February Update - 120 Day Review, Bus Safety Checklists

120 Day Review -

Why We Do It Now

It’s that time of year again! We are approaching the 120 day mark before those July 1 insurance renewals. We always enjoy our visits throughout the year as well as touching base on the quarterly stewardship reports we provide, but we will be calling each of you soon to setup our annual reviews. For those that are new to their districts or have new staff, here’s a quick review as to why we do the 120 Day Renewal Review.

·       Budgeting – Preliminary work comp Mods have been issued and we can project the work comp renewal premium.
·       Corrections – with a new work comp MOD, we will verify that all the information reported is accurate and if necessary, request corrections prior to the renewal.
·       Return to Work – Because indemnity claims have a such a large impact on a MOD, we can identify issues and update our official Return to Work program as necessary. This is a good time to review your RTW program with your identified clinics
·       Medical Bill Reviews – although this is on-going throughout the year, it allows us to make sure we have not missed an overpayment.
·       Improvements – with all the changes over the past year, we want to make sure we have identified and adjusted coverages as necessary to improvements both structurally as well as resources (how much new technology has been purchased?)
·       Safety – Are there any safety concerns from the latest inspection that have not been addressed and this allows time to make the updates as necessary
·       Communication – We can start communicating with our board members 90 days prior to renewal to address questions and concerns. This also allows myself and team to be available at board meetings/work sessions to answer questions as well
·       Rates & Shopping – Following our own audit and reviews, you can make educated and informed decisions moving forward regarding shopping insurance options or requesting credits from your current carrier based on your improvements.

We know our style is not the normal commodity model when it comes to insurance, and the partnership we have with each of you is very important to us. We are proud to be able to watch those successes on your insurance cost result in funneling those premium dollars back into other budget line items. We look forward to seeing each of you in the next couple of week!

But It's Cold!

It happens almost daily. Especially in districts where our bus drivers take buses to their personal residences. During a cold winter morning, the driver runs out, starts the bus to let it warm up and goes back in the toasty warm house. They finish that cup of coffee, bundle up and out the door so they aren't late to the first pickup of the day. Drivers are essential to our districts. However, we often find that other than weekly meetings and reacting to certain situation, we don't require them to support our transportation director. Although it may take a few extra minutes, a short checklist that the driver must perform each day on the bus mechanics can help with preventive maintenance and hopefully preventive a "reactive" situation. Simple "how to" training and daily checklists that are required can be completed during new school year training and then reviewed at a weekly meeting. We recently had a district create a "Google Form" checklists for their bus drivers that is completed on their phone daily and then automatically sent to the bus maintenance team when the driver taps submit. Some of those items on the checklists may include:

Checking Tire Pressure and Tread Depth
Windshield Wiper Inspection
Functionality of All Lights, including hazards, turn signals and stop arm
Brake pressure - are they squishy or hard to push
All Windows are clean and clear of snow, frost, ice
Steps into the bus have necessary traction precautions in place and are maintained
First Aid Kit is in place and stocked
All Mirrors are in good repair with no cracks or breaks

A good preventive maintenance program not just at the bus center but designed to include the bus driver allows the driver more ownership and also provides the transportation team with proactive repairs in a timely manner opposed to the stress involved in reactive repair or situation.

Mike Spohn

Copeland Insurance Agency

Mike is a Full Time Insurance Producer with Copeland Insurance Agency. After numerous years working in Human Resources and serving as an Operations Manager, Mike has used that experience to help clients successfully navigate and balance their needs for coverage and value. Workman's Comp Insurance is one of the areas that Mike excels in finding "perfect marriages" between client and carrier. His years of experience in Human Resources serves his clients well in helping them keep their losses to a minimum while providing additional resources and tools to employees. Mike has helped many business audit their Work Comp, build strong return to work programs and re-allocate insurance premium saving into other areas of their business while adjusting MOD scores. Mike is a firm believer that insurance should be a partnership in risk management, not just an annual transaction. Mike can be reach on his cell phone at 785-210-6155

mike@copelandins.com

This email is sent to {email} by:
{{CompanyName}}

To unsubscribe from all future emails {unsubscribe}
To update your contact information please {contact_info_update}