Safer Schools Seminars address student & staff safety in schools

Milwaukee, WI  - October 7, 2009 – Indiana Insurance, a Liberty Mutual Agency Markets regional company and the premier provider of school insurance in the Midwest, is holding two Safer Schools Seminars in Illinois in early November.

Designed for superintendents, principals, risk managers, and insurance professionals, these free, half-day seminars will inform school officials on how to improve safety for students, teachers, and support staff. The Safer Schools Seminars run from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon with registration and continental breakfast at 8:30 am at the following venues:

• Tuesday, November 3rd Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, IL
• Wednesday, November 4th, Heartland Community College, 1500 W. Raab Road, Normal, IL

Budgets are a high priority issue for all schools and one effective way to control costs is to minimize the likelihood of accidents. Work-related injuries directly affect the cost of insurance and uninsured costs run even higher.

“If you don’t find the hazards, the hazards will find you,” said Steve Munro , loss prevention manager, Indiana Insurance. “There is much that can be done to improve safety, reduce employee accidents, and control insurance costs. It starts with attentive, well-trained staffs and school districts that implement and enforce strong policies and practices.”

Mr. Munro, who oversees safer school consulting services for Indiana Insurance school clients, will address how schools can implement effective safety programs. School safety consultants Ms. Yolanda Washington and Mr. Adam Wilcox will present on hazard identification and post-loss cost management.

"Most schools have safety programs, but too often they are paper programs that lack significant top-level support and effectiveness," added Mr. Munro. "School leaders need to look past simple template programs to understand and address why employees have accidents. There’s also an equal need to work more closely with employees after an accident so they can promptly return to productive work."

Indiana Insurance insures 313 public school districts and 73 private schools in Illinois. Its Safer Schools Consultants specialize in school loss prevention and risk mitigation that comprehensively addresses the most common school hazards through:

• Multi-Hazard Site Assessments™;
• Safer School Inspection Training;
• Playground Safety Inspection & Training;
• Science Lab Safety and Chemical Storage Assessments;
• Vocational Shop Machine Safeguarding Assessments;
• Risk Assessments of Athletic Facilities/Equipment and Kitchens/Food Service; and
• Decision Driving™ for Professional School Bus Drivers.

To learn more about the coverages and services available from Indiana Insurance’s Schools Program, go to www.mysaferschool.com. To register for either of the Safer Schools Seminars, contact Ms. Marilyn Kurz at 630-393-7702 or send an email to Marilyn.Kurz@Indiana-ins.com.

About Indiana Insurance

With underwriting companies dating back to 1851, Indiana Insurance offers property and casualty products, including a comprehensive set of commercial coverages, distributed only through appointed independent agents.  Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Indiana Insurance provides insurance in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. 

Indiana Insurance is part of Liberty Mutual Agency Markets, a business unit of Liberty Mutual Group, consisting of property and casualty and specialty insurance carriers that distribute their products and services primarily through independent agents and brokers.  Liberty Mutual Group ranks 86 on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations based on 2008 revenues.  The company has financial strength ratings of A (Excellent) from the A.M. Best Company, A2 (Good) from Moody’s Investors Service, and A- (Strong) from Standard & Poor’s.

Contact:

Christopher Goetcheus, 774-279-5923
or Christopher.Goetcheus@indiana-ins.com