City of East Peoria, IL
The city of East Peoria (EP), Illinois, provides residents with 24/7 police service, fire protection and emergency services. The city-owned sewer company provides top-notch service, and the municipal water treatment and wastewater management companies ensure the safety of the city’s water supply. Additional city functions include economic and community development, streets, garbage collection and recycling, buildings and property, tourism and special events.
CHALLENGE:
The nature of work performed by city of EP employees is inherently dangerous. By the nature of their job responsibilities, employees approach hazards in order to protect others, putting themselves in harm’s way. However, in performing the same tasks as other municipalities, EP employees were experiencing a higher than expected injury rate.
ACTION PLAN:
The city of EP enlisted Kuhl Insurance℠ to help reduce claims through implementation of the STEP5 Risk Management Process. Actions focused on analyzing their high-risk activities and putting procedural changes and education in place to reduce the risks associated with those activities.
IMPLEMENTATION:
Kuhl Insurance assisted EP with implementation of a city safety team, monthly safety awareness communications, regular claims reviews, and establishment of an in-depth, post-incident review – a formal process to evaluate the root cause of each incident.
RESULTS:
With the implementation of STEP5, the city of EP has seen a significant reduction in the frequency of workers’ comp claims and continues to drive down overall expenses.
IMPACT:
“Kuhl Insurance’s Step5 Risk Management Process provided us with the tools and support needed to increase overall safety awareness with our employees. As a result, we’ve seen fewer workers’ compensation claims and a reduction in our insurance costs.”
Tom Brimberry, City Administrator
City of East Peoria, IL