CTSI presents five‑year loss analysis to Ouray County; recommends defensive driving, ergonomics and policy updates

Dana Foley, a loss-control representative with the Colorado Counties Mutual/CTSI pool, briefed the Ouray County Board of County Commissioners on April 9 with a year‑end and five‑year review of county and statewide pool claims. Foley said the county’s recent exposure is driven largely by vehicle incidents and a small number of high-cost indemnity workers’‑comp claims.

Why it matters: CTSI’s analysis links training and supervisory practices to future premiums and equity distributions for county members. The report identified low-cost prevention measures—defensive driving, no‑backing or controlled‑backing policies, ergonomics and improved return‑to‑work programs—as ways to reduce claims and long-term costs.

Key findings Foley said Ouray County’s 2024 casualty/property (CAP) exposure was low relative to some years, reporting roughly six claims totaling about $10,000 for the county in 2024 and a pool average per‑claim cost of about $13,000 in 2024. On the workers’‑comp side, the county reported nine claims in 2024 totaling about $105,000; a single indemnity claim accounted for roughly $71,680 of that total. The county’s five‑year averages and the CTSI pool charts were shown to the commissioners during the session.

Recommendations and practical steps - Defensive driving: Foley recommended CTSI provide free defensive‑driving training countywide with an emphasis on backing avoidance, noting backing incidents remain a significant, largely preventable exposure. She said attendees can receive certificates that may lower personal auto premiums and that the training can count toward post‑certification hours for deputies if the sheriff approves. - Fleet/backing policy: Staff and commissioners discussed drafting a unified vehicle policy (inclusive of leased and county‑owned vehicles) that requires safe backing practices and clarifies exceptions for emergency response operations. Foley offered to provide sample fleet policy templates used by other counties. - Ergonomics: Foley offered on‑site ergonomic assessments and a program to reduce body‑mechanics injuries; commissioners asked for this to cover both office staff and field employees, and Foley described a follow‑up spreadsheet and equipment‑recommendation process. - Accident investigations and return‑to‑work: CTSI recommended supervisor training on incident investigations to capture root causes and recommended stronger return‑to‑work programs to reduce indemnity costs. - Regulatory compliance: Foley noted new MSHA silica testing requirements for quarries/mines and recommended budgeting for baseline air sampling as needed. - Phone use and in‑vehicle equipment: Commissioners discussed adding phone‑use restrictions and installing phone holders or OEM cables in county vehicles so navigation can be used safely.

County response and next steps Commissioners and county staff asked CTSI to provide sample policies and training calendars; staff agreed to pursue defensive‑driving training, integrate ergonomics evaluations, and work with CTSI on accident‑investigation training. Foley said CTSI can customize training and perform midyear loss reviews to identify course‑corrections.

Ending note: Foley emphasized CTSI’s role as a resource and offered to follow up with sample policies, training delivery timelines and silica‑testing guidance for Road & Bridge operations.