MRL Fund - Renewal 2016 - Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Fund

FUND
MICHIGAN RESTAURANT & LODGING FUND
REPORT
Fund Renewal 2016
a member owned workers’ compensation program
ANOTHER EXCEPTIONAL YEAR
The MRL Fund Distributes Over 5.9 Million
Over
$
55.9
Million
returned
since 1992
Endorsed by
Administered by
It’s been another exceptional year for members
participating in the Michigan Restaurant &
Lodging Fund (MRL Fund). This year over 1,000
hospitality corporations will receive the largest
return the Fund has ever made. The MRL Fund
has been authorized by the State of Michigan
Workers’ Compensation Agency to return
$5,905,392 of profit back to its members. The
return brings the total profits distributed to over
$55.9 million, since the Fund’s inception in
1992.
Returns like these are no accident. The Fund
Board of Trustees work hard on your behalf
to ensure the members have a long-term cost
effective program. The MRL Fund’s unique
structure combined with its solid performance
has helped reduce the members’ overall
insurance cost. “Ordinarily an insurance
company keeps the underwriting profits and
investment income,” according to Tim Hanna,
Fund Administrator. “But in the case of the
MRL Fund, the members earn it and
receive it, not an insurance company.”
While the Fund’s structure
is important, its great
performance can be
attributed to consistent
underwriting guidelines
to insure proper selection
of
new
members,
a strong focus on
workplace
safety,
and
aggressive
claims management.
The Fund also has
numerous
safety
resources and loss
control
programs
that
are
specific
to
the
hospitality
industry. Some of the
Fund’s
educational
training focuses on creating a safety culture
in the workplace by working with owners/
supervisors on proper claims handling, accident
investigations, return-to-work programs and
making every employee accountable for safety
on the job.
In addition to safety, workers’ compensation
claims are managed aggressively with an
emphasis on getting the injured employee back
to work as soon as possible. While most claims
are legitimate, Fund adjusters are on the look
out for fraudulent claims and typically conduct
a thorough investigation before authorizing any
payment. Another method for controlling claim
costs is the review conducted by the Fund Board
of Trustees prior to any settlement offer. This
claim settlement authority serves as another
check and balance towards controlling workers’
compensation costs.
With a track record of returning an average
of 48% of premium since 1992, the
MRL Fund continues to outperform
the competition, saving members
money on their workers’
compensation costs. To take
advantage of this cost saving
program, the majority of a
Fund member’s payroll must
fall into one of the following
classifications: fast food,
family dining, fine dining,
bar & grill, delis, coffee
shops, banquet halls, hotels,
motels, resorts, inns.
Congratulations on another
outstanding year!
If you’re not currently a member, you’re
missing out on the many benefits the MRL Fund
has to offer. Please contact Regency Group for
more information or mrlfund.org.
mrlfund.org
PREVENTING
SLIPS, TRIPS
AND FALLS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Kevin Downey, Chairman
Royal Oak Good Times, Inc.
Dennis Brinker
Sign of the Beefcarver
Tom Doyle
Brann’s Distinctive Catering
Brian DeBano
MRA - President/CEO
Jeff Lobdell
Beltline Bar & Restaurant
Bagel Beanery
Bill Roberts
Roberts Restaurant Group
Bill Wentworth, Jr.
Applebee’s Neighborhood
Bar & Grill
Tom “Dewey” Bramson
eQuity Vest, Inc.
CONTACTS
Association
MRA
800.968.9668
MLTA
517.267.8989
Policy Issues
Regency Group
800.686.6640
Jamie Farner x203
Customer Service
JoAnn George x222
Underwriting
Brad Rutgers x225
Loss Control & Safety
Risk Management Services
Dan Foster x223
Underwriting/Report Cards
Loss Control/Safety
Dawn Feldpausch x246
Marketing & Sales
Tricia Hickman x202
Payroll Audits
Claims
Mackinaw Administrators
800.372.2428
Injuries from slips, trips and falls continue
to be among the most frequent and severe
workers’ compensation claims. Consider
these following facts:
•85% of workers’ compensation claims are
attributed to employees slipping on slick
floors (Industrial Safety & Occupational Health
Markets, 5th edition).
•Slips, trips and falls do not constitute a primary
cause of fatal occupational injuries, but
represent the primary cause of lost days from
work (National Floor Safety Institute).
How can slips, trips and falls be prevented
in the workplace?
•Good Housekeeping. Immediately clean up
any spills and put out warning signs. Maintain
adequate buckets, mops and warning signs in
strategic locations. Train employees on spill
response measures.
walking towards the facility, some companies
are using warning devices like “Ice Alert,” a sign
located at the entrance of the parking lot. This
device starts turning blue when the temperature
gets below 33°F and is completely blue at 30°F.
This is a great visual tool for increasing overall
safety awareness.
Article provided by Matt Moltane, Strategic Safety, Inc.
Hands-On Safety
According to the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA), the
greatest hazards posed by hand tools are
from misuse and improper maintenance.
Consider these common hazards:
•Remove Cords. The best strategy for preventing
cord-related trips and falls is to avoid stretching
a cord across a walkway or path. Add additional
electrical outlets in areas where they are needed.
• If a chisel is used as a screwdriver, the
tip of the chisel may break and fly off,
hitting the worker or others.
•Mats and Runners.
Ideally, slip-resistant
characteristics of the floor are such that you
will not need mats or runners. However, in
situations where it is not feasible to replace the
flooring, mats and runners can be one method
of reducing the risk of a slip and fall injury.
• If a wooden handle on a tool like a
hammer or an axe is loose, splintered,
or cracked, the head of the tool can fly
off and strike the user or somebody
nearby.
•Slip-Resistant Footwear.
Many different
companies sell footwear that have slip-resistant
soles, but it can be difficult to determine which
shoes will perform well. One shoe manufacturer,
Shoes-for-Crews®, has excellent slip-resistant
products and eliminates any doubt.
•Inclement Weather Plan. Your company should
have an inclement weather plan that specifies
who will be responsible for clearing snow and
ice from sidewalks, steps, and pathways, and
how this will be done. Because icy conditions
can be difficult to see before a person starts
• If the jaws of a wrench are sprung, the
wrench can slip. If impact tools like
chisels or wedges have mushroomed
heads, the heads can shatter on impact,
sending shards flying.
Employers are responsible for the safe
condition of tools and equipment,
according to the regulations. And they
must train employees in the proper use
and handling of tools and equipment.
800.686.6640
Top 10 Keys to Accident Prevention
Some safety experts have suggested that you should visualize the
accident prevention process as a continuous process. As each hazard
is identified whether by reading OSHA standards, consulting
other guidelines, or making your own workplace observations
you need to analyze the circumstances, diagnose the
problem(s), and develop a plan. Only then can you
bring about effective corrective action.
Throughout the process, it helps to ask lots of
questions. Is this problem a physical hazard or a
health hazard? How does it threaten my employees?
How can we minimize or eliminate this hazard? What
specific steps do I need to take to prevent accidents and
protect our workers?
Commitment.
Work to get commitment to the idea that safety is the number
one priority from every one of your employees.
Goals.
Set clear standards for workplace behavior and
enforce them.
Competence.
Train employees well so that they have the information
and develop the skills needed to work safely and avoid
accidents. A “competent” person should be at every job site
to insure the enforcement of safety policies.
Clearly, you shouldn’t handle accident prevention alone.
You need to get your employees involved. Without their
understanding and cooperation, nothing you do will work in
the long run to stop accidents and injuries.
Responsiveness.
Make sure you respond promptly to identified hazards and take
immediate steps to correct them.
Generating employees’ participation isn’t easy,
but it may help to think about these 10 key words
Involvement.
Use every opportunity to encourage employees to play an active role
in workplace safety and accident prevention. If you see a hazard,
do more than just correct it. Apply the learning experience to help
workers become more alert and more responsive to potential danger
on the job.
Accountability.
Give employees ownership of planning and conducting inspections,
for assessing their own data on work hazards, and for creating safety
checklists.
Leadership.
Set an example by always following your company’s safety
procedures. Make sure you personally take necessary steps to
prevent accidents. That means wearing proper PPE and practicing the
same precautions as your workers. Be on the lookout for potential hazards
and point them out to your workers.
Understanding.
identify the long-term and short-term effects of accidents and the
costs involved.
Emphasize that hazards put employees’ personal health and safety at
risk. Understanding the “why” of safety is a strong motivator. Defuse or
Feedback.
Praise employees who identify and correct hazards or who report
problems they can’t fix.
Persistence.
Successful accident prevention is an ongoing challenge. It’s something you
have to focus on every day, always improving, always setting new safety
objectives, and always making steady progress toward achieving them.
Safety is the responsibility of everyone in the workplace.
Selling Your Business?
Use your equity in the MRL Fund as a selling tool! Before you sell your
business, be sure to contact Regency Group to discuss how your remaining
equity may be transferred to the new owner. Your equity in the Fund may
be an enticing offer for the buyer and could be used as a negotiating point
of the sale of your business.
• Request to Transfer form must also be completed. • Let the Fund and Association know you are selling.
• Buyer must be or become a MRA or MLTA member to participate in the Fund.
• The buyer must be a Fund member and maintain the member’s coverage without lapse or interruption.
800.686.6640
FUND
REPORT
Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Fund
1690 Watertower Place #500
East Lansing, MI 48823
PRESORT STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
LANSING, MI
PERMIT NO. 689
Endorsed by
mrlfund.org
800.686.6640
Introducing
As a benefit of being a MRL Fund member, you have access to Safety Center. We have partnered with HR360 to
deliver a comprehensive human resources library. In many ways, this product acts as a “mini HR department,”
providing members with the most current federal and state employment laws as well as a complete range of
downloadable forms, posters and a lawyer-reviewed sample employee handbook.
What’s Offered:
The HR360 website has a wonderful array of “help” areas for your company. The site covers topics such as:
• Employee Benefits, Human Resource Issues, State Employment Laws, Hiring, Termination.
• There are also and hundreds of downloadable HR forms and even a selection of frequently asked questions.
• The most current HR & Benefits news that will impact your company.
To obtain your username and password contact Brad Rutgers, Risk Management Consultant,
Regency Group Administrators, brtugers@regency-group.com, 800.686.6640 extension 225.