NYSIF Supports National Safety Month

June 19, 2009

During National Safety Month, the New York State Insurance Fund reminds employers of the importance of safety in creating a safe workplace.

The National Safety Council designates June as National Safety Month each year and 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.”

In coordination with National Safety Month, NYSIF is informing policyholders that the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is soliciting applications for nearly $7 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants available to nonprofit, community and faith-based organizations.

Part of NYSIF’s mission is to reduce the cost of workers’ compensation in New York State by educating businesses. NYSIF’s web site contains a comprehensive library of current safety resources for employers. Under Safety and Risk Management, a user can access a variety of safety materials for free. The materials, applicable to all businesses, include a full slate of resources covering safety basics, safety articles, safety checklists and safety posters. Visit nysif.com for these and more safety training resources.

"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."

Last year, NYSIF added additional safety DVDs to our 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.

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.

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 can be 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).

ICR 59 requires that an employer 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 our policyholders.

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.

“Since 1914, NYSIF has been providing New York businesses with quality safety services and proactive loss prevention and risk management assistance,” Mr. Wrynn said, “and we continue to do so every month of every year.”

NYSIF is a non-profit agency of the state of New York that was created as part of the Workers' Compensation Law of 1914. By law, NYSIF is a competitive insurance carrier that sells workers' compensation and disability benefits insurance to any employer doing business in New York State. Approximately 185,000 employers hold NYSIF workers' compensation insurance policies, constituting about 37 percent of the market.