OSHA and Insurance Companies to Provide Small Business Safety Workshops
The OSHA/Insurance Industry Roundtable was co-sponsored by the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII), the Alliance of American Insurers, the American Insurance Association, the Insurance Services Office, the National Council on Compensation Insurance and the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds. One of the most potentially valuable joint projects discussed at the meeting was a proposal for workplace safety and health workshops for small businesses.
The program, designed by Erie Insurance Group, is scheduled to kick-off this fall in northwestern Pennsylvania. The workshops will be co-sponsored by OSHA, NAII and other national trade associations, and individual insurance companies, including American Contractors Insurance, CNA, Erie, Harleysville Insurance Company, Clarendon Insurance and Pennsylvania Lumberman's Insurance Company.
"The purpose of these workshops is to increase awareness of the risk management methods, techniques and resources available to small businesses through their own insurance company and OSHA," said Michael Bova, manager of Erie Insurance Group's risk management department. "This gives small businesses the opportunity to utilize some of the successful loss reduction programs used by larger employers. We believe this will help increase worker safety and help control workers' compensation costs for this segment of the market."
Bova explained that the format for the workshops would be tested with small businesses in northwestern Pennsylvania and, if successful, could serve as a model for similar joint efforts across the United States.
Bova indicated that the workshops would focus on managing workplace safety and health in order to help small businesses develop a culture where employees and managers cooperatively manage job safety programs.