The Greene County Legislature continuously strives to keep county employees safe, while keeping costs down. As a member of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), Greene County utilizes a specific solution that maximizes safety and wellness practices through ongoing monitoring and training, therefore minimizing incidents that may result in costly workers’ compensation claims.
The Public Employee Risk Management Association (PERMA) provides municipal employers across New York State with the best possible workers’ compensation coverage and risk management services for the most reasonable cost. It is a non-profit organization specializing is services for local governments and the largest self-insured provider of worker’s compensation for NYS public entities.
In support of county safety and wellness initiatives, PERMA and NYSAC developed their annual Pioneer Award that honors members who address challenges and produce a positive impact on the safety and health of their employees.
It is with great pleasure that the Greene County Legislature announces that PERMA and NYSAC upon evaluating their entire membership in the areas of program participation, financial analysis and ongoing adherence to safety & wellness protocols, has selected Greene County, NY as the recipient of their 2021 Pioneer Award for exceeding these metrics over the past year.
As part of the County’s safety and risk management program Greene County designated a PERMA Certified Safety Coordinator (CSC) to work closely with every department in the county, conducting regular inspections of all properties and facilities, and to make sure everything is up to code and maintained properly.
The CSC has created a system to ensure that Greene County is constantly keeping its facilities safe, as well as being mindful of possible dangers to its employees.
Greene County also partners with PERMA to minimize accidents, participating in quarterly meetings, thoroughly reviewing cases, determining causes and implementing preventative measures going forward.
Using PERMA’s extensive training library and online resources for ongoing employee training, Greene County uses every tool at its disposal to increase safety and reduce injuries.
“At the end of the day” notes County Administrator Shaun Groden, “It’s really about making sure our employees are healthy, strong and well.” This mindset motivated the county to create its ‘Well-Incentive’ program which rewards employees with gift cards for getting regular medical check-ups. “For Greene County”, Groden continues, “Safety and wellness is about more than preventing injuries. It’s about letting people know they are valuable, and cared for.”
