therefore, you must use
your own, unique CM# and passwords to get into the system. We have already
provided most of you with passwords. If you cannot remember them, contact
Kristie Rhodes for PCIIS assistance and Jennie Younkin for access to your
claim reports. It is our intent not to provide hard copies of your reports,
in the future, since these may be obtained on-line.
2) The claims section of our website and a few other documents are 'access
restricted.' This means that they are in a restricted area on our website.
If you are inside the state network and backbone, then you have automatic
access and no passwords are necessary. However, if you are outside the state
network, when it prompts you for the following passwords....................
Please type your user name and password.
Site: discoveringmontana.com
User Name: ____________
Password: ____________
Domain: _____________
Please enter risktort as the username, tortoise as the password, and
mtdmz.ad as the domain.
If you have any questions, please contact Kristie Rhodes, Jennie Younkin, or
myself.
THANK YOU!
--Brett E. Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
1625 11th Avenue
P.O. Box 200124
Helena, Montana
59620-0124
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Good Afternoon Advisory Council Members,
We have a number of items to share with you regarding employee safety and
risk:
1)At the request of many of our clients, RMTD's course on State Employee
Fraud is being offered in Billings on November 7th. This course is free to
all state and university system employees. Employee fraud is a real concern
for any employer. Government is not exempt from it. This course is
recommended for supervisors, employees in finance, and simply any employee
who can identify and prevent fraud. See the attached flier for more
information.
2)Also by request, our course on contract writing will be offered in
Billings following the Employee Fraud course. This is a very important
topic. Risk should be transferred and the state held harmless in regards to
work conducted by a contractor. One cannot assume the state is protected
unless the contract is clear. This course covers the reasons why hold
harmless provisions should be in a contract and it also provides easy to use
and understand language you can include in any contract. It also will help
your employees understand the ramifications of language a contractor may
place in a contract. See the attached flier for more information. Please
register at the training page of the RMTD website:
www.discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd.
3)Two special offerings of Defensive Driving have been scheduled for the
Helena area by Aric Curtiss for November 6 and 7. These are 4-hour classroom
courses. One offering is scheduled for the afternoon and the other is
scheduled for the morning to accommodate all employees. Both classes have
limited rosters so your employees are encouraged to register early. The
one-page flier attached can be printed and posted or electronically
forwarded to employees. Agencies may be eligible for a 5% discount on their
auto liability insurance premium if they have 3% of employees attend this or
other recognized defensive driving courses. RMTD will again offer the
Defensive Driving course to assorted locations across the state this coming
Spring.
4) Kristie Rhodes and Aric Curtiss of RMTD will be busy providing the ever
popular course "Street Smart from 9 to 5" over the next three months across
the state. This course differs from a Violence in the Workplace course in
that it focuses on defusing violent situations before they escalate.
Valuable skills are taught in this course. The course is ideal for front
desk employees who deal with the public or fellow employees, and any other
employee who may come in contact with a hostile individual. Fliers for this
course are being sent to all recipients listed on the RMTD mailing list
distributed at the most recent RMAC meeting. Rosters for each offering are
limited to 40 participants, therefore employees are encouraged to register
early.
5) The RMTD Training Calendar & Registration page is working great! Any
state or university system employee can view the always current RMTD
training calendar and register at this site.
http://rmtd.doa.state.mt.us/pls/rmtd/RMTD_CTIS_TRAINING.training_list Once
an employee registers for a course a printable detailed confirmation is
available to them. This system tracks RMTD training by employee, course,
date and agency. A detailed report of all RMTD training your employees have
participated in is available for the asking. Contact us at 444-2421 for a
report for your agency.
6) The on-line Safety Resource Library which many of you have used has been
updated. Many of the links that were broken have now been fixed and new
topics have been added to provide you with even more information. The
library can be found at:
http://www.discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd/safetylosscontrol/library/index.as
p, or find it on the Safety & Loss Control page of the RMTD website. If you
have other links with valuable information available, please contact our
offices.
7) The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) is the source for consumer
related recalls and safety alerts. You can add yourself to their free
electronic notification service by visiting http://www.cpsc.gov/. Recalls
and alerts are issued daily. Often these cover items you or your employees
may be using. Many of the recalls and alerts are not otherwise broadly
distributed to the public.
8) Nobody should need to be reminded of the state of the budget for the
State. During these times safety can become more important as there are
fewer resources to pay for an accident. As a reminder, the training courses
and other services provided by the Risk Management & Tort Defense division
are provided at no additional charge to you, your agency or your employees.
There may be a cancellation fee charged for registered employees who do not
attend a scheduled training course while there is no fee to register and
attend. You are encouraged to utilize the services available through RMTD.
9) The following agencies are hereby recognized for their efforts during
FY2002 to develop and establish comprehensive and effective safety programs
in accordance with the criterion reported by each agency on the State of
Montana, Safety Program, Self-Assessment Report. As you may recall, these
reports were submitted in August.
EXCELLENT: (rating 77 and above)
Montana Department of Transportation - 83
Montana Tech of the University of Montana- 80
Montana Department of Agriculture - 80
University of Montana - 79
Commissioner of Political Practices - 78* (small agency)
GOOD: (rating 65-77)
Montana Secretary of State - 73
Montana DPHHS - 72
Montana Department of Commerce - 72
Montana State Fund - 66
Commissioner of Higher Education - 66 (incomplete)
Montana Department of FW&P - 65
Those agencies above, who self-reported as having an Excellent rating, will
receive a gold plaque from the Governor's Office. Agencies self-reporting a
Good rating will receive a silver plaque from the Governor's Office. Each of
these agencies' directors' will receive the plaque to award as they see fit
at an appropriate time and place as well as a letter of recognition.
As always, feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
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| Attachment: (application/msword) Contract and Fraud 1002.doc [not stored] |
| Attachment: (application/msword) DDC1102.doc [not stored] |
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Advisory Council Members,
We have a few items for you to 'digest,' then 'disseminate.'
1) The Risk Management & Tort Defense Division is sponsoring its annual
contracting seminar on December 12, 2002. It is entitled 'Reducing Risk
Exposure in Contracts' and will be held at the Commissioner of Higher
Education's Complex, Rooms A & B from 8:30 to noon. A flyer is attached.
Please promote this important training within your agency. The state's
contractual liability is very significant and the seminar addresses 'hold
harmless provisions' and 'insurance specifications' in contracts.
2) If you have any items that you would like us to discuss or address at our
next Advisory Council meeting, give us a shout and we'll put them on the
agenda. No date or time has yet been set for the next meeting!
3) We would like to change the name of the current advisory council to the
state risk management committee to more appropriately reflect your
responsiblities. You are not advisory in nature, instead you collect and
disseminate information within your agencies. Many of you also have
responsibility for your agency's safety/loss prevention programs.
4) Finally, we are looking at the cost and feasibility of creating a true
'Advisory Committee' which consists of insurance, claims, loss control, and
other industry experts to give us advice, help us oversee our program, and
make suggestions on ways to improve our services and offerings.
As always, I am interested in your feedback and suggestions. If you have any
questions, please contact me at ext. 3687.
With Regards,
Brett E. Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
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Seasons Greetings All!
A number of you have inquired about the status of the workers' compensation
dividend bill, volume discount legislation, and Christmas Trees.
Let us away...............................
1)First the bad news! The workers' compensation dividend bill is 'dead.'
Apparently, the Legislative Council could not, by statute, approve the
creation of a special appropriation which would give the Office of Budget
and Program Planning (OBPP) discretionary authority to release the dividend
money to state agencies. Due to the variety of funding sources from which
the workers' compensation premiums originate, this is an administrative
nightmare to set up any other way. If you have questions or suggestions,
contact me or call Steve Bender, Director's Office, Department of
Administration (ext. 2032).
2)Then the good news! The volume discount initiative is still alive. Last
time we discussed with OBPP they indicated that they would attempt to
incorporate boilerplate in HB2 which gives agencies the discretionary
authority to spend the money. The boilerplate cannot be added until after
legislative sub-committees have met, probably sometime in January or even
February. We are tracking this issue carefully and will pursue vigorously.
3)'Tis the season' for Christmas trees! Remember, local ordinance requires
that trees in public buildings be treated with chemical retardant. General
Services sent a memo to all agencies reminding them to be careful with
Christmas trees this season. The memo indicated that agencies can purchase
FlameSafe tree flame retardant at a local store. We recommend that agencies
use the supply that we have on hand FIRST before going out and purchasing
the chemicals, . Basically, we are giving our supply away to those agencies
that request it on a first-come, first-serve basis. One bottle will treat a
standard-sized tree.
If you would like a bottle, please contact Terry Bomar (ext. 2421) of our
office. The tree needs to be sprayed from top to bottom and the Tree Safe
allowed to dry before the tree is decorated. One spraying will last the
season. The entire bottle should be used but if there is extra it should be
dumped in the tree water reservoir. Of course, the usual precautions with a
live tree still apply. The Tree Safe is only an additional precaution.
Enjoy the Ho ys!
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
1625 11th Avenue,
Helena, Montana
59620-0124
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Advisory Council Members,
Some of you have asked why there is no boilerplate in HB2 currently that
provides for state agencies to spend the volume discounts and
early-return-to-work proceeds.
See Jane Hamman's explanation below. The good news is that there are no
restrictive amendments at present that prohibit the ways personal services
funds are used.
OBPP has promised that if an amendment is made to force this issue, then
they will add our language to the restriction at that time.
Our goal, as you know, is to make the volume discounts and the
early-return-to-work discounts available for state agencies to spend rather
than revert to the general fund or other operating categories.
Call with questions!
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
-----Original Message-----
From: Hamman, Jane
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 9:43 AM
To: Dahl, Brett
Cc: Muri, Cathy
Subject: RE: HB 2 Boilerplate
It's not in the introduced version because the Executive is recommending
that there be NO restrictions on expenditures of personal services in the
2005 biennium due to the severity of the cuts required to balance the
budget. Personal services are not "locked up" in our version. If an
amendment gets made to force this issue, then we will insist that your
language to added to the restriction at that time.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dahl, Brett
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 8:47 AM
To: Muri, Cathy; Hamman, Jane
Subject: HB 2 Boilerplate
I know that you're both extremely busy with the legislative session,
hearings, and a very difficult budget process.
However, by way of reminder, some time ago we agreed to incorporate
boilerplate in HB2 which would preserve state agency's ability to use
early-return-to-work discounts issued by the Montana State Fund to fund
modified positions and return injured state employees to work. The state
early-return-to-work program is an essential part of managing disability
costs by funding alternative positions for injured workers. We are hoping to
preserve these discounts for state agencies like last legislative session.
In addition, I have attached proposed language which allows agencies to use
volume discounts issued by the Montana State Fund for their safety programs,
ADA accomodations, and disability management. These are changes that have
also been discussed, and per Jane, the thinking was that we would introduce
the boilerplate this session and see where it went.
I believe that last legislative session, Cathy introduced the boilerplate. I
don't care who does it, but our clients are asking about it and I didn't see
it in HB2 so I wanted to 'jog everyone's memory.' Let me know if there is
anything that we can do to facilitate. Our clients are asking about this and
I wanted to assure that we are vigorously pursuing this as an option.
THANK YOU for your assistance.
--Brett
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Hello,
This is just a short note to let you know of a couple new opportunities and enhancements the Risk Management & Tort Defense Division is offering you and your coworkers. Please share this information with anyone. Some of the information is time sensitive so react quickly. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Be Safe,
Aric Curtiss
RMTD
1) FIRST AID and CPR TRAINING
RMTD is wrapping up the 2003 open enrollment offerings of First Aid/CPR classes. We offer American Red Cross Standard First Aid across the state to all employees on a first registered basis with limited space on each roster. Over 200 more state employees will be certified in First Aid and adult CPR before this course offering is completed later this month.
While we train many employees, we do not have the resources to train all state employees on this valued topic. Therefore we propose partnering with your staff. Here are the details:
-Local chapters of the Red Cross are offering Instructor Training in Helena, Butte, Missoula, Great Falls, and Billings. Other chapters may also be scheduling this training. We invite your agency to develop a certified instructor. The cost for certification is roughly $60 and typically requires three evening classes but depends on the local Red Cross office. This expense is your responsibility. The training includes Instructor Candidate classes as well as specific skill instruction. These classes start NOW (this week in some locations) and are not offered very often. You can contact Aric Curtiss at RMTD for more information.
-RMTD will allow your Certified Instructor to utilize our equipment (manikins, video, first aid training supplies, student books and skill cards) at no charge as available.
-RMTDs Certified Instructors Aric Curtiss and/or Kristie Rhodes may partner with your agency trainer(s) to conduct training. The Red Cross standards allow a ratio of 10 student per instructor. By partnering, together we may efficiently train larger numbers of employees. The partnering of RMTD staff is subject to scheduling.
-Agencies MUST coordinate training through RMTD. We have partnered with the American Red Cross for special pricing and authorizations. Your certified instructor(s) must coordinate with us to be included within our contract with the Red Cross. We believe our contract will yield better prices and flexibility than what you can obtain.
-At this point RMTD will take care of all records processing and coordination with the Red Cross and undertake all expenses associated for training provided.
-In return, agencies must agree to make your certified instructor(s) available to likewise assist trainers from other agencies if requested. The basic idea is that we will create a pool of Certified Instructors who can assist each other, crossing agency lines, to provide this valuable training to as many employees as practical.
We believe this may be the most efficient way to provide the training with the limited resources available. If you are interested or have any questions please contact Aric Curtiss at 444-3486 or acurtiss@mt.gov.
2) DEFENSIVE DRIVING
There are currently 535 seats for the scheduled Spring 2003 Open Enrollment Defensive Driving courses offered across the state. These seats will go quickly. All classes require pre-registration and space on the rosters are granted in the order registrations are received. Promotional materials are in the mail now (see #3 below) and the courses are on our on-line calendar always located at http://rmtd.doa.state.mt.us/pls/rmtd/RMTD_CTIS_TRAINING.training_list. Please direct employees to this site for registration.
As a reminder, the State Vehicle Use Policy may require some of your employees to attend this course.
As another reminder, if your agency has elected to participate in the Automobile Insurance Premium Discount program offered by RMTD, the scheduled classes are the last chance to obtain the required 3% participation and to enroll any employee responsible for an automobile accident resulting in a claim as required by this program.
Register early!
3) PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
A new area of our website now makes promotional material available for you to print or route electronically. See the "Promotional Material" link on the Training page of the RMTD website- ( www.discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd )
4) PROPERTY INSPECTIONS
With the millions of dollars of state properties and contents, RMTD and our insurance provider routinely conduct inspections of selected insured properties. These inspections are to identify threats to the property and contents. Typically these are fire related threats. Recommendations to safeguard state assets are made as a result of these inspections. The next inspections will be made in the Kalispell, Missoula and Hamilton areas the week of April 28. Some locations have already been selected for these inspections. If you request an inspection of a property or have questions about this service, please contact Aric Curtiss at 444-3486 or acurtiss@mt.gov to discuss.
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Good Afternoon,
We hope that this message finds everyone surviving a very difficult
legislative session as well as the unseasonably cold spring weather.
We do have a number of issues that require your follow-up:
1) Our next Risk Management Advisory Council Meeting is scheduled for May
20, 2003 at 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Commissioner' Higher Education complex,
Rooms A & B. It is important for you to be there, however, if you have
conflicts please assure that someone from your agency is in attendance.
2) Attached below is the notice of election form for Auto Insurance Premium
Discounts. Please return the notice of election form, appropriately signed,
to Kristie Rhodes, by May 1st if you wish to participate in the auto premium
discount. Also, attached is a history of those drivers from your agency that
have been involved in vehicle accident(s) over the past three years. We
would ask that you DO NOT share the accident information with anyone other
than the driver within your agency and certainly not outside your agency.
3)Attached below is the notice of election form for the workers'
compensation premium discount which applies if you have established an
early-return-to-work program. Again, submit this form to Kristie Rhodes by
May 1, 2003 (note: the Montana State Fund has asked us to collect these).
You DO NOT have to return a notice of election form for the
early-return-to-work program IF your agency opted for the discount in prior
years and your agency is still fulfilling those requirements.
4) Attached below is the Safety Program Self-Assessment Form which all
agencies are required to submit to the Risk Management & Tort Defense
Division by July 5, 2003. Please submit the form and all supplemental
documentation to me. As you may recall, the self-assessment tool is used to
report agencies' progress in establishing comprehensive and effective safety
programs as well as to recognize and reward those agencies with 'good' or
'excellent' programs at Safety Day (September).
5) If you are a new member of the council and have not yet received an
orientation, please contact Terry Bomar of our office to schedule sometime
after April 18th.
6) We are interested in an updated 'head count' to ascertain how many
agencies have fully implemented the state vehicle use rule which was adopted
in October 2001. Fully implemented means that your agency a) required their
employees read the rule; b) required its employees to sign an
acknowledgement form that they have read the rule; and c) and maintained an
agency copy somewhere, preferably in each employee's personnel file. Our
goal in collecting this information is to determine whether or not to modify
the rule. Please let me know sometime before June 1, 2003.
7) We are hiring a summer intern to work at the division. Though we have
lots of projects to keep him/her very busy, we are always interested in new
ideas. If you have suggestions about how we might best utilize the services
of our intern to assist you in your world, please let me know (ext. 3687).
THANK YOU for the feedback on the recent round of customer surveys. As
always, we welcome your suggestions on ways to be more efficient and cost
effective.
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
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| Attachment: (application/msword) defensivedrivingdiscountfy2004.doc [not stored] |
| Attachment: (application/msword) ertwenrollmentfy04.doc [not stored] |
| Attachment: (application/msword) safetyprogramselfassessment.doc [not stored] |
| Attachment: (application/octet-stream) accidenthistory.pdf [not stored] |
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Advisory Council Members,
A number of advisory council members and state employees have complained
that when they access our website from their own computers, the don't see
the current cached images, including some of the most recent updates.
According to our webmaster, the way to fix that problems is to go to
Internet Explorer, under Tools > Internet Options > General Tab > Temporary
Internet Files, click "Settings...". Then make sure, under "Check for newer
versions of stored pages:" that "Every visit to the page" is selected, then
click OK.
This should force the browser to update the cached page and related elements
every time you access it.
If you have any questions, concerns, or problems, please let us know.
THANKS
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
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Good Morning Council Members,
By way of reminder, the Notice of Election forms for the
Early-Return-To-Work Program (i.e. Worker's Compensation Premium Discount of
5%) were due yesterday. If you opted to participate in this program in the
past, your election automatically carries over from year to year so you do
not need to submit a notice of election form for FY04.
However, we DO need your Notice of Election forms for auto insurance (i.e.
premium discount of 5% based upon participation in defensive driving). To
date, we have received only about a dozen forms, whereas last year 21
agencies opted to participate. Please encourage your agency to participate
in defensive driving then sign and submit the notice of election to us by
June 1, 2003.
The state's auto insurance premiums currently average $96 per year for
collision and only $100 for liability. The reason these costs are so low is
because the state's loss experience, on the whole, is outstanding. We need
to constantly remind our employees of the need to be safe and defensive
drivers.
THANK YOU for your support and participation.
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
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Good Afternoon Advisory Council Members,
By way of reminder, our next meeting is scheduled for May 20, 2003 from 9:00
a.m. to noon over at the Commissioner of Higher Education complex,
Conference Rooms A & B.
Topics to be discussed include 'Continuity of Government and Your Safety
Committee,' 'Changes in Motor Vehicle Laws Legislative Session Past,'
'Insurance Renewal 04', and 'Obtaining Web Based Claims Reports' to name a
few.
It is very important that you attend, however, if you absolutely cannot, a
replacement should be designated by management to attend and to be
responsible for distribution of the information.
We hope to see you there.
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
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Good Morning Advisory Council Members,
A few items of business for your follow-up and/or feedback since our meeting
in May:
1) As mentioned at our May meeting, we are forming a 'true' industry
Advisory Council. We are working with the Governor's Office to issue an
executive order, quite possibly in June. The new Risk Management Advisory
Council membership will be comprised of risk managers, insurance
professionals, and claims professionals from the public and private sector.
We have submitted several names and are awaiting feedback.
2) Any suggestions on what to call our old group (i.e. the former Risk
Management Advisory Council)? For example, should we call it the Risk
Management User's Group, Risk Management Steering Committee, Risk Management
Committee, etc. We're interested in your opinions here. If you don't care,
that's okay too, we'll come up with something.
3) By way of reminder, safety program self-assessments are due by July 5th.
To date, we've received less than 1/2 of the reports, so we have a long way
to go. The assessments are required if you are an executive branch agency or
if you want to participate in the Governor's State Employee Safety
Recognition Program. Most of the requirements set forth in the
self-assessment are necessary in order to be compliant with the Montana
Safety Culture Act. We interested in knowing what progress you have made in
implementing safety programs. We will also be using the self assessment tool
to recognize those agencies who have established comprehensive and effective
safety programs. You may find the self-assessment template on our website at
http://discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd/aboutus/publications/safetyprogselfasse
ss.asp
4) There have been a few requests for electronic copies of our latest
newsletter, Risk Matters. You may download a copy by going to our website at
http://discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd/aboutus/publications/rmnewsletters.asp.
This is a rather large file so it may take a few minutes to set up.
THANK YOU and have a nice summer!
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
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From: Dahl, Brett <bdahl@mt.gov> Date: Mon Jun 9, 2003 4:51pm Subject:
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Good Afternoon,
During the past few weeks, the division has received numerous questions
about how the new DUI laws will affect the state vehicle use rule which was
adopted in October of 1991.
In accordance with administrative rule (ARM 2.6.205) any employee with more
than 12 conviction points within the past 36 months (i.e. convictions
received after the inception date of the rule......October 12, 2001) must
take defensive driving. Any employee with more than 15 conviction points
within the past 36 months (i.e. again convictions received after the
inception date of the rule.....October 12, 2001) may not operate a state
vehicle.
During the recent legislative session, more stringent DUI laws passed.
According to Pam Bucy, Attorney General's Office, second time DUI offenders
will now have their fines increased to $500 and their licenses suspended for
one year during which time they MAY NOT operate a state vehicle. In
addition, 10 conviction points are now assigned to a DUI (up from 7 points
before passage of the law). We wanted you to be aware that with higher point
restrictions for DUI offenses, more drivers are likely meet or exceed the 12
to 15 point threshold established in rule.
Please remind your legal counsel and human resource folks that in these
situations, we recommend that they consult with each other and make
consistent decisions based upon facts and circumstances and the criterion
established in Administrative Rule by the Department of Adminstration below:
http://discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd/aboutus/files/vehicleuser
uleadopted.pdf.
Those of you that think that drinking and driving isn't a problem for state
employees, may be right. However, we have had a dozen or so inquiries about
the rule and its interpretation within the past two weeks, so it may be a
bigger than we think. In any case, we wanted to pass the information on to
each of you.
Of course, we should remind our state employees that the rule applies 'on or
off the job' and that drinking and driving is never a good alternative.
Passage and implementation of the vehicle use rule as we've discussed in the
past requires that your employees read the rule and sign an acknowledgement
form that they have read and understood it. Sample forms and
acknowledgements are available.
Call me at ext. 3687 with questions.
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
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Good Afternoon All,
We hope that you are enjoying the pleasant summer weather and planning
festive activities for tomorrow, July 4th. Be safe in your celebrations!
1) By way of an update, insurance renewal for FY04 is now completed. Changes
in coverage this 'go around' only involve fine arts and property insurance
coverages.
Please click on the link below to access various updates regarding fine arts
insurance coverage:
http://discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd/insurance/fineartsummary.asp
Please click on the link below to access various updates regarding property
insurance coverage:
http://discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd/insurance/propertysummary.asp
2) This is the last call for Safety Program Self-Assessments! We have
already sent out several reminders. To date, we have only received 10
self-assessments. In light of recent increases in workers' compensation
premiums, there is interest in knowing what is being done at the agency
level as respects employee safety and early-return-to-work. Please click on
the link below to download the report and the instructions and submit by
July 15, 2003:
http://discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd/aboutus/publications/safetyprogselfasse
ss.asp
3) THANK YOU for your interest in auto and workers' compensation insurance
premium discounts. There is still time to submit your 'Notice of Election
Forms,' however, they must be in by August 1, 2003. To find more out about
the discounts, please click on the link below:
http://discoveringmontana.com/doa/rmtd/insurance/noticeofelectionforms
.asp
Have a Nice Summer and Stay Tuned for more information on our Fall visits!
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
1625 11th Avenue
Helena, Montana
59620-0124
(406)444-3687 Telephone
(406)444-2592 Fax
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Risk Coordinators,
On September 18, 2003, the Montana State Fund is sponsoring a free seminar, featuring Richard Pimentel, a nationally renowned expert on disability management (see promotional material below).
The training will be held at the Capitol House Chambers from 8:00 a.m. to Noon. Though Mr. Pimentel has spoken at previous seminars sponsored by the Department of Labor & Industry, Department of Administration, and the Montana State Fund, disability laws, practices, and case management are foreverever changing.
We encourage you to promote this training and invite either your Human Resource Manager, another key management team member, or someone else who is vested in these issues to attend.
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
1625 11th Avenue
P.O. Box 200124
Helena, Montana
59620-0124
(406)444-3687
----------Original Message-----
From: Boyle, Mary
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2003 4:22 PM
To: Brown, Bob (SOS); Butler, Chuck; Clinch, Bud; Darkenwald, Scott; Fishbaugh, Arlynn; Galt, Dave; Governor; Hagener, Jeff; Keating, Wendy; McCulloch, Linda; McGrath, Mike (DOJ); Morrison, John; Olsen, Arnie; Peck, Ralph; Prendergast, John; Sensibaugh, Jan; Simonich, Mark; Slaughter, Bill; Strege, Karen
Subject: Montana State Funds Holds Free Safety Training for State Agencies
July 28, 2003
Dear Agency Directors,
As you are well aware, the cost of workers' compensation insurance is escalating. Two of the most important strategies that can help control rising insurance costs is an investment in workplace safety and development of an effective early return to work plan. At Montana State Fund, we know that a safe working environment contributes to a business' overall success and the well being of its employees. We also know that the sooner an employee is back on the job, the better the outcome and the lower the overall cost. That is why we have committed ourselves to providing employers with the best safety and claims services and information available.
Because we are committed to helping our state agency customers control claim costs, I want to personally invite you and your key risk management staff to a free workers' compensation training seminar on Thursday, September 18. The training will be held from 8 am - 12:00 Noon in the Capitol's House Chambers.
The four-hour training session will feature Richard Pimentel, a nationally renowned expert on disability management, workers' compensation cost containment, rehabilitation, and job retention in the workplace.
Mr. Pimentel is an acknowledged authority on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). His training has not only successfully enabled managers and supervisors to participate in cost reduction initiatives and implementation of policies and procedures to reduce worksite accidents and reinjury, but also to dispel stereotypes and embrace diversity.
A participant at one of Pimentel's presentations said "This was the best presenter that I have ever heard-extremely motivational-very insightful. Although he was entertaining he hit all the nails on the head. I never laughed so hard and learned so much at the same time!"
The topics that will be covered at the training include:
X Return to work programs in state government settings.
X Disability management and an aging workforce.
X How agencies can save on their workers' compensation costs.
State agency directors, supervisors, human resource personnel, and safety committee members are encouraged to attend. In this type of environment it becomes incumbent on all of us to do what we can to work together to prevent accidents in the workplace. Top-level management commitment and knowledge is essential for success. This training will prove to be a step in that direction.
I look forward to seeing you and many of your employees at the training. More detailed information and registration will be coming. You can access information about Richard Pimentel on www.miltwright.com/c_princip.htm. If you have any questions about the training or safety in your agency, please contact me at 444-6501 or send me an email.
Sincerely,
Laurence Hubbard
President/CEO
cc: Governor Martz
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Good Afternoon,
You may register for upcoming early-return-to-work training at the link on the Montana State Fund's website below. Many, if not all of you, are on the State Fund's mailing list, but we wanted to be sure you had the opportunity.
Have a Nice Day!
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
State Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
1625 11th Avenue
P.O. Box 200124
Helena, Montana
59602-0124
(406)444-3687
-----Original Message-----
From: Boyle, Mary
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2003 3:26 PM
To: Boyle, Mary
Subject: Free Safety Workshop Offered
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Our Mission:
Montana's insurance carrier of choice and industry
leader in service
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Montana State Fund Holds Free
State Agency Safety Training
Montana State Fund and Governor Martz are pleased to invite you and your coworkers to a free safety workshop on Thursday - September 18, 2003 from 8 am - Noon. The 4-hour session will be held in the Capitol's House Chambers.
One of the key strategies that can help control rising insurance costs is an investment in workplace safety. At Montana State Fund, we know that a safe working environment contributes to a businesses overall success and the well being of its employees. That is why we have committed ourselves to providing employers with the best safety services and information available. Preventing accidents from occurring in the workplace is the primary goal; however, if an injury does occur, an Early Return To Work (ERTW) Program is an important tool that you can use to help control the cost of workers' compensation claims, which in turn could lower premium costs
This free seminar will feature Richard Pimentel, nationally renowned expert on disability management, workers' compensation cost containment, rehabilitation, and job retention in the workplace.
Mr. Pimentel is an acknowledged authority on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). His training has not only successfully enabled managers and supervisors to participate in cost reduction initiatives and implementation of policies and procedures to reduce worksite accidents and reinjury, but also to dispel stereotypes and embrace diversity.
The topics that will be discussed include:
-
Return to work programs in state government settings.
-
Disability management and an aging workforce.
-
How agencies can save on their workers' compensation costs.
It's easy to Register for the State Employee's Safety Workshop by simplyclicking on the link and filling out the form. We also encourage you to forward this invitation to your safety committee members and others at your agency who would benefit from this training.
We look forward to seeing you at the Capitol.
If you have any questions about the training please contact Mark Barry or call 444-6494.
) 2003 Montana State Fund * All Rights Reserved.
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Hello,
The moderator of the rmtd_rmac group has changed the group's name.
This means that both the group's email address and the group home page
location have changed.
The group email address:
rmtd_rmc@yahoogroups.com
The group home page location:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rmtd_rmc
If you have links which point to this group or an address book entry
for the group, you should update them, as the old addresses will no
longer work.
Regards,
Yahoo! Groups Customer Care
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Good Afternoon,
A number of you have recently asked about the early-return-to-work discount
and the use of the premium discount proceeds. By way of clarification,
there are no restrictions in HB 2 on how the premium discount proceeds may
used, except those required in substantive law.
What this means, according to the Office of Budget and Program Planning, is
that you may use the funds for other than 'personal services,' however they
should generally be used for purposes related to the reason for which the
discounts were given. For that reason, we strongly recommend that you use
the proceeds for safety, making reasonable accomodations under the Americans
w. Disabilities Act (ADA), or creating modified positions and returning
injured employees to work.
Finally, we are poised and ready to schedule team visits with your
respective agencies as discussed in our May meetings. The visits will be
held over the next three months. The purpose of our visits is to review
insurance coverage, changes in coverage, review risk exposures, review
training provided, review claims, address problems or concerns, and answer
questions.
In the near future, you and other key clients within your agency will be
contacted by a member of the division's staff. Call us with questions,
suggestions, or concerns.
See ya this fall!
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
1625 11th Avenue
P.O. Box 200124
Helena, Montana
59620-0124
(406)458-6247
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From: Dahl, Brett <bdahl@mt.gov> Date: Thu Oct 9, 2003 11:28am Subject:
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Folks,
This message just in to me from Marilyn Cameron at Montana Tech regarding 15
passenger vans. Thought you might be interested:
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) requested that the NAIA, and
other organizations that utilize 15-passenger vans for group transportation,
disseminate the findings of its recent investigation. The report is
attached for your information.
The NAIA is not requiring nor suggesting any action be taken. This is an
independent investigation conducted by the NTSB and forwarded to NAIA for
dissemination to our members.
If you have any questions or would like additional information please
contact Mr. Pat Cariseo, NTSB, at 202-314-6183 or carisep@ntsb.gov.
THX
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
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Folks,
Inadvertently sent you the wrong attachcment. The attachment below contains
the information regarding 15 passenger vans.
THX
--Brett
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Gang,
Paul Spengler (Lewis & Clark County, Disaster & Emergency Response
Coordinator) and John Schiff (America Citizen's Core) have asked that I send
you the attached information regarding CERTS training.
A number of you either currently have, or may in the future have,
responsibility for emergency response and/or homeland security. These issues
will be discussed at our next committee meeting towards the end of November
or first week in December.
Meanwhile, the CERTS training will be held in November and appears to be
very worthwhile.
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
P.O. Box 200124
Helena, Montana
59620-0124
(406)444-3687
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From: Jonathan Schiff jschiff@c... To: Paul Spengler pspengler@c... Subject: Registration Form
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 09:53:40 -0600
Jonathan S. Schiff
VISTA Volunteer DES
805 N. Main St.
Helena Montana 59601
(406) 447-1538
Fax# (406) 442-3257
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From: Dahl, Brett <bdahl@mt.gov>
Date: Thu Oct 30, 2003 1:54pm
Subject: Next Meeting
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Good Afternoon,
The next meeting of the state Risk Management Committee is now scheduled for
December 3, 2003 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Room 172 of the State
Capitol.
A number of important issues including homeland security will be discussed
so please plan to attend.
A tentative agenda (subject to change) is attached.
See ya then!
--Brett
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Gang,
By way of reminder, the next meeting of the State Risk Management Committee
in on December 3, 2003 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon in Room 172 of the State
Capitol Building.
A number of important issues will be discussed. Please plan to attend or
make sure that someone representing your agency is there and responsible for
the information.
--Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
P.O. Box 200124
Helena, Montana
59620-0124
(406)444-3687
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| Dear Members,
Risk Management was very pleased to see so many of you attend the meeting last Wednesday. We understand the demands on your time and the hectic schedules you all keep.
During our recent meeting, State Fund introduced a draft of the new 'Worker's Compensation Service Agreement'. This document is ONLY a draft. When you are presenting this to your directors, please remind them it is only a draft and State Fund is requesting feedback on this agreement. Joan DePasquale at State Fund has requested that you, or your department, send feedback to Brett Dahl so he can compile and work with Joan on this.
Thank you all for attending and we look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.
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Members,
Attached is an electronic version of the DRAFT for the Worker's Compensation Service Agreement and signature sheets. I have added the word DRAFT to both documents.
Any questions please don't hesitate to call me. Please provide feedback on the documents to Brett Dahl.
Thank you,
Judi Barnes
RMTD Administrative Assistant
406-444-9843
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Seasons Greetings,
We have received a number of important questions regarding homeland security
and the workers' compensation service agreement since the Risk Management
Committee meeting on December 3, 2003.
By way of clarification;
1) Please review the workers' compensation service agreement that you were
given at the meeting with your agency head and provide us with feedback. If
you have suggestions, please be specific in providing us with proposed
verbiage changes, where appropriate. The State Fund proposes that this
agreement be a compact between them, Department of Administration, and your
agency (i.e. to be signed by your agency head) so it is very important that
your agency head have input. Remember, this is a DRAFT document. Your
feedback will be evaluated and then discussed with appropriate parties
BEFORE a final agreement is produced and given to your agency head for
signature.
2) In the workers' compensation service agreement that you were given on
December 3, 2003, the State Fund proposed that the Risk Management & Tort
Defense Division investigate the feasibility of hiring an
early-return-to-work specialist whose primary purpose is to serve as a
central resource in assisting state agencies to implement comprehensive and
effective disability and injury management programs and/or to monitor their
progress in doing so. (This position may or may not develop a multi-agency
labor pool of modified positions that agencies can draw from, however,we'll
evaluate). In any case, we want to know if you think that a central
early-return-to-work human resource to within our division is a good idea or
not. This position WILL NOT be setting up modified positions for each
agency, rather, serving as a resource in providing direction, support, etc.
3) Finally, regarding your evolving role in homeland security, we had
envisioned that the Risk Coordinator for each agency would serve as a single
point of contact for Lou Antonick, General Services regarding Homeland
Security. This means that each of you would establish a network of primary
and secondary homeland security contacts on every floor of every building
and that, in the event of a catastrophe, Lou Antonick, General Services
would contact you, and each of you would set the wheels in motion. In
addition, you would be the contact for disaster mitigation and homeland
security training and evacuation drills sponsored by the General Services
Division and promoting this within your agency as well. Seemed to us to be a
great opportunity for you to increase your visibility and certainly a nice
fit with the concept of risk management 'post loss.' Since safety committees
are organized by work unit, instead of by location, you may find yourself
working with two different groups of people not one (i.e. your safety
committee, and a separate group of individuals representative of floors
within building locations that you establish). Again, we're talking about
homeland security ONLY within Helena (i.e. 10 miles of the Capitol Complex.
If you see yourselves playing a different role with respect to homeland
security, we'd like to know what that role might be.
Please provide us with feedback on the three items noted above by January
12, 2004. THANK YOU for your assistance!
Have a Nice Holiday Season!
Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
1625 11th Avenue
Helena, Montana
59620-0124
(406)444-3687
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Good Morning Committee members.
I am requesting your assistance. Would you please distribute the address for our latest newsletter that is only available on line. We did not have this newsletter printed.
I appreciate your assistance with this.
Regards,
Judi Barnes
RMTD Administrative Assistant
406-444-9843
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From: Dahl, Brett <bdahl@mt.gov> Date: Tue Jan 6, 2004 2:20pm Subject:
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Happy New Year,
By way of reminder, the deadline for your agency's feedback on the
Workers'Compensation Service Agreement and Homeland Security is Monday,
January 12, 2004.
1) Please remember to review the workers' compensation service agreement
that you were
given at the meeting and it discuss with your agency head. Since this
agreement is proposed as a compact to be signed by your agency head, it is
important that we have feedback. To date, we have received very few comments
regarding the workers' compensation service agreement, except as respects
early-return-to-work. It is our intent to incorporate your feedback, where
appropriate, into the workers' compensation service agreement and then
return it to you for signature by your agency head. We will be discussing
the feasibility of a central early-return-to-work in the coming months. We
will assume that everything else in the service agreement is acceptable
unless we hear otherwise by January 12, 2004.
2) Regarding your evolving role in homeland security, we had envisioned that
the Risk Coordinator for each agency would serve as a single point of
contact for Lou Antonick, General Services Division, regarding Homeland
Security within the Capitol complex area (i.e. with 10 miles, give or take,
from Helena). This means that each of you would establish a network of
primary and secondary homeland security contacts on every floor of every
building and that, in the event of a catastrophe, Lou Antonick, General
Services Division would contact you, and each of you would set the wheels in
motion. In addition, you would be the contact for disaster mitigation and
homeland
security training as well as evacuation drills sponsored by the General
Services Division and promoting this within your agency as well. To date, we
have received little feedback so we will assume that this responsibility is
yours in the near future unless we hear otherwise by January 12, 2004.
THANK YOU for your assistance! Call me at ext. 3687 w. questions.
Brett Dahl, Administrator,
Risk Management & Tort Defense Division
1625 11th Avenue
Helena, Montana
59620-0124
(406)444-3687
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Greetings,
Here is just a quick update to let you know there are many FREE safety training opportunities for you and your employees over the next weeks. To see all of your options just visit the Risk Management & Tort Defense division's Training Schedule at http://rmtd.doa.state.mt.us/pls/rmtd/RMTD_CTIS_TRAINING.training_list. Be sure employees register early because many of the course rosters are already filling.
Hard copies of the Defensive Driving flier went out to state and university system addresses shortly before the holidays. Due to a technical oversight, the local Helena "deadhead" addresses were not sent until after the holidays. Very soon hard copies of the Back Injury Prevention and Office Safety flier will be in the mail. These are sent to just under 900 addresses. Please watch for these and share them with your coworkers.
As always, if you are in need of any safety training please contact RMTD to schedule any course. There are already numerous requests and soon you will see additional open enrollment courses added to our schedule. Check on-line often.
I hope your 2004 has started off safely and continues the course,
Aric
*************************************
Aric Curtiss
Risk & Loss Control Specialist
Risk Management & Tort Defense (RMTD) Div.
Montana Department of Administration
1625 11th Avenue
PO Box 200124
Helena, Montana 59620-0124
406.444.3486
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