Atchison County

Chanute

Coffeyville

Derby

Fairway

Gardner

Johnson County Parks and Recreation District

Junction City

Lansing

Leavenworth County

Leavenworth

Leawood

McPherson

Merriam

Mission

Ottawa

Shawnee

Winfield

The Kansas Eastern Region Insurance Trust provides a self-insured workers compensation program for local cities and counties.

Tom Brown, Chair

Mayor

City of McPherson, 620-245-2535

Mary Beth Bush, 1st Vice Chair

Human Resources Manager

City of Gardner, 903-856-0951

Jamie Chism, 2nd Vice Chair

Human Resources Director

City of Winfield, 620-221-5500

KERIT QUARTERLY is produced at Mid-America Regional Council. Contact Paul David Lampe, editor, at 816-701-8366.

New KERIT Member: City of Derby, Kansas

The city of Derby joined KERIT in January 2015. The city has 185 full-time employees and 44 part-time employees. The city's current population is approximately 22,000.

In September 2014, Thomas McGee, L.C., conducted a survey to assess loss control compatibility between the city and KERIT. During this process, Thomas McGee staff interviewed Jenny Turner, director of human resources for the city."We are excited to be a part of KERIT and we look forward to participating in the hands-on approach KERIT provides to manage our workers compensation claims," said Turner. "I believe that having stakeholders involved in the decision-making process is a great way to ensure the program's success."

The survey concluded that Derby has a strong safety record. The city provides numerous safety training sessions focused on safe lifting; confined workspaces; slips, trips and falls; bloodborne pathogens; and safe driving. New employees also participate in on-the-job training lasting between two and four weeks depending on job requirements. Derby has an extensive wellness program with a 90 percent participation rate and provides corporate health club memberships and two on-site, one-mile walking paths for employees.

KERIT Board elects new officers

Annually, the KERIT Board nominates individuals to the positions of chair, 1st vice chair and 2nd vice chair. On Dec. 9, Sunshine Petrone asked for volunteers to serve on a nominating committee for the election of KERIT officers. The committee nominated the following individuals:

This slate of candidates was presented at the January meeting and trustees approved the recommended candidates. The chair runs the monthly meetings and in his absence the 1st vice chair will take on monthly meeting duties. Administrative decisions are typically shared among the three positions, and the 1st vice chair and 2nd vice chair may lead committees.

KERIT board members are grateful for the service of the newly elected officers and for Sunshine Petrone and Laura Smith's leadership in 2014.

Board votes on dividend distributions for 2014

Dividends, or refunds of contributions, reflect a financial surplus — the premiums and investment income remaining after the trust paid claims and operating costs for given claim years.

After approving the new fund balance policy at the November 2014 trustees' meeting, the Board considered and approved a dividend distribution of $749,189 for 2014.

Dividends are a significant benefit of a self-insured workers compensation pool, as are advanced premium discounts. In a for-profit insurance company, members would not receive these dividends; these funds would instead become profit for shareholders. Dividends vary by jurisdiction according to premiums paid and losses incurred for the claim year.

Since inception, KERIT has distributed dividends totally $12,735,749.

Gardner Energy builds catwalk to reduce workplace hazards

Electric operators at Gardner Energy faced workplace hazards when crossing gas lines — including tripping over gas lines and slipping in water drainage. Employees from both the operations and distribution divisions worked together to find a solution and improve the culture of safety in the organization.

During the generation process, Gardner Energy's turbine may reach high temperatures. Operators run water through the air coolers and over the recirculation system to cool the turbine. To reach the water supply, electric operators routinely cross nearby gas lines. These gas lines create a significant trip hazard. Additionally, water displaced by the air coolers and the recirculation system causes a risk of slips and falls.

To mitigate any future accidents, the operations and distribution divisions built an adjoining catwalk over the hazardous gas lines. This has significantly improved workplace safety for electric operators. The process of cooling the turbines can now be done without the risk of tripping or slipping.

"It was a collective effort. We check equipment every 15 minutes and employees were worried about slipping across the pipes," said Jarod Franks, generations and electric operator. "We put together a design to keep the catwalk above the gas lines and help get the work done efficiently."

If your organization would like to replicate Gardner Energy's catwalk feel free to contact Jarod Franks.

KERIT chainsaw safety and maintenance training

Chainsaws are essential tools for public works and parks department employees. However, if used or maintained improperly, they can be very dangerous. Given the importance of chainsaw safety and maintenance, the KERIT Loss Control Committee is partnering with Stihl to provide a two-hour chainsaw safety and maintenance seminar. Please be sure to RVSP for the seminar.

KERIT Board member resigns after nine years of service

At the Jan. 13 KERIT Board meeting, it was announced that Melissa Fairbanks will be leaving the Board. Fairbanks is the human resources director for the city of Ottawa, Kansas. She joined the KERIT Board in 2006 and served as vice chair between 2006 and 2013. Fairbanks will be recognized at the March meeting.

Updated fund balance policy

In the fall of 2014, KERIT's Policy Committee and Investment Committee met jointly to update KERIT's fund balance policy. The new policy provides guidance on the minimum and maximum fund balance KERIT should maintain. When the maximum is reached or exceeded the Board will consider a dividend distribution.

The new fund balance policy was approved at the November 2014 meeting and will be added to KERIT's operating policies. This policy requires trustees to review compliance with the fund balance policy twice a year.

Gardner Police Department purchases training signs

The Gardner Police Department recently purchased two signs to use whenever officers are out in the public conducting trainings — such as accident investigations, building search, active shooter and spike strip training. The signs are over 6 feet tall with reflective lettering to make sure they are visible to drivers.

Gardner Police Department purchased the signs to inform the public of trainings taking place in the area. These signs are intended to reduce driving speeds and spread awareness about trainings, so citizens don't mistake trainings for an actual emergency.

New meeting format

At the January 2015 Board meeting, the trustees discussed the length of the meetings and travel time for members who work a significant distance from the Shawnee Civic Centre. It was agreed that KERIT will hold fewer meetings and the meetings will provide more opportunities to learn and share information.

Members are encouraged to share ideas for special presentations or topics of discussion at future trustees' meetings. Feel free to email your ideas to Tom Brown.