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Risk management team presents revised safety manual; staff say forms are electronic though some workflows remain paper-based
Summary
Risk management presented a second formal revision to the district safety manual, said the manual has been integrated into mandatory Canvas training and noted ongoing efforts to centralize forms in SharePoint; the department also flagged recordkeeping and signature limitations for fully digital submission.
Cheryl Brown, the district’s risk inspector, presented a revised risk-management and safety manual to the Marion County School Board on Sept. 18, saying the document has been updated to meet current standards and incorporated into mandatory Canvas training.
Why it matters: The manual is a district reference for staff and a central source of incident-reporting forms and guidance; the version presented was the second formal revision and followed an interdepartmental review and a contractor engagement with Gallagher Bassett.
What the manual covers and how it will be used Brown told the board the district completed round‑table reviews with facilities, custodial, transportation and other departments and integrated the manual into training. She described the manual as a district reference to “minimize property damage and enhance safety,” and said many forms cited in the manual are available electronically in a SharePoint repository.
Forms, signatures and public access Board members asked whether the district’s reporting forms were fully online and whether electronic signatures were accepted. Brown said the forms had been converted to editable electronic formats and were stored on SharePoint, but staff said the current process still requires printing or scanning and that the district does not yet accept fully traceable digital signatures (for example DocuSign) across all workflows. Attorney Powers advised caution with digital signatures and noted that legally verifiable digital-signature platforms (with traceable digital IDs) can be used, but stressed the need for controls when signatures represent formal contracting authority (the board chair and superintendent remain the district’s contracting signatories).
Training, calls for efficiency and claims management Brown said the manual updates were limited mostly to dates and contact information; the department purchased three live-scan fingerprint machines (this item was covered in the HR presentation) and emphasized claims-management work including incident investigation, early return-to-work programs and mitigation that reduces settlement and medical costs.
Next steps and board requests Board members urged moving more forms and submission flows to a fully paperless process and suggested making the manual publicly available via the district website as a convenience for employees and stakeholders. Brown and staff said they would coordinate with legal and IT to assess signature platforms and to post appropriate materials on the public site where legally permissible.
Ending: The board praised the manual’s clarity and organization and asked staff to return with recommendations on electronic signature options and a plan for public posting of non‑confidential manual materials.
