Guest blogger Jerry the Skeleton is in the office today recapping VRSA’s 2019 Halloween costume and pumpkin carving winners. It was a ghoulish good time at the Virginia Risk Sharing Association (VRSA) today, and while there was not a ghost or …
The United States Department of Education, in A Guide to School Vulnerability Assessments, identifies eight categories of hazards and risks that could impact schools. “It’s important to consider all hazards and threats that could affect your school system when conducting …
Read More › “Addressing physical and operational hazards in schools”
In recognition of Safe Schools Week, VRSA Senior Safety Consultant Fonda Craig toured Mountain View Elementary in Prince William County along with Safety Specialist Jim Honeycutt and Brian Antolick to search for hazards that could lead to injuries and common …
America’s Safe Schools Week has been recognized on the third week of October each year since 1984. Virginia’s public school divisions enroll nearly 1.3 million students. Collectively, VRSA members include school divisions averaging 14,000 students. As such, school safety is …
By VRSA Chief Information Officer Karen Inman and VRSA Director of Member Services Marcus Hensel As we continue our cyber dialogue from earlier this month, cyber threats continue to grow more sophisticated and are increasingly common in the headlines. Public …
Read More › “Breaking down cyber insurance and resources available”
Ransomware and phishing attacks continue to make headlines and disrupt local government operations. Recently, 23 local governments in Texas were hit with a string of coordinated ransomware attacks. This is in addition to recent attacks in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, and …
Read More › “VRSA recognizes National Cybersecurity Awareness Month”
The VRSA 2019 Annual Report is now online! This year’s report highlights staff increased member engagement and outreach throughout the last year. Additionally, the report reaffirms VRSA’s financial stability and strength, and provides an overview of VRSA by the numbers. …
Read More › “2019 Annual Report highlights increased member engagement”
By Peter Stephenson, VRSA Virginia Local Government Specialist We’re down the home stretch to January 1, 2020, and many of our members are encouraged to decide how they wish to manage shared, personal mobility devices in their localities. This is …
Read More › “New E-Scooter video update – The countdown to 2020 is now!”
By Peter Stephenson, VRSA Local Government Specialist Our members are all about community, and as a seasoned planner, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to highlight a few notable awards and projects that take something old and make it new …
Snow plow operators are expected to drive in some of the most horrendous road conditions to ensure roadways are safe and open. When accidents concerning snow plows do occur, they are quite often serious and can cost public bodies financially, …
Read More › “Town of Leesburg’s proactive preparation for winter storms”
VRSA recognizes Senior Safety Consultant Eddie Shelton on this upcoming Veterans Day. Shelton served in the United States Air Force from 2006 – 2014 as an Air Terminal Safety Evaluator (ATSEV). “I inspected the loading operations of airplanes, ensured that …
Read More › “VRSA recognizes Eddie Shelton this Veterans Day!”
Vinny Gallo began his career in corrections. For nearly four years, Gallo worked for the Virginia Department of Corrections, initially as a correctional officer in Nottoway County. During this time, he applied for an apprenticeship to be a Certified Safety …
Read More › “Meet Vinny Gallo – VRSA Senior Safety Specialist”
VRSA members have been busy training their staff on a variety of risk management issues and exposures. As partners in risk management, VRSA staff have partnered with members to provide much of this training throughout the state as well as …
The VRSA Online University has launched a new tool that allows training center administrators to create their own online courses for delivery to employees. The tool, called KwikCourse, provides the ability to upload a document or video, up to 50 …
As highlighted in the 2019 VRSA Annual Report, VRSA staff have increased their engagements and trainings throughout the state over the last year, a trend that will continue into 2020. Upcoming training includes: Use of Force Assessment for Supervisors Webinar: …
The following courses ranked as the top ten VRSA Online University courses utilized from July 1 – Sept. 30, 2019: Preventing Phishing Information Systems and Data Security Awareness Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls Bloodborne Pathogens for All Employees Defensive Driving …
Read More › “Fall 2019: Top ten VRSA Online University courses used!”
In order to fully understand your workers’ compensation premium, you need to understand the experience modification factor, typically referred to as your “mod.” Understanding your mod and the data used to calculate it helps identify ways to minimize your workers’ …
Read More › “Understanding the workers’ compensation experience modification factor”
Each quarter, the Virginia Risk Sharing Association publishes the Gold Star List. The list recognizes members that have had workers’ compensation claims during the previous quarter and reported them within three days of injury. Late reporting is a major cost …
On Wednesday, Oct. 23, VRSA Director of Human Resources Tina Stevens will be hosting the Recruiting and Hiring in Today’s Market webinar, focused on providing resources to generate qualified candidates and what candidates are looking for in today’s market. Attendees will …
NEOGOV, a market leader in public sector human resources software, announces the release of the 2019 Job Seeker Report, a research study to understand the state of public sector hiring and tips for how to attract high quality candidates. NEOGOV …
All Virginia Risk Sharing Association (VRSA) members are “covered employers” for FMLA purposes and must post the FMLA poster in your workplace. However, your employees are not “eligible” for FMLA unless they meet all the requirements, which includes working for a covered …
Fire Prevention Week, recognized this year from Oct. 6 – 12, has been in existence for more than 90 years. VRSA is excited to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice …
By VRSA Chief Information Officer Karen Inman and VRSA Director of Member Services Marcus Hensel Public bodies continue to make headlines for falling victim to ransomware and other cyber-based attacks. While criminals pursue both business and governmental entities, government attacks …
September 23 – 29, 2019, is recognized as Fall Prevention Week. Almost one in every five work-related injuries results from a slip, trip or fall. In 2016, the National Safety Council reports that 697 workers died in falls to a …
America’s Safe Schools Week has been recognized on the third week of October each year since 1984. Virginia’s public school divisions enroll nearly 1.3 million students. Collectively, VRSA members include school divisions averaging 14,000 students. As such, school safety is a …
Read More › “Save the dates! Safe Schools Week: October 21 – 27”
Save up to 93% training costs and travel time for your staff through the VRSA Online University today over traditional instructor-led courses.