SALINAS/SAN FRANCISCO – Workers’ compensation costs in California are among the highest in the country. It has become increasingly important for employers to focus on managing these costs. To help employers understand and respond to the increasing cost of workers’ compensation, State Compensation Insurance Fund has scheduled a free seminar entitled Injury Prevention and Claims Management. The seminar - scheduled for December 17 in Salinas - will address fundamental, up-to-date training on key elements of safety systems and workers’ compensation claims management.

Presenters of the seminar include State Fund’s Dennis Moranz, Assistant Claims Manager; Jim Kilpatrick, Loss Control Representatives, and Tristan Robledo, Loss Control Consultant.

Mr. Moranz will start off the seminar by clarifying the claims process for employers and will cover the following topics:

• Roles and responsibilities employers need to take when a work-related injury occurs.
• Insuring injured employees receive prompt medical care.
• Overview of basic claims principles and legalities.
• The benefits of a return-to-work program.

In the second part of the seminar, loss control specialist Mr. Kilpatrick will explain how workplace hazards can be discovered and corrected by conducting a thorough accident investigation. In fact, accident investigation results can work as a catalyst for preventing future workplace accidents. He will walk attendees through the process of conducting an accident investigation utilizing the following tools: what to address at the accident scene, collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and gathering important documentation.

The seminar concludes by highlighting Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). All employers in California, regardless of the number of employees, are required to comply with the provisions of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 3203 of the General Industry Safety Orders. An IIPP when put into practice helps guard workers’ safety and health. The importance and necessity of each of the required eight elements of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program will be covered. State Fund’s Tristan Robledo will walk attendees through the steps to develop an effective program to help ensure the safety and health of employees while on the job.

The seminar which begins at 9:00 a.m. and runs to 11:30 a.m. is scheduled for December 17 at the County of Monterey Agricultural Center on 1432 Abbott Street, Salinas. To register, contact Mat Fears at (408) 363-7442; or fax to (408) 574-6557; or e-mail mmfears@scif.com. To register online, visit online registration.

The Salinas seminar is part of State Fund’s Employer Education Series, a broad spectrum of informative presentations offered throughout the state to help employers create safe workplaces. State Fund has the largest safety and health services program among California workers’ compensation insurance carriers.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Established by the California Legislature in 1914, San Francisco-based State Compensation Insurance Fund is a self-supporting, nonprofit, fairly competitive public enterprise that provides workers’ compensation insurance coverage at cost to California employers.