Safety & Risk Management Committee Update

By: Leroy Taggert and Kelsey Thomas

The most recent Safety & Risk Management Committee meeting addressed safety precautions and overall safety practices at member firms, in addition to other timely topics. We encourage you to make safety a priority in 2025 by joining or sending a team member to the next committee meeting on March 18th! 

The Best Practices in Safety Awards program was reviewed. A few companies have already submitted their Safety Award applications. But with the holidays approaching, members are encouraged not to wait until the deadline of January 10th! The submission process itself is free and only takes 30 minutes to complete. Once the review of submissions is final, companies will be notified and also prompted for information regarding which employee(s) is able to accept the Safety Award on behalf of the company at the C&D World Annual Conference.

Next, with Winter approaching for most of us, the group covered various aspects of safe driving including tips for different weather conditions and preparing vehicles for extreme weather. Guest presenter and Safety Consultant, Allison Rock, MEHS, CSP, discussed the importance of safe driving, emphasizing the need to slow down, maintain proper tire pressure, and avoid sudden movements. She highlighted the risks of hydroplaning and skidding, and guided how to recover from these situations. Allison also stressed the importance of visibility, particularly in foggy conditions, and advised drivers to use low beams and fog lights, maintain a safe following distance, and avoid passing. She concluded by recommending the use of hazard lights in low visibility situations while highlighting the dangers of black ice and white ice and reminding the group of the importance of preparing trucks for extreme weather through the monitoring of tank levels, climate controls, tire treads, etc. She suggested that developing a winter checklist of items to have in the vehicles can help safeguard your equipment and your team members. 

Finally, Leroy Taggart discussed the increasing risk of “nuclear verdicts” in the insurance world, particularly for fleet owners. He suggested that, by implementing strong safety measures and training programs, costly claims can often be minimized. The committee also decided that it would be reasonable to post valuable presentations like Allison’s on the website for access on demand, while also sharing updates on the latest posts on social media. 

We Value Your Input! Share safety ideas and leverage our shared group resources. Have an idea for a future meeting? Send your suggestions to [email protected] or the Chair of the committee, Leroy Taggert, directly.