The Utica National Insurance Group Helps Schools Strengthen Safety Initiatives - Creating Safer Learning Environments with Comprehensive Staff Training from SafeSchools

    CINCINNATI, OH, June 12, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Utica National Insurance Group is partnering with SafeSchools to create safer learning environments for their insured schools. Schools insured by Utica will now have complimentary access to SafeSchools Training, the leading web-based safety training and compliance management system specifically designed for school employees.

Bullying, school violence, and sexual misconduct incidents are at the forefront of concern for school administrators. All school staff members should be properly trained to prevent and respond to these scenarios as well as more common school safety concerns including transportation, playground, and science lab hazards, and medical or facility emergencies. With decreasing budgets, finding new and efficient ways to provide staff training becomes even more essential for school officials.

"With school risk management being as challenging as ever a task for school personnel, we're pleased to be able to bring our school policyholders yet another tool to help them provide a safe learning environment for students and a safe work environment for teachers and staff," said Jim Kristoff, Assistant Vice President and Director of Risk Management Technical and Field Services with Utica National.

The SafeSchools Training system includes a comprehensive library of more than 225 online courses covering a wide range of important school safety topics, like Bullying Prevention; CIPA Compliance; Bloodborne Pathogens; Sexual Harassment; Slips, Trips and Falls and more. Each SafeSchools Training course is 100 percent school-focused and written by a leading authority on school safety. The training is available online, reducing the need for costly in-service days and time out of the classroom. Each course completion is automatically tracked and recorded by a state-of-the-art compliance management system and a variety of valuable reports are available on-demand for administrators. Using SafeSchools Training, districts can comply with important state mandates and develop a sound risk management culture to help mitigate exposure and losses.

"We offer companies like Utica an innovative way to serve its insured districts. Our training system fosters a culture of safety, and when safety is at the forefront, our children win," said Brian Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer, SafeSchools.

SafeSchools Training has helped more than 3,500 districts nationwide reduce costs and increase safety through effective staff training. Districts that have most successfully implemented the online training program have realized a 51 percent decrease in the severity of property and liability claims and a 58 percent decrease in workers' compensation claims, saving hundreds of thousands of educational dollars a year. For an overview of the SafeSchools Training system, please visit http://youtu.be/uAOG6Xs1bcE.

Utica National appointed agents who would like to learn more about SafeSchools Training may contact Jim Nulsen, National Accounts Director at (800) 434-0154, ext. 7009 or e-mail [email protected].

About the Utica National Insurance Group
Web site: www.uticanational.com

Utica National Insurance Group is headquartered in New Hartford, NY and began in 1914 with the founding of its principal company, the Utica Mutual Insurance Company. Today, Utica National is among the top 100 property and casualty insurance organizations in the country, according to net written premium rankings compiled by the National Underwriter magazine.

In addition to the Home Office in New Hartford, the company also has regional offices in Utica NY, Wakefield MA, Jericho NY, Columbus OH, Richmond VA, Atlanta GA and Richardson TX. In addition, Utica recently acquired the Founders Insurance Company in Des Plaines, IL.

Utica is a leading insurer of schools and colleges, as well as other specialized markets, including the graphic arts industries, volunteer fire departments, religious institutions, libraries, and more. Utica offers a wide range of commercial coverages, as well as home and auto insurance, through more than 1,500 independent insurance agents.

About SafeSchools
Web site: www.safeschools.com

SafeSchools LLC, a subsidiary of Scenario Learning LLC, is the leading developer of safety and compliance solutions for the K-14 market, including award-winning online systems for staff training, incident reporting and tracking, and MSDS management. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company serves 3,500 districts and 18 strategic partners nationwide.

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