First responders often carry lingering mental images of crisis and overarching feelings of despair. When a shift is over, firefighters, police officers, and dispatchers go to their homes and families, expected to enjoy their off time, but instead are filled with sadness. Brains are trained to process trauma the same way, but individual coping capacity can vary wildly. While essential training helps to ensure respondents are tactically getting the job done in an efficient manner, they are not trained to mitigate the effects of numerous traumatic events they experience firsthand. Culminating such incredible challenges while on the job can be potentially
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The wearables market is growing rapidly, presenting users with new ways to engage with technology. With all the various types of wearable technology available, it can feel overwhelming for many organizations. And while these devices have the potential to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), how can companies determine what option is right for their goals? In this session at PRIMA 2024, Steven Simon, Senior Risk Control Manager at Safety National, explains how to evaluate the pros and cons of these devices so your organization has a clear path forward in claims prevention. IMU Wearable Sensors Released about 12 years ago, these
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Just like Goldilocks, developing a risk control program for your agency that is just right is a bit of trial and error; but understanding the level of risk services will benefit both the agency and its employees. In this session at PRIMA 2024, Erike Young, Deputy General Manager of the California Intergovernmental Risk Authority (CIRA), explores various risk management services models found across agencies, the hurdles that arise when implementing software solutions, and the benefits that come from developing leading indicators to drive decisions. Small or Limited Service Model Typically, with this model there is no in-house risk control staff
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In this session at RIMS 2024, a panel of experts discussed current public entity risk management challenges related to civil unrest and their related approach to them. Speakers included: Mark Walls, Vice President of Client Engagement at Safety National Karen Caterino, Senior Vice President at Alliant Risk Management Services Dawn Watkins, Chief Risk Officer at Los Angeles Unified School District Steven Robles, Assistant Chief Executive Officer / County Risk Manager at the County of Los Angeles (retired) An issue that is currently top of mind for public entity risk managers is protests and civil unrest. When approaching this issue, there
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Effective ergonomics help all employees, but even more so the aging workforce. In this session at RIMS 2024, Ariel Jenkins, Assistant Vice President of Risk Services at Safety National, highlighted trends related to aging American workers and ergonomic strategies to help keep them safe in the workplace. Workers over the age of 55 represent a large and essential segment of the American economy, and their influence is growing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one-in-four U.S. workers will be 55 or older by 2030. Between the years 2000 – 2022, employment rates for people 55 and older have
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Your organization could face a serious liability challenge with a sexual abuse or molestation (SAM) claim as nuclear verdicts and defense costs surge and increased/indefinite statutes of limitations change filing requirements. In this session at RIMS 2024, Susan Thomson, Director – Public Entity Underwriting at Safety National, highlighted strategies that organizations can take to mitigate this risk. The numbers are staggering: One-in-five children is sexually abused before reaching the age of 18. That means, in the U.S., more than 1 million children will be abused this year. Kids are most vulnerable to child sexual abuse between the ages of 7
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Every day, risk professionals in higher education help find ways to say yes to new ideas, initiatives, and opportunities, while managing and mitigating potential impacts to institutional resources. In this industry session at RIMS 2024, experts explored how risk managers can address a variety of emerging risks as an enterprise-wide initiative that involves every department and individual. Speakers include: Lou Drapeau, Resource Manager at URMIA Craig McAllister, Assistant Vice President of Risk Management at University of Miami Risk Management Miguel Delgado, Chief Risk Officer, Risk Management and Safety at The University of Arizona There are several complex emerging risks in
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Eye-popping verdicts, high settlements, and litigation funding are driving up the cost of casualty insurance claims. In this session at RIMS 2024, Kimberly Reilly, Principal Account Executive at Zywave, introduced proprietary loss data sets that reveal key insights into these trends. Social inflation encasulates how insurers’ claims costs can rise above economic inflation based on societal preferences. This includes pain and suffering, loss of life, loss of consortium, and punitive damages. Factors contributing to social inflation include: Society’s evolving sense of what $1 million represents. Desensitization to large verdicts and media impact. Negative public sentiment regarding corporations. Attorney tactics like
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Cloud downtime is a growing third-party risk for organizations of every size, across all sectors. At RIMS 2024, Rick Wong, Head of Insurance at Parametrix, explored the risks related to cloud reliance. The cloud is one of the biggest digital risks for businesses today. The two main factors of cloud risk include the unavailability of an organization’s systems and the data breach that can ground those systems to a halt. Recent cloud availability data shows that critical cloud outages are lasting longer and occurring more frequently. In 2023, there was a 38% increase in occurrences and 53.7% uptick in hours
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At the WCRI Annual Conference, organizational psychologist Connie Hadley (Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and the Institute for Life at Work) explored how loneliness has risen and why this matters for employee health, productivity, and resilience. Human Connection Human connection is an overwhelming desire for most people. This is often studied in the context of personal life but rarely in the workplace. The few studies of this in the workplace have shown that people with social connections in the workplace help support a safer workplace, have fewer accidents, and are more reliable. They also have higher job satisfaction and
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