Podcasts & Blogs

Distracted driving is a growing trend among police officers in the United States and the impairments associated with completing their job duties while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk.

The insurance and risk management needs that arise from these routine services or special projects are not so different from the requirements that were in place before the public/private initiatives started. After all, most local governments continue to directly purchase land, treat water and collect refuse.

For leaders of all kinds, but especially for risk leaders, this area of the discipline is a black hole of possibilities, about which it is rarely immediately clear whether or not they require attention, let alone well-defined action. Some view these risks as “black swans” which by definition are things which didn’t exist, until they were discovered to exist. The unknown unknowns.

Coming soon to a jail near you are some new players: adequate treatment of the mentally ill, solitary confinement and a new way the courts are looking at use of force in jails. This article explores each of these evolving topics and suggests a couple of things that can help your jurisdiction, jail administrator and elected officials prepare to mitigate these challenges, risks and subsequent exposures.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there has been an uptick in violent incidents occurring in the work environment, from 65% to 73%. Therefore, training must be comprehensive, encompassing all areas of daily operations and should translate into an opportunity for organizations, by turning a “squeamish” subject into a benefit with a possible return on investment (ROI).

In preparing for potential disasters, it is important to collaborate with a team or committee that reviews the potential for catastrophic events and consideration for mitigation needs. Selecting the members of the team is crucial. Each member should be representative of all areas of the organization, including purchasing (contracts and materials), food services, human services, education, planning, finance, payroll, risk & safety and particularly facilities maintenance staff.

So, what can schools do to ensure their hiring process screens out applicants trying to hide past discretions? Let us look past background checks and evaluate other critical screening components.

Surgeries, spinal interventions, opioids, stimulators, or intrathecal pumps are not always the best approaches. They may cause physical deterioration and drastically increase our expenses. Here are some suggested alternatives:

The good news is that a back-up communications system and process can save the day, even in the most challenging scenarios, to meet both short-range needs—from within your facility to city-wide—to long-range needs —for regional and national reach.