What does it take to keep people from being hurt on the job, andget them back to work as fast as possible when injuries inevitablyoccur–all while treating them with respect and concern, and withoutbusting your loss control budget? To see how the best in thebusiness handle such challenges, check out the profiles of thisyears three winners in the second annual National Underwriter AwardFor Excellence In Workers Compensation Risk Management.

The winnerspresented with their awards this morning in Orlandoduring the Workers Compensation Educational Conference, as part ofthe National Trends program put together by NUare role models fortheir peers:

ServiceMaster, our 2008 Champion, provides pest control,disaster recovery, lawn care and landscaping, cleaning andrestoration, as well as other services to 10.5 million homes andbusinesses annually via 35,000 employees–represented by DavidHopps, vice president of risk management. (Click here for their profile.)

Walt Disney Company, receiving an Honorable Mention, is adiverse entertainment conglomerate featuring theme parks andresorts, TV, movie and theatrical productions, as well as consumerproducts and retail outlets–represented by Tim East, director ofrisk management. (Click here for their profile.)

Select Staffing, another Honorable Mention, is a privately-heldoutsourcing firm with some 400,000 employees on call and 130,000 onassignment each week across the country–represented by Fred Pachon,vice president of risk and insurance. (Click here for their profile.)

All three have impressive loss control and safety programs, butthey have in common a number of key traits:

The involvement of every stakeholder is essential, from topmanagement right down to front-line employees. You need to makerisk management part of the corporate culture, empowering allemployees to take responsibility for their own safety and of thosearound them.

Training is crucial, so everyone appreciates the risks theyface, and understands how to limit them.

Monitoring is vital, to identify the most injury-pronesituations and to see who is best (and worst) at keeping exposuresunder control.

Incentives are very helpful, to reward those who spot potentialrisks, and keep both their departments, and themselves, out ofharms way.

Accountability is critical, to demonstrate there areconsequences for failing to take safety seriously.

Our three winners will sit on a panel during the WCEC in Orlandotomorrow to discuss the workers comp threats facing risk managersin a down economy. Theyll be asked how to deal with cost pressuresputting loss control budgets in jeopardy, with risk managers on thespot to keep employers from being penny-wise and pound-foolish.Highlights will appear Oct. 6.

I would like to thank our three outside judges for theirhelp:

Gary Nesbit, representing last years inaugural champion, BelkDepartment Stores. (Mr. Nesbit was promoted since winning ouraward, from risk manager to vice president of procurement,facilities and travel. Congratulations, Gary!)

Kristy Burch, workers comp supervisor at Darden Restaurants.

Marc Salm, director and counsel for risk management at PublixSuper Markets. (Both Kris and Marc helped me set the criteria forthe award program.)

I also want to thank the National Council on CompensationInsurance for sponsoring our award program once again, as well asthe Florida Workers Compensation Institute, for helping brainstormand launch the award at the WCEC.

If you have a unique risk management approach or success story,please enter next years award program! I look forward to hearingfrom you.