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Safe workplace saves taxpayers $780K yearly
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Safety first isn’t just a slogan. It’s a way of saving money.

The City of Manteca’s annual workers compensation insurance premium has dropped by more than 50 percent in five years going from $1.4 million to $660,000. That has happened despite the number of workers on the payroll increasing during the same time.

Manteca’s cost per claim for worker injuries was $5,700 in 2009 compared to the average of $9,000 for other municipalities in the Municipal Pooling Authority of numerous cities Manteca bands with in a bid to pool resources to reduce insurance costs. General liability claims have decreased during the past five years to trigger a 44 percent reduction in general liability. Related claims average $2,000 in Manteca compared to a $5,000 average for other cities in the authority.

Keeping a lid on worker compensation exposure and costs is part of the responsibilities of Administrative Services headed up by Joe Kriskovich.

Besides risk management that includes property and public liability as well as legal and regulatory compliance, Administrative Services also handles employment, training and development, as well as employee benefits.

While many other cities have not seen a decrease in workers compensation costs or have experienced an increase that further strains tight budgets, Manteca has been able to reduce a further drain on the general fund by prudent risk management.