President's Message                                                                      

As the holidays are upon us and I start to spend more time with my family and friends, I want to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday season. As I reflect back on last year, I’d like to share some of my thoughts about the LA RIMS Chapter of 2004.

It is always difficult to choose just a few events or individuals to write about because every 2004 Board member deserves recognition. In looking at the Chapter’s accomplishments, I extend my sincere appreciation to Becky Smith of Castle & Cook Inc., Paula Ferrini of Los Angeles Times and Dennis Healy of L.A. Newspaper Group for their enthusiastic efforts to increase our membership. Our membership increased in all categories, which is something we have not accomplished in several years.

The Chapter’s luncheon programs have been quite diverse this year, thanks to our Program Directors, Stacy Stevens of Lowes Corporation and Tanya Karn of Fox. Our luncheon topics included “Workplace Violence” and  how to protect your employees against “Identity Theft” . We are lucky to have such talented speakers in our membership.  We would like to encourage your feedback and appreciate any recommendations for future topics and speakers.

The Western Regional Conference was held in Newport Beach this year. It was a tremendous success in part because of the efforts of Kathy Merkovsky. This conference provided the ideal setting for risk management professionals to gather and share knowledge, discuss current trends and issues with experts and peers, provide motivation to implement new techniques, and enhance your risk management career.  The conference was open to RIMS members only, which includes primary, secondary, and additional deputies as well as those who qualify for membership but have not yet joined.

Under the over-site of Scott Ritto, we continued our education programs including 1) Scholarship program for students participating in risk management programs. The Cal State University students submitted papers on a risk management topic and were awarded over $4,000 in scholarships; 2) Continued the reimbursement programs for members studying for an ARM or CPCU. We will continue to reward members who have earned their ARM and CPCU designations.  We hope this entices you to continue your insurance education.

Finally the Chapter donated over $4,000 to local charities to help those in need.

Well that is all.

Have a great and wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.

Michael Carlin
L.A. RIMS President

Chapter Clips

HOLIDAY DINNER & INSTALLATION

You are cordially invited to celebrate the holidays with the Los Angeles Chapter of RIMS.  There will be a welcoming reception, dinner, installation of the 2005 Officers, music, raffle prizes, and the holiday spirit.

 When:                         Wednesday, December 8, 2004

Where:                        The Jonathan Town Club

                                   545 S. Figueroa Street

                                   Los Angeles

Registration:                5:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Reception:                   5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Dinner:                        6:30 p.m.

Cost:                          $85 per person

RSVP by:                   Friday, December 3, 2004

                                 No walk-ins; registered guests only

Telephone:                 818-842-6096

Online:                       http://www.larims.org./holiday.html

If you would like to donate to Toys for Tots, please bring a new unwrapped toy to this event.  The Marines will be there to accept your donation.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Midnight Mission, please give your check to the attendants at the registration table.

Would you or your company  like to sponsor a portion of this event?  Do you have a prize you would like to contribute to the raffle?  Please contact Kathy Merkovsky at kmerkovsky@portla.org or call the RIMS office at 818-842-6096.  Your contributions will be recognized at the event, in our newsletter and on our website.

 Some of the raffle prizes so far include…

Two night stay for two persons with a relaxing spa treatment at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa arranged by Lowe Enterprises, Inc.

Four tickets to Lakers vs. Grizzlies game on December 20^th. Premium seating with parking included, donated by American Technologies, Inc. and American Restoration.

 The L.A. Chapter of RIMS limits its liability to only those events hosted by the Chapter.  The L.A. Chapter of RIMS is not sponsoring or hosting any event prior to or after this event.

PRE-PARTY HOSTED BY MICHAEL L. COATES, SR., ESQ. OF STREETER & NANGANO

Leaving work early on Wednesday, December 8^th and interested in socializing with your peers before attending the RIMS Holiday Party? Michael L. Coates Sr., Esq., of the law firm of Streeter & Nangano, is hosting a pre-party at the Jonathan Club.  The pre-party will be held in the impressive Yacht Club Room on the 7^th floor (Room 732).  The pre-party will start at 4:00 p.m. and continue until we adjourn to the reception downstairs which starts at 5:30 pm.  If interested in attending, please contact Mr. Coates at 626-432-7090 or mcoates@sn-law.org. 

Health & Safety

The average cost when one of your workers suffers from carpal-tunnel syndrome:  $30,000.

That's why a five-year study will try to pin down which employees are likely to be afflicted by this painful and costly condition.  For info about the study, go to:  http://snipurl.com/ctsstudy.  For St. Louis area businesses interested in participating in the study, email:  mailto:adale@im.wustl.edu

NIOSH Focuses on Exposure to Hazardous Drugs

NIOSH has published an alert on the risks of environmental occupational exposure of healthcare workers who handle certain classes of drugs.  An electronic draft of the document, Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings, was published in March on the Institute's website.  It begins with this highlighted paragraph:  "Warning!  Working with or near hazardous drugs in health care settings may cause skin rashes, infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, and possibly leukemia or other cancers."  The document extensively reviews the research and findings related to the adverse health effects from exposure.  Among workers affected are those involved in receiving and delivering manufacturers' drug vials, pharmacy employees who prepare drugs for delivery, nurses who administer them, and environmental services employees.  The complete document is available on the NIOSH website, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-165.

For a Fresh Face in Training, ask the Manufacturer

For a new wrinkle on familiar training:  The next time you're going to run workers through the paces of a session, ask the manufacturer or the vendor to come to your workplace and demonstrate the equipment.

The vendor might even have its own expert who can lead the training session.  That'll give employees a fresh face to look at and a new perspective on the equipment.  After all, vendors are interested in selling the equipment, and you're the customer.
 

To View the job opportunities in their entirety, please use this direct link to the LA RIMS website:  http://www.larims.org/exec.html

1)  Risk Management Analyst
     Guess?

2)  Sr. Level Safety & Health Consultant
     Zenith Insurance

3)  Safety & Health Consultant
     Zenith Insurance

4)  Risk Manager
     Petco

5)  Risk Manager
     The Clorox Company

6)  Associate Director, Risk Manager
     Fox Entertainment