Public Risk September 2019

PUBLISHED BY THE PUBLIC RISK MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2019

SCHOOLS HAVE TOO:

Continuing the Quest to Make Schools Safer PAGE 6

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

BACK TO SCHOOL

Is Your Playground Ready?

PAGE 12

PROTECT YOUR CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY WITH EFFECTIVE DISASTER PLANNING PAGE 16

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SEPTEMBER 2019 | Volume 35, No. 8 | www.primacentral.org

CONTENTS

The Public Risk Management Association promotes effective risk management in the public interest as an essential component of public administration.

PRESIDENT Scott J. Kramer, MBA, ARM County Administrator Autauga County Commission Prattville, AL PAST PRESIDENT Jani J. Jennings, ARM Risk Manager City of Bellevue Bellevue, NE PRESIDENT-ELECT Sheri D. Swain Director, Enterprise Risk Management Maricopa County Community College Tempe, AZ DIRECTORS Forestine W. Carroll Manager of Risk Management Memphis Housing Authority Memphis, TN

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Schools Have Hazards Too:

CONTINUING THE QUEST TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER

By Lori A. Schroth, Brandon J. Hody, Elliot Laratonda, Christopher S. Chaffin, and Jimmy Culpepper

Lori J. Gray, RMPE Risk Manager County of Prince William Woodbridge, VA JamiAnn N. Hannah, RMPE Risk Manager City of Gallatin Gallatin, TN Laurie T. Kemper Sr. Risk Management Consultant City/County Insurance Services Salem, OR Michael S. Payne, ARM, HEM Risk Manager City of Fresno Fresno, CA Melissa R. Steger, MBA, CRM Asst. Dir., WCI & Unemployment Ins. University of Texas System Austin, TX NON-VOTING DIRECTOR Jennifer Ackerman, CAE Chief Executive Officer Public Risk Management Association Alexandria, VA EDITOR Teal Griffey, MBA Manager of Marketing and Communications 703.253.1262 • tgriffey@primacentral.org ADVERTISING Teal Griffey, MBA 703.253.1262 • tgriffey@primacentral.org

Back to School

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IS YOUR PLAYGROUND READY?

By Joann M. Robertson, CSP

IN EVERY ISSUE

16

Protect Your Campus and Community with Effective Disaster Planning

By Vivian Marinelli, Psy.D.

Public Risk is published 10 times per year by the Public Risk Management Association, 700 S. Washington St., #218, Alexandria, VA 22314 tel: 703.528.7701 • fax: 703.739.0200 email: info@primacentral.org • Web site: www.primacentral.org Opinions and ideas expressed are not necessarily representative of the policies of PRIMA. Subscription rate: $140 per year.

Back issue copies for members available for $7 each ($13 each for non-PRIMA members). All back issues are subject to availability. Apply to the editor for permission to reprint any part of the magazine.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PRIMA, 700 S. Washington St., #218, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Copyright 2019 Public Risk Management Association

| 4 NEWS BRIEFS | 19 ADVERTISER INDEX

SEPTEMBER 2019 | PUBLIC RISK

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MESSAGE FROM PRIMA PRESIDENT SCOTT J. KRAMER, MBA, ARM

he goal of safety training for participants is to change unsafe behavior in order to have an impact on safety performance. However, effectiveness is often lost because participants feel this training is more of a compliance issue than a true safety issue. Digital safety, such as cybersecurity and preventing ransomware attacks, is a newsworthy topic. Yet, we discount the advice of training our employees to be prepared for just such incidents.

Worse, these employees, including risk management professionals, may discount the safety training altogether, feeling it’s more of a compliance issue than genuinely engaging with the training.

In speaking with fellow entities on safety training for cyberattacks, one entity worked hard to make sure that the entire workforce was trained to avoid an attack. Two weeks later, they followed up with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the training. Much to their surprise, 75% of the trained employee group did not pass the test! Even though they were trained in what to look for, the employees simply returned back to their regular working routine and did not recognize the threat.

Having been the victim of a ransomware attack with my last employer, I have a personal perspective on this subject. I was shocked that an entity with a population of just 200,000 could be a target for ransomware. After the incident, I learned that our vulnerability had increased for a subsequent attack. To prevent another such attack, our risk management and IT departments worked together with the FBI, as well as others, on future prevention of cyber-attacks.

“

Cybersecurity is not a subject that can

be ignored. From large cities and entities to small, it is clear that only those who are trained and take an active approach to risk management in the cybersphere are safe.

As risk management professionals, it’s our

“

T

Cybersecurity – A Risk Management Professional’s Duty to Protect Their Entity

duty to become more knowledgeable of digital safety.

My entity focused on three main areas of cyber safety: ➊ Backing up our systems, storing them offline, and then testing their integrity and restoration ➋ Employee awareness training through recognizing threats, suspicious links, and phishing ➌ Developing a response plan should another attack occur Cybersecurity is not a subject that can be ignored. From large cities and entities to small, it is clear that only those who are trained and take an active approach to risk management in the cybersphere are safe. As risk management professionals, it’s our duty to become more knowledgeable of digital safety.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness month.

PRIMA has valuable resources to help our membership. These resources include podcasts, blogs, and more, with information on cyberattacks, the dark web, and cyber incident costs.

I encourage you to explore and share these resources with your employees to avoid your entity from being a victim.

Sincerely,

Scott J. Kramer, MBA, ARM PRIMA President 2019–2020 County Administrator Autauga County Commission Prattville, AL

SEPTEMBER 2019 | PUBLIC RISK

3

NEWS BRIEFS

NEWS Briefs

ADVOCATES, LEADERS PUSH TO KEEP PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS SAFE IN SAN FRANCISCO Following two pedestrian deaths in four days in San Francisco, Supervisor Matt Haney will introduce a resolution to the Board of Supervisors that would declare a state of emergency for traffic safety in the city and take immediate measures to rectify it.

Several organizations and city officials gathered for a rally on the steps of City Hall to speak out against traffic violence and to urge the city to declare the emergency.

Michael Evans, 54, of San Francisco, died when he was struck by a vehicle at Fifth and Market streets.

Oscar Matus, 65, of Lathrop has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and failure to yield to a pedestrian, according to police.

Benjamin Dean, 39, of Clovis, died when he was struck by a vehicle at Taylor and O’Farrell streets. Kelsey Mariah Cambridge, 21, of Vallejo, has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and running a red light.

Haney said that hopefully the state of emergency would cause the city to respond in a proactive, urgent and sweeping way, and that the way it is currently treating traffic safety is too slow and reactive.

“It’s not reflecting the crisis that’s on our streets,” he said.

Some of the possible measures to increase safety would be immediate increased traffic enforcement, speed safety cameras, lower speed limits and additional red light cameras.

Walk San Francisco, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and Haney were joined at the rally by interim San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director of transporta-

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PUBLIC RISK | SEPTEMBER 2019

tion Tom Maguire, Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and a representative for Assemblymember David Chiu, D-San Francisco, among others.

Maguire said that he has heard the call to get safety improvements on the street faster. “The

only acceptable number of fatalities on our streets is zero,” he said. Wiener said that the city isn’t making the progress that it needs to make quickly enough. “It’s time to take traffic enforcement so much more seriously in this city,” he said. “It’s like the Wild West out there.”

THESE ‘SMART’ STREET LIGHTS DO MORE THAN ILLUMINATE A CITY A New York initiative to retrofit street lights across the state with energy-efficient LED technology is shining a light on more than just cost savings.

As cities embark on light replacement campaigns, many are simultaneously experimenting with smart technology that can be attached to utility poles and used to collect data on everything from traffic patterns to snow accumulation.

Syracuse, which announced its plan to purchase and retrofit 18,000 streetlights from the National Grid utility company last year, began the process of retrofitting LED lights and installing light control sensors this month, according to Sam Edelstein, the city’s chief data officer. The sensors will allow city officials to control street lights’ brightness and receive alerts when the lights go out. Syracuse lawmakers approved $38 million bond financing for the project. Once the streetlight conversion is complete, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said the city is expected to save $3 million annually.

But along with the retrofitting process, the city is also examining other types of smart technology that could be attached to the newly acquired utility poles and feed into broader smart technology initiatives.

“As we are deploying this technology, we are doing so to enhance the level of services we are providing,” Walsh said during a presentation in Washington, D.C. on the city’s streetlight plan.

3 WAYS TO SHORE UP THIRD-PARTY RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS A new Nemertes research study shows enterprises need to adopt third-party risk management programs that jettison manual checklists in favor of automated tools, hands-on risk assessments and dedicated risk teams.

It’s hardly news that the enterprise technology paradigm has shifted from on premises to cloud plus mobile. According to Nemertes Research, this is the year the majority of workloads will be in the cloud versus in on-premises data centers.

More broadly, technology is moving from physical (servers and data centers) to virtual (virtual machines, containers and public or private cloud services). In addition, supply chains are increasingly global and opaque, which means an enterprise has less and less insight into where its products and services originate or whose hands they pass through before arriving.

All of this changes the game for cybersecurity professionals and nowhere more than in the practice of third-party risk management programs and the best practices they should include.

Third-party risk management programs refer to the practice of validating the cybersecurity technology, processes and practices of third parties that do business with the enterprise.

These third parties are typically suppliers, but they can also be customers, distributors or any other organization that potentially can compromise an enterprise’s cybersecurity.

THREE CHANGES NEEDED TO MANAGE THIRD-PARTY RISK Today’s paradigm shifts have several implications for cybersecurity professionals in charge of third-party risk management programs.

First, third-party risk managers need to increase their hands-on involvement in critical risk assessments. According to Nemertes’ new 2019–2020 Cloud and Cybersecurity Research Study, only 14% of organizations conduct hands-on risk assessments. That needs to change, at least for services enterprises consider critical.

Case in point: Last fall, Amazon reportedly detected a physical bug on server boards from

Super Micro Computer, a U.S. company founded by Chinese immigrants. The chips appeared to have been placed there by unauthorized third parties—believed to be Chinese hackers—for the purpose of injecting malware into the servers.

Here’s the kicker: Amazon allegedly discovered the hardware hacks in the context of purchasing Elemental, a video compression software startup that had contracts with major U.S. defense intelligence agencies. Amazon discovered the bug while conducting a hands-on check.

The point? If the stakes are high, don’t just take the supplier’s word for it during a paper audit.

You need to conduct a physical or hands-on test of the hardware or software or during a walkthrough of the facilities.

Second, even those paper audits need to be automated. Nemertes research study revealed more than half (58%) of organizations only ask third-party suppliers to complete a checklist, either on a one-time basis or annually. That’s not good enough.

Almost a quarter (23%) of organizations surveyed by Nemertes said risk is a critical factor in workload placement—they rate it a 10 out of 10 in importance.

A slew of automated risk management and risk assessment tools are on the market, and more

emerge daily. Companies like UpGuard, Optiv, RiskRate, Capterra and others make the process more automated. Ideally, whenever a third party undergoes significant changes in technology, processes or policies, those changes should be reflected automatically in its risk rating, and risk management professionals should be proactively advised. The tools help make that happen.

Finally and most importantly, none of this will happen unless risk management becomes a serious discipline in its own right. Almost a quarter (23%) of organizations studied by Nemertes said risk is a critical factor in workload placement—they rate it a 10 out of 10 in importance. Workload placement refers to where a computing workload executes in the organization—on premises or in a public cloud. Yet, most organizations lack a focused and funded team that specializes in third-party risk management program and has the technical chops, executive support and budget to ensure success.

Bottom line: risk management matters. If you’re still using a manual paper audit centered on checklist completion for your third-party risk assessment program, now is an excellent time to rethink your approach to include a mix of automation and hands-on assessment.

Enterprises concerned about third-party risk management programs that still use manual paper audits need to rethink a best practices strategy that includes automation and hands-on risk assessment.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | PUBLIC RISK

5

SCHOOLS HAVE HAZARDS TOO:

CONTINUING THE QUEST TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER

OU LIKELY REMEMBER THIS: The alarm sounds. Classmates rejoice. You walk, nearly skip, through the halls single-file. You and your classmates gather outside for a glorious break from math… We have all experienced fire drills in school. Safety in primary and secondary schools is vital to protect not only students, but also school leaders, faculty, support staff, and visitors against hazards and violence (FIGURE I); nevertheless, there is room for improvement.

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PUBLIC RISK | SEPTEMBER 2019

FIGURE I SCHOOL PERSONNEL The most recognizable employees within a school are the educators; however, they represent only a portion of the personnel that work within the school. Consider school leaders, faculty, and support staff when applying the strategies in this article.

SCHOOL LEADERS

• Fire drills, active shooter preparations, and other emergency or disaster responses are just one aspect of school safety—schools have hazards beyond emergencies. The physical conditions of facilities and classrooms affect the school environment, and they contain potentially hazardous equipment, chemicals, and activities. Schools also have classes that introduce increased risks (e.g., vocational shop, home economics, chemistry).

• The educational services sector averages 36,000 work-related injuries each year (Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2018a), with that number gradually increasing (FIGURE II) (BLS, 2018b, c, d, e). Primary and secondary schools endure most of these work-related injuries and illnesses (FIGURE III), but this does not include injuries or illnesses that are student-related, non-occupational, and non-recordable [based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) recordkeeping regulations, 29 CFR 1904], which make these numbers higher than they appear.

• Interviews reveal many schools do not have policies in place to manage safety and health (S&H). When policies do exist, it seems many are ineffective or unenforced. A study performed by Edo, Umanah, & Uzogara (2017) shows principals believe the primary constraint on school S&H is a lack of implementing S&H policies.

• Educator credentials vary greatly, depending on educational background, work experience, and exposure to non-educational work environments. Many times, their credentials do not encompass any level of S&H, meaning a knowledge gap may exist in facilitating a safe and healthful environment. A study shows educators believe the primary constraint to S&H is a lack of sufficient knowledge regarding S&H measures (Edo, Umanah, & Uzogara, 2017).

• The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) (2018) found that “about 93% of public schools reported they provide training on safety procedures” (e.g., how to handle emergencies).

The training typically focuses on bullying, violence, and related behaviors (FIGURE IV); however, schools can extend training to include hazard identification and risk reduction.

• Superintendent • Principal • Athletic Director

FACULTY

WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT?

• Educator • Counselor • Special Education • Speech Therapist • Occupational Therapist • Physical Therapist • Alternative Education • Library/Media Specialist • Reading Specialist • Intervention Specialist • Coach

SUPPORT STAFF

Y

BY LORI A. SCHROTH, BRANDON J. HODY, ELLIOT LARATONDA, CHRISTOPHER S. CHAFFIN, AND JIMMY CULPEPPER

• Administrative Assistant • Encumbrance Clerk • School Nutritionist • Educator’s Aide • Paraprofessional • Nurse • Cook • Custodian • Maintenance Technician • Computer Technician

• Interviews with students suggest they do not always portray the level of risk avoidance needed to prevent unsafe acts and conditions (NCES/BJS, 2018).

• There is no national guidance to ensure faculty and support staff have consistent skills and knowledge relative to S&H. Scholarly evidence, census bureau results, interviews, and observations support the need to make S&H in schools more expansive and effective. Risk management offices and school officials can use the recommendations in this article to evaluate the school environment and identify strategies and initiatives to improve school S&H.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Schools can implement several strategies to bridge the identified S&H knowledge gap.

Equipping faculty and support staff with S&H knowledge not only increases awareness for hazard identification but gives schools an elevated opportunity to better the S&H culture. Raising awareness allows faculty and support staff to lead by example as students move forward and consider S&H factors in their careers and personal lives.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK CHARACTERIZATION A comprehensive evaluation of school grounds is necessary to identify hazards

FIGURE II

Once evaluators compile a list of identified hazards, they can determine a level of risk for

PERCENTAGE OF NON-FATAL INJURIES IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR, 2017

37,500 NUMBER OF INJURIES

The risk management office may lead the evaluation and use a team of faculty and support staff. The goal of the assessment is to establish a baseline of hazards throughout the school.

FIGURE III NUMBER OF NON-FATAL INJURIES IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR, 2013–2017

39.19%

37,000 36,500

1.62%

45.68%

35,500 35,000 34,000 2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

NOTE: Data retrieved from BLS, 2018b-e

0.54% 0.27% 2.70%

Elementary and secondary schools Colleges, universities, and professional schools All other schools and instruction Business schools and computer and management training

34,500

1.35%

1.62%

8.11%

36,000

33,500

and then characterize risks. Evaluations should assess: • potential facility issues, • equipment failures, • classroom hazards, • risks of routine activities, • exposure to chemicals, and • the impact of active construction zones.

Technical and trade schools Professional and management development training Junior colleges Fine arts schools Computer training

NOTE: Data retrieved from BLS, 2018a. Computer training data was not available for calculation.

FIGURE IV

FIGURE V

SAFETY & DISCIPLINE TRAINING TOPICS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR EDUCATORS AND AIDES Crisis prevention and intervention Positive behavioral intervention strategies Intervention and referral strategies for students with signs of mental health disorders Recognizing signs of students using/abusing alcohol and/or drugs Recognizing physical, social, and verbal bullying behavior Recognizing early warning signs of students likely to exhibit violent behavior School-wide discipline policies and practices related to alcohol and/or drug use School-wide discipline policies and practices related to violence School-wide discipline policies and practices related to bullying other than cyberbullying School-wide discipline policies and practices related to cyberbullying Safety procedures Classroom management for educators

KNOWLEDGE EVALUATIONS Consider integrating S&H questions into interviews. Example questions can revolve around knowledge of: WOOD SHOP • Machine guarding

• Personal protective equipment

HOME ECONOMICS • Knife safety • Kitchen safety

• Fire extinguisher use • Ergonomics

PHYSICAL EDUCATION • Signs and symptoms of heat stress CHEMISTRY • Safety Data Sheets

0

10

20

NOTE: Chart recreated from NCES and BJS, 2018.

30

40 50 60 70 PERCENTAGE

80

90

100

CUSTODIANS • Hazardous energy • Chemical safety

• Spill response • Ergonomics

SEPTEMBER 2019 | PUBLIC RISK

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SCHOOLS HAVE HAZARDS TOO: CONTINUING THE QUEST TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER

each. Evaluators can share the results with the school to identify control measures and prioritize required actions or needed improvements. It is good practice to incorporate the results into training for faculty and support staff—helping them understand the hazards and what they can do to foster a safe and healthful school environment.

KNOWLEDGE EVALUATION AND JOB DESCRIPTIONS Schools can work with a S&H professional to review S&H regulations and identify pertinent topics that faculty and support staff should know and understand, respective to their occupation.

Incorporate S&H knowledge requirements into job descriptions. Defined job descriptions help faculty and support staff understand their S&H expectations and aid schools in holding employees accountable for meeting those expectations.

Consider creating a list of S&H questions to integrate into interviews with prospective faculty and support staff (FIGURE V). Schools can also consider making S&H knowledge a recommendation [rather than a requirement], but then use this as a component to rank the best candidates.

NEW HIRE ORIENTATION The new hire orientation process sets the foundation for workplace S&H. Planning is a critical component of the new hire orientation process.

Before any training occurs, identify a timeframe in which to deliver the training to new hires.

Ideally, schools should provide new hire orientation before employees begin to actively work in their assigned positions—remember, employees are working untrained and at an increased risk until they receive this training.

Next, envision the information that would most benefit a new hire—schools need to include these topics in the orientation. Think high level—aim the orientation at more general S&H concepts and set the tone for S&H at the school (Burt, 2015). Choose topics that are relevant to the entire workforce (e.g., S&H rules, hazards, hazard controls, hazard reporting process, incident reporting procedures, safe work procedures). New hire orientation provides faculty and support staff

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PUBLIC RISK | SEPTEMBER 2019

with the information they need to ensure the school is safe and healthful.

DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING Schools can also determine if resources are available to fund additional training to support the school’s S&H expectations. The OSHA website provides useful information to share with faculty and support staff. OSHA also has the OSHA Training Institute and local OSHA Training Institute Education Centers which offer S&H courses on a range of topics. There are typically vendors and consultants for hire to train faculty and supporting staff on hazard recognition or conducting S&H inspections. Schools may find it best to utilize train-the-trainer courses to bring S&H resources and knowledge directly to the school environment too.

SAFETY STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES

Schools can employ additional safety strategies and initiatives beyond faculty and support staff knowledge to improve S&H. While schools may perceive several of these ideas as best practices, they assist with continuous identification of hazards, reinforcement of S&H training, and consistent and repetitive S&H communications.

Schools need to implement strategies that best fit school needs and available resources, integrating S&H concepts into day-to-day school operations and processes to be the most effective.

POLICY AND PROCEDURES S&H policies and procedures bring structure and consistency to the school’s S&H efforts.

Schools can have separate written policies for students and employees, or combine the information into a single document. The state, school district, and/or school board usually governs the information included in a written policy, but it is a good idea to incorporate information on risks identified from hazard assessments and S&H inspections.

The written policy includes high-level information to address anticipated risks (e.g., commitment to S&H from school leaders, emergency response, S&H rules, use of the playground in cold/hot weather). Detailed S&H procedures supplement the written policy, describing steps on how to conduct

inspections, respond to different emergencies, report hazards, and investigate incidents.

Periodically review established policies and procedures to ensure they are up-to-date and reflect S&H regulations, school expectations, and current school processes.

HAZARD INSPECTION AND ASSESSMENT Schools have diverse environments, thus, a range of hazards. Hazard inspection and assessment processes need to be in place to continually identify and abate hazards that arise in the school environment. Use baseline hazard assessment results to pinpoint the more significant risks and dictate the frequency of routine inspections [those with increased risks should have more inspections]. Develop an inspection schedule to show which areas to examine, when, and by who; include all areas of the school grounds in the schedule.

Designate inspectors trained in hazard recognition to execute the inspection process.

Create checklists to guide the process, help identify hazards specific to each work area, and facilitate the documentation of findings—do not constrict inspectors to the items on the checklist, asking them to document any possible hazards. Additionally, employ hazard assessment processes for non-routine activities, workplace changes, and construction work.

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE Unmaintained school equipment may also contribute to injuries and illnesses. Schools should develop a list of equipment throughout the school grounds, identify maintenance needs, and assign someone to oversee implementation of the preventative maintenance process. It is essential schools maintain the facilities (e.g., playgrounds, school vehicles, weight lifting equipment, kitchen equipment) to reduce risks to students, faculty, and support staff. Faculty and support staff should understand the process to report items that need repair or show signs of wear. Maintenance personnel should monitor the execution of the preventative maintenance process, striving to not fall behind on scheduled maintenance. They should also receive S&H training (e.g., control of hazardous energy, tool safety, fall protection) to safely perform maintenance activities.

SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEES S&H committees bring school leaders, faculty, support staff, students, and community members together in a collaborative effort to elevate S&H at the school. Schools must outline membership composition, membership requirements, frequency of meetings, and mission of the committee, which varies based on school needs. Effective committees meet regularly, publicize agendas prior to meetings, and document and distribute meeting minutes.

S&H committees provide an opportunity to assess S&H needs, oversee hazard prevention and control processes, and contribute to the school’s overall S&H culture—raising awareness and arriving at resolutions for S&H issues.

efforts. Unlike risk management, the SMS moves the reactive emphasis on S&H to a proactive approach, readily identifying hazards and risks before an incident occurs. It also removes the normalcy of S&H professionals and risk managers leading S&H efforts, making the entire workforce [and possibly students] responsible for S&H. Successful SMSs require strong commitment and support from school leadership. Implementing a SMS improves the school’s S&H culture, increases hazard awareness and correction, and fine-tunes S&H policies and procedures to move beyond a compliance mindset (Robertson, 2018; Sambasivam, Karuppiah, Subramaniam, Praveena, & Abidin, 2017).

SAFETY EVENTS S&H events show a school is dedicated to S&H. Use S&H committees, school boards, and the community to retrieve ideas that fit the school’s needs. Schools can champion S&H days and S&H fairs, providing students, faculty, and/ or support staff with training and resources in an informal and eventful manner. Schools can also contact local S&H professionals or risk managers to speak to the faculty and/or students about S&H as a career or a specific S&H topic.

Schools can also hold student events (e.g., safety poster contests, essay contests, scholarships) to increase S&H awareness.

CONCLUSION

SAFETY COORDINATORS Safety coordinators may be a valuable asset at a school that does not have a designated risk manager or has an understaffed risk management office. Faculty members frequently fulfill the role of ‘safety coordinator’ as an additional duty, as they are on-site at the school and able to serve as a point-of-contact for hazard reports, incident reports, and other S&H issues.

Schools need to define safety coordinator roles and responsibilities (e.g., conducting S&H inspections, communicating S&H information, overseeing emergency drills), allocate resources, and grant them the authority to carry out assigned roles. It is a good idea to write a letter of designation, assigning the additional duty and laying out the expectations of the position.

SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Schools may consider transitioning to a safety management system (SMS) to improve S&H

Overall, S&H continues to be an area of emphasis for schools. Many schools have S&H provisions in place, but they are not always effective and there continues to be a knowledge gap regarding S&H information. It is essential for schools to evaluate S&H efforts and identify areas of improvement. Using a combination of training and education, hazard identification and correction processes, and other strategies and initiatives, schools can promote S&H to possibly influence the S&H culture, mitigate risks, and reduce injuries and illnesses. Each school must evaluate their practices and choose strategies and initiatives that work best based on school needs, the school environment and risks, and training needs of the faculty and supporting staff.

Lori A. Schroth, CSSM, CSP, CET, CHSP is a senior safety and environmental professional at Concurrent Technologies Corporation in Johnstown, PA. Brandon J. Hody, CSP, CHSP is a safety and occupational health professional at Concurrent Technologies Corporation in Johnstown, PA. Elliot Laratonda, MS, CSP is a safety manager at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

Christopher S. Chaffin, CSP is a principal safety and occupational health professional at Concurrent Technologies Corporation in Johnstown, PA. Jimmy Culpepper, CSP, SMS is a principal safety and occupational health professional at Concurrent Technologies Corporation in Johnstown, PA.

FOOTNOTES • Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]. (2018a).

SNR05. Injury cases – rates, counts, and percent relative standard errors – detailed industry – 2017. Retrieved from https://www. bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm • Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]. (2018b).

SNR05. Injury cases – rates, counts, and percent relative standard errors – detailed industry – 2016. Retrieved from https://www. bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm • Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]. (2018c).

SNR05. Injury cases – rates, counts, and percent relative standard errors – detailed industry – 2015. Retrieved from https://www. bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm • Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]. (2018d).

SNR05. Injury cases – rates, counts, and percent relative standard errors – detailed industry – 2014. Retrieved from https://www. bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm • Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]. (2018e).

SNR05. Injury cases – rates, counts, and percent relative standard errors – detailed industry – 2013. Retrieved from https://www. bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm • Burt, C. (2015). New employee safety: Risk factors and management strategies. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18684-9 • Edo, B.L., Umanah, R.G., & Uzogara, P.U. (2017). Roles of principals and teachers in the management of safety and health for service delivery in selected secondary schools in Rivers State. International Journal of Innovative Education Research, 5 (4), 28-35. Retrieved from http://seahipaj. org/journals-ci/dec-2017/IJIER/full/IJIER-D5-2017.pdf • National Center for Education Statistics [NCES] and Bureau of Justice Statistics [BJS]. (2018). Indicators of school crime and safety: 2017. Retrieved from https://nces. ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/ • Robertson, M. (2018). Examining the relationship between safety management system implementation and safety culture in collegiate flight schools. Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering, 7 (2), Article 1. doi: https://doi.org/10.7771/2159-6670.1169 • Sambasivam, S.S., Karuppiah, K., Subramaniam, K., Praveena, S.M., & Abidin, E.Z. (2017). Potential safety risks in schools: Ensuring the safety of our precious ones. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 10 (3), 580-585. Retrieved from http://www.atmph.org/article. asp?issn=1755-6783;year=2017;volume=1 0;issue=3;spage=580;epage=585;aulast= Sambasivam

SEPTEMBER 2019 | PUBLIC RISK

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Register for PRIMA’s

SEPTEMBER WEBINAR FREE TO MEMBERS Steps to Developing a Risk Appetite Framework SEPTEMBER 25 | 12:00 – 1:30 PM EST Speaker: Scott Wightman, ARM-E, Managing Director, ERM Practice, Arthur J. Gallagher Attendee Takeaways: • Clear understanding of risk appetite and risk tolerance • Practical steps to develop a risk appetite framework • Incorporating the risk appetite philosophy into other business practices

UPCOMING 2019 WEBINARS OCTOBER 16TH Integrating Enterprise Risk Management with the Strategic Planning Process

NOVEMBER 20TH Improving Safety in Government

by Changing Driving Behavior

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IS YOUR PLAYGROUND READY?

BY JOANN M. ROBERTSON, CSP

12

PUBLIC RISK | SEPTEMBER 2019

T

HE FALL SEASON conjures up images of parents buying new school supplies, students sharpening pencils and teachers decorating classrooms. Meanwhile, the school facilities staff finishes up construction projects and prepares the buildings for the upcoming school year.

But what about the playgrounds, are they also ready? Here are some tips for playground safety awareness and ways to involve more staff members:

1. REPLENISH!

Is resilient surfacing provided to the proper depth per the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (US CPSC) Guidelines? Keep a record of when the organization replenishes any loose-fill materials including any of the following: sand, pea gravel, wood/bark chips or rubber chips. Also, check the condition of other surfacing, such as rubber tiles or poured in-place rubber. After all, if users falling “onto the surface below” is the most common cause of playground injuries, these are critical records to maintain.

2. BE CERTIFIED!

Have the playgrounds been recently inspected by a certified playground safety inspector (CPSI)? Hire a CPSI to survey the playground or investigate if the insurance company has a CPSI on their staff who can provide this service.

Have one of your facilities staff members escort any CPSI on-site to learn about performing more thorough inspections in-house and be able to follow up any issues that arise. Consider having an employee from your organization enroll in a study course to become a CPSI.

3. CHECK YOUR SURROUNDINGS!

Look around the play areas by examining nearby trees, borders, fences, walkways, curbs, etc. Keep your eyes open for problems such as: insect’s nests, holes, poisonous plants, falling branches, tripping hazards, etc. Another common issue is that if the playground borders are spiked into the ground they may begin to become raised, the spikes may need to be secured back down into the ground.

4. DANGER ZONE!

Supervisors on the playground should be empowered to report problems, and even close off dangerous areas. Have the facilities department stock up on supplies such as caution tape, zip ties, plywood and “Closed for Repair” signs to be always prepared for immediate action.

5. BE AN INFORMANT!

Mount clear rules signage at playground entrances or near the equipment, since supervisors are not always present. Illustrative rules signs with pictures are the most helpful, especially for explaining the rules clearly to young children.

Signs should be provided in the appropriate languages for your community. Signs can also be used to: 1. Identify the correct age group for each play area. 2. Explain how to contact the organization if someone observes a broken part or dangerous condition. 3. Educate the public about common safety issues such as: hot metal slides which pose a burn hazard or the danger of children’s clothing drawstrings becoming entangled which can result in a strangulation hazard.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | PUBLIC RISK

13

BACK TO SCHOOL: IS YOUR PL AYGROUND READY?

6. GRAFFITI REMOVER!

Look for problems inside the top of slide chutes or in any other hidden areas. Vandalism is more than writing rude words or nasty pictures with markers or spray paint. Vandals may also try to disassemble the playground, place razor blades around to harm others, damage the playground with sharp instruments, leave dangerous trash on-site (needles, glass, etc.), or start fires to burn or melt the equipment. If you have ongoing concerns from vandalism, consider improving the lighting, increasing security patrols or adding close-circuit television cameras to curtail these problems.

to play. Create a bulletin board with all names and photos of playground staff, so children feel more comfortable when approaching the supervisors when they need assistance.

10. LET’S DO LUNCH!

Post the playground rules in the cafeteria, so they can easily be reviewed again before heading out if issues arise.

11. CHECK IT TWICE!

Develop checklists to improve playground inspections. Some sample written checklists can be found on-line or in the US CPSC Guidelines.

Develop checklists to improve playground inspections. Some sample written checklists can be found on-line or in the US CPSC Guidelines. Have your facilities team members all meet up at the playgrounds one day to further customize checklists for each playground area and conduct a thorough inspection together before the school year starts.

The checklists developed should then be utilized daily before playground is used each school day.

7. WHERE WAS WALDO?

After an injury, children usually receive first aid promptly, but have a hard time describing where their playground injury occurred. Provide pictures of the playground from different sides, so injured playground users (even if they are young) can point to exact spots. Next, inform facility staff members of the accident or injury details and let them investigate and coordinate any necessary repairs.

8. CLASS TIME!

The youngest users may need a review of the rules before heading out to the playground for the first time. Perhaps staff members can provide a review of the playground rules and reinforce expectations before heading outside.

9. NAME GAME!

Introduce all of the students to the staff who work on the playground before heading outside

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PUBLIC RISK | SEPTEMBER 2019

Have your facilities team members all meet up at the playgrounds one day to further customize checklists for each playground area and conduct a thorough inspection together before the school year starts. The checklists developed should then be utilized daily before playground is used each school day.

12. MAKE A WEEK OF IT!

For National Playground Safety Week starting April 27, 2020, plan a contest or a student activity, such as making thank you cards for each playground supervisor. While searching out other ideas on the web, you may also subscribe to some free newsletters about playground safety.

13. ALERT SECURITY!

If the organization has security staff, ask them to keep a close eye on the play areas. Perhaps, they may observe broken equipment off hours

and this may speed up needed repairs or closures. Inform security staff of any areas which are temporarily out of service so they can ensure these areas remain clearly marked off limits at all times.

14. BE TOURISTS!

Have a safety committee meeting and request the members wear both sneakers and casual clothes to visit nearby playgrounds and evaluate “hands on” possible future purchases.

15. DRESS THE PART!

Remind guardians on your organization’s website, and in any handbooks, mailings and calendars that children’s clothing with drawstrings can pose a serious safety hazard.

Drawstrings are especially dangerous when students are active on the playground, but also when they are getting on and off the school bus. Encourage drawstrings to always be removed before their children even head out the door.

16. NEWS FLASH!

When a new piece of playground equipment is installed, let the children learn about it by writing an essay or drawing a picture of it before use. Find out “What should the new rules be for the new playground equipment?” and discuss the answers together.

17. SMILE!

Take a class photo on the playground every year.

Involve everyone possible in your organization’s playground safety program and have a safe school year!

Joann M. Robertson, ARM, CSP, CPCU has worked to manage risk in the public sector since 1991.

RESOURCES: • National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) National Playground Safety Week playgroundsafety.org • Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Handbook for Public Playground Safety (#325) www.cpsc.gov • National Recreation and Park Assoc. (NRPA) How to become a CPSI? www.nrpa.org/ certification

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Protect Your Campus and Community with Effective

BY VIVIAN MARINELLI, PSY.D.

16

PUBLIC RISK | SEPTEMBER 2019

B

Y THEIR VERY NATURE, CRISIS SITUATIONS ARE DISRUPTIVE, striking when you least expect them. How many times have you heard “we never saw it coming” uttered on the news?

From earthquakes and tornadoes to active shootings or civil unrest, it’s important to keep your campus ready for any number of crisis situations.

Whether a disaster is natural or man-made, having an emergency response plan in place will help your school prepare for any eventuality.

• Lock-down procedures.

• Accommodations for students with special needs.

• Accommodations for students and families who speak limited English.

• Family member notification.

• Tracking students.

• Continued education in the event of an extended school closure.

• Incorporating updates to plan.

DEVELOPING A DISASTER PLAN

CRISIS COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA

When developing an effective disaster response program, it’s important to have specialized guidance for your industry. Working with an organization familiar with school emergencies helps ensure your plan is specific to the needs of faculty, staff, and students. Before you begin working on the plan, conduct a thorough assessment of all potential risks and hazards to the building and campus.

Different regions of the country face different threats and hazards. Already this year, flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, and other severe weather events have impacted the country. You’ll need to make different considerations depending on your campus location. Conducting a risk assessment helps tailor the plan to your specific campus, community, and environment, making it much more effective during a crisis.

Best practices have demonstrated that the minimum critical elements of an effective school disaster program should include the following: • Identify hazards and conduct a risk assessment specific to the building and campus.

• Develop a robust emergency plan that addresses how to mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover from hazards and risks specific to the school community.

• Include crisis communication planning.

• Provide training, drills and updates to the plan.

• Practice, practice, practice! Your staff and students will learn to rely on muscle memory with routine practice of the crisis plan, ensuring a faster, more effective response in the case of an actual disaster situation.

Keep in mind that when creating your plan, a single response likely won’t be enough. You should prepare for various situations. An

effective emergency response program should include not only plans to evacuate the building, but also a plan to shelter in place. Each decision requires special considerations and thinking about them in advance will help your team remain calm during an emergency. If the decision is to shelter in place, some additional considerations include: • Securing the building.

• Maintaining adequate food and water supplies.

• Accounting for students and staff.

• Communicating to families.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE PREPAREDNESS FOR SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES Most states and school districts have requirements for disaster planning, and it’s clear to see why: effective disaster planning means less chaos during the moment. If you don’t keep a level head, your students and staff may become panicked or distraught and the situation could devolve in potentially dangerous ways.

Most crisis plans identify staff roles and responsibilities. Keeping your staff informed of their role during a disaster means less thinking on their feet and more decisive action in the heat of the moment. You won’t be able to stop and organize during a disaster situation, so make sure your staff is prepared to work as a team before disaster strikes to increase safety in a worst-case scenario.

Although most school districts have taken the federally recommended steps to plan and prepare for emergencies, here are a few additional considerations to incorporate into your disaster plan:

During a disaster, the top priorities are to account for everyone’s status and location and to notify their families. You don’t want to leave anyone guessing about the safety of their loved ones. After you’ve taken care of that, additional communication should focus on the disaster’s impact on the school and community.

When planning, select a staff member for their authority and availability to deliver vital messages. It might be the school principal or president, a member of the school board or district, or the communications office.

Choose people who are in the best position to communicate directly with the media, students, school families, and other stakeholders. Crisis team members are better suited to communicate directly with the employees and families involved.

It’s also important that your staff is prepared to share difficult news. You may choose to work with crisis response counselors who are trained to deliver bad news to families and manage their reactions.

In times of crisis, social media can take on a life of its own. Rumors and misinformation quickly spread across dozens of platforms. With so many people seeking information, the spread of information can dramatically slow down service.

To control the narrative, utilize multiple outlets to send and receive communication—broadcast phone messages, texting, Twitter, Facebook, TV and radio news and their mobile alert apps.

Social media has helped identify urgent needs, provide accurate and updated information, quickly connect family members, and provide additional resources that may not be available at the source of the disaster. It is also used to monitor for emerging threats. Sharing messages

SEPTEMBER 2019 | PUBLIC RISK

17

PROTECT YOUR CAMPUS AND COMMUNIT Y WITH EFFECTIVE DISASTER PL ANNING

and updates through your official social media channels allows you to control the narrative of the disaster and ensure your community is getting accurate information from a trusted source.

PUTTING THE PLAN INTO PRACTICE

A disaster response plan should be a “living” document, meaning it requires regular updates and annual testing at the very least. Avoid being too specific. Your plan should be applicable and accessible to all staff members of the organization.

Just as you practice monthly fire drills with staff and students, disaster drills should also include the entire school and be conducted regularly.

Involving local first responders is also helpful.

Dealing with a disaster isn’t easy, but welltrained staff with experience in a variety of crisis situations will increase safety and ensure a more capable response to any event. You’ll never be able to predict a disaster, but an effective disaster response will shift the narrative from “we never saw this coming” to “we knew what to do to keep things from getting worse.”

PREPARE FOR THE AFTERMATH In the unfortunate event a disaster strikes, you can rely on your disaster plan to ensure resiliency and recovery. But your job isn’t done after the emergency is over. Staff and students may be traumatized or deeply affected by the event. Bringing in trained counselors can

support your school community and ensure that your campus is resilient after the disaster.

Keep communicating, even after the disaster.

Consider it a learning opportunity and review what went well and what didn’t. What lessons will help refine your disaster plan and affect how you deal with future events? Open, transparent communication and an effective plan will ensure your school emerges strong and resilient after a disaster.

Vivian Marinelli, Psy.D is Senior Director of Crisis Management Services at FEI - workforce resilience experts.

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PUBLIC RISK | SEPTEMBER 2019

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