Pub. 3 2013-2014 Issue 1

17 5. Inspect Enclosed Water P i p i ng BEFORE Co l d Weather Arrives – Six inches of water on January 2nd is not a good way to ring in the New Year. Be proac- tive about managing water and heating systems as the winter season sets in. This includes careful inspections. Look for fire sprinklers and water pipes above ceilings, in closets, along exterior walls, that may need better insulation, higher temperatures or special maintenance to prevent freezing. Be especially careful over Christmas break to make sure needed preventative measures are implemented. 6. Driving School Vehicles Or For School Purposes – Don’t assume that having a driver’s license means someone will be competent to drive a vehicle for school purposes. In addition to requiring an acceptable MVR record, verify personal insur- ance coverage and set a minimum age requirement to drive. You will need to update these documents on a regular basis for repeated drivers. If you have school-owned vehicles, then be sure to set up a vehicle safety policy and require strict adherence to that policy. 7. Immediate Investigation And Response – Whenever there is an alleged or reported incident involv- ing physical abuse or sexual molestation, take immediate action that includes investigation and removal of alleged offenders from the school environment. Make sure you have a school policy that: prohibits any such activity by anyone, details prompt reporting requirements and provides specific incident response measures. The same procedures should apply to bullying in all its forms. 8. Playground Inspections – A qualified person should perform documented, periodic inspections of playground equipment to identify potentially unsafe conditions. Please send me an email to receive a com- plimentary playground inspection checklist. 9. Planned Extra – Curricular Activities or Clubs – Contact your insur- ance provider prior to starting any new club, activity, or extracurricular func- tion. Ask them to arrange a visit or a call from the insurer’s loss control team to perform a hazard and exposure review. They can give you advice on established best practices. This is a chance to learn from the mistakes of others. 10. Culture Of Safety – Use the students to help create a safe environ- ment for everyone. Ask them to report anything that they see which might be unsafe, like a puddle of water, protruding piece of trim or broken parts of play- ground equipment. Get them involved in creating a safe place for learning. Jeff Hirst is an insurance broker who spe- cializes in Property and Casualty insurance for charter schools.  His school insurance program is the UAPCS endorsed Property and Casualty insurance program for Utah charter schools. the rescue Love comes to every day. of children At Shriners Hospitals for Children—Salt Lake City, our mission is simple: deliver world-class care to children who need it most — whether their families can afford it or not. For 87 years we’ve specialized in helping children affected by various orthopaedic conditions. While expertise, dedication and generosity make it possible, we believe our hospital is fueled by love, helping each child at every step as they make the journey from patients back to kids. 801.536.3500 | shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/saltlakecity Salt Lake City