Morrow County sees workers' comp experience mod rise; officials propose quarterly risk reports and targeted training

Finance staff introduced a quarterly risk-management report to better track claims and safety work after a notable climb in the county's workers' compensation experience modifier.

Sandy Pointer, risk management, described work by the county's safety committee including incident reviews, emergency-readiness improvements, AED supply checks and a focus on slips/trips/falls, safe lifting, driving safety and SDS access. Pointer said the next quarter will emphasize distracted and winter driving, inspections and more practical training for employees.

"Try to provide practical training and make sure all employees have clear, consistent safety information," Pointer said, outlining concrete training topics to reduce losses.

Stacy Eckstrom, the county's agent of record, told the board the experience mod moved from 0.88 to 1.04, with a projected 1.12 next year, and that roughly 56% of claims are coming from law enforcement classifications. She said the county has seen an increase in claims and loss ratio and recommended using available City/County Insurance Services (CIS) training resources along with new-hire orientation improvements.

Commissioners asked about the drivers of the increase and requested additional data, including comparisons of employee tenure and claim counts, to help target interventions. Staff said finance and risk will continue to refine classification, training and reporting and present the quarterly reports to the board.

No formal policy or budget vote occurred; staff requested direction to continue programmatic work and to provide follow-up reporting.