The City’s risk management expense is one of the highest spend categories for the City, and avoiding preventable incidents is a primary way the City can control the cost of claims and improve the safety of the City’s work environments.  Progress includes: * Implementation of Target Solutions in several City departments, including:   Parks & Recreation, Public Works, Utilities, Information Technology, Procurement & Risk Management, and the Committee on Safety & Emergency Preparedness. Other departments such as the Charlottesville Police Department and Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) also have programs in place. CAT is currently exploring using Target Solutions to track training associated with their program.  This training/tracking platform has previously been in place for the Charlottesville Fire Department.  

Note:  Implementation of this training/tracking platform provides a framework and training resources such as safety training, and allows tracking of training available through other City resources such as internal and contracted services.  A few of the courses identified in the City’s safety training matrix are available to the City departments that are using Target Solutions, but is limited and not fully developed. 

* The National Incident Management System/Incident Command Structure (NIMS/ICS) training available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is now pushed out through Target Solutions to Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Finance, Information technology, the Committee on Safety and Emergency Preparedness, City Council and a few other stakeholders.  * Individual meetings held with key stakeholders of Public Works, Charlottesville Fire Department and Recreation Division of Parks & Recreation to review workers’ compensation claims and trending data with a focus on reducing preventable claims. 

* Workers’ Compensation stewardship report provided to key stakeholders, including the budget office.  This report shows approximately 80% of the City’s claims are preventable.  Risk Management requested and City Council approved a centralized safety position with the intent of implementing programs which reduce the frequency and severity of preventable incidents across all City departments – the measure of our success to City departments and City Council.  This position was approved with funding available on 1/1/2020.  In conjunction with filing this vacancy, greater focus and effort will be made in furthering the centralized risk management training, and collaborating with those in safety specific roles in some City departments to increase the effectiveness of programs already in place, and developing new programs.  Workers’ compensation claim expenses are a major expense area for the City, and a centralized safety position focused on reducing preventable workplace injuries and creating safer City work environments is a benefit for the City and for City employees.

The 70% measure is based on the creation of the program and not on the actual implementation.