IRMI Update—Issue #25
An E-mail Newsletter for Risk and Insurance Professionals
ISSN: 1530-7948
September 18, 2001
In This Issue
Colleague,
I was horrified, shocked, and deeply saddened by last week's atrocity, as
I am sure you were. We have all lost friends and associates, and our world has
changed forever. On behalf of my associates at IRMI, let me express our heartfelt
sympathy to the families and colleagues of those injured or lost. Our thoughts
and prayers are with you.
One thing that Americans realize is that we cannot give the cowards who performed
this act a victory by retreating from our way of life. Yes, we will mourn the
dead, but we will also move forward with our lives―both business and personal.
And, as risk professionals, it is our responsibility to help our companies,
or our clients, do this as quickly as possible.
Our industry will be deeply involved in the aftermath of the attack on many
levels, and some will present opportunities to make real differences. One of
these is responding to the flood of claims. Handling claims is, after all, the
industry's ultimate "product," and I have no doubt that we are putting the industry's
best foot forward.
As part of the healing process following a tragedy, it is sometimes helpful
to express your thoughts to others. We welcome all e-mail messages expressing
sympathy for the victims or thoughts on the future. We may include some of these
on IRMI.com. [See reader comments].
Best wishes,
Jack
Jack P. Gibson
President
IRMI
Reduce New-Hire Fleet Risks. Most fleet vehicle
accidents occur within the first 12-18 months of a driver's tenure with a company.
In fact, some organizations find that as many as 30 to 40 percent of their fleet
accidents involve new hires, which is not surprising. New hires are learning
about the company's products, services, and policies; are unfamiliar with their
customers and territories; are often driving vehicles that are very different
from their personal cars; and are highly prone to over-scheduling and rushing.
All of these factors combine to create a significantly higher accident rate
for new hires.
That's why many companies require their drivers to participate in a driver
safety training program soon after their start date, or even before they're
given the keys to a company vehicle. To make your new hire training as effective
as possible, consider the following time-proven strategies:
- Use a dynamic approach that keeps participants engaged and involved.
- Offer practical tips and strategies that drivers can use on the job
immediately.
- Provide hands-on, behind-the-wheel instruction in a safe, controlled
environment. This allows drivers to practice and apply new skills when they're
taught, for better retention.
- Provide realistic strategies and techniques for staying safe on the
road. For instance, it's not realistic to tell drivers that they can never
use a cell phone; but providing them with strategies for safe cell phone
use is both practical and valuable.
By: Phil Moser
National Sales Manager, Advanced Driver Training Services, Inc.
King of Prussia, PA
E-mail:
www.adtsweb.com
Suggest a Risk Tip. Future issues of IRMI Update will include more risk tips from our readers. Send
us a practical tip (less than 300 words) for identifying and managing risks,
buying insurance, managing claims, or filling gaps in insurance coverages. We'll
acknowledge your contribution as we did for Phil.
We add new Expert Commentary to IRMI.com every week. There are now 202 articles
on IRMI.com, and many more are in production. Below you'll find summaries of
some recent additions with links to the articles.
-
2000 Fiduciary Liability
Survey—Those dealing with pension, savings, profit-sharing, employee
benefit, and health/welfare plans are liable to the beneficiaries for any
breach of their fiduciary duties. This article by Mark Larsen of Tillinghast—Towers
Perrin examines a survey designed to help organizations assess exposures
to such claims and construct appropriate financial protection programs.
-
Sales Is a Numbers Game—So,
what keeps salespeople from making sales? Frank Lee discusses sales call
reluctance and its many facets that can hamper even the best-intentioned
salesperson.
IRMI Goes Forward with
October Conference—We at IRMI are deeply saddened by the recent tragic
events. Nevertheless, we feel it is important to take heed of President Bush's
request for Americans to get back to business as quickly as possible. We have
every reason to believe that air travel will return to some degree of normalcy
prior to the Construction Risk Conference (October 29-November 1 in New Orleans).
Therefore, we intend to go on as scheduled.
If you are registered, please do plan to attend. If you have not registered
yet, please consider doing so before the October 15 registration fee increase.
If world or other events interfere, our policy allows cancellation without financial
penalty prior to October 19, and we would likely relax this policy in the event
of another national emergency.
Our industry faces great challenges in the aftermath of this disaster. We
hope to see you in New Orleans to discuss how we can overcome them, together.
Follow the link to the Conference agenda for details about all the sessions and the presenters. To register, just complete
the registration form or
call (800) 827-4242.
IRMI Acquires D&O
Maps—IRMI has acquired D&O MAPS, a Web-based information service
focusing on directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance, from author and
publisher Warren Brockmeier. D&O MAPS is the premier source of information on
a very important insurance coverage-the policies purchased to protect the officers
and directors of corporations, and the officers and trustees of educational
institutions and nonprofit organizations. D&O MAPS provides information about
the D&O marketplace, explanations of typical policy provisions, and specific
information about the programs and policies available from the over 60 insurers
serving the U.S. marketplace.
A subscription to IRMI Update is absolutely free. Use the e-mail registration form to initiate or terminate
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