H E L P I N G L E A D E R S B E C O M E B E T T E R S T E W A R D S .

Presented by:

Church Mutual Insurance Company

STRATEGIESSAFETY

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • S A F E T Y S T R AT E G I E S2 churchexecutive.com

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Table of Contents

CLEAR YOUR PATH TO A SAFE CHURCH 4Falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries in the U.S., according to the National Safety Council. Those injuries accounted for about 8.8 million visits to the emergency room in 2013 — a nearly 500,000 drop from about 9.3 million visits to the emergency room in 2011.

By Amy M. Kimmes

PLAYING IT SAFE 6Passively accepting that kids are destined to get hurt on a playground no longer should be the case. There is much one can do to help keep playgrounds as safe as possible.

By Amy M. Kimmes

CLIMATE CHANGE: A BETTER WAY TO DEAL WITH BULLYING 7Schools are understandably concerned about bullying. It can create a corrosive school environment, disrupt learning and have a long-term effect on everyone involved.

Recent research shows that schools can help reduce the rate of bullying if they put students in a safe, connected environment that teaches them how to manage conflict and stand up for what’s right.

By Church Mutual Insurance Company

SAFEGUARD YOUR CHURCH — AND YOUR PEOPLE 9The word “church” typically conjures up an image of a safe, nurturing environment where people go to share and celebrate their faith. But, the reality can be a bit more complicated.

Too often, churches become an irresistible target for criminals because their open-door policies and limited staffing levels can make it easy to pilfer expensive sound systems, audiovisual equipment and artwork.

By Church Mutual Insurance Company

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • S A F E T Y S T R AT E G I E S4 churchexecutive.com

Clear your path to a safe church

Presented by: Church Mutual Insurance Company

STRATEGIESSAFETY

By Amy M. Kimmes

S A F E T Y S T R AT E G I E S • CHURCH EXECUTIVE 5churchexecutive.com

The aisles that guide your congregation to a higher power could lead to slips, trips and falls if you’re not careful.

Falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries in the U.S., according to the National Safety Council. Those injuries accounted for about 8.8 million visits to the emergency room in 2013 — a nearly 500,000 drop from about 9.3 million visits to the emergency room in 2011.

Even with the recent decrease in visits to the emergency room, falls still are the leading cause of nonfatal unintentional injuries in the U.S., according to Ken Kolosh, manager of statistics at the National Safety Council.

Further, falls are the No. 1 cause of injury at religious organizations. Serious injuries often are associated with falls from elevated surfaces — think choir risers, outdoor decks, stages and bleachers.

And church festivals can bring an added risk for slips and falls at places of worship. Church Mutual customers in 2013, for example, experienced a variety of claims involving

employees and the general public. Within both groups, a common cause of loss involved slip / fall claims.

Slips and falls among employees accounted for 35 percent of the workers’ compensation claims and 53 percent of the dollar losses that year.

In comparison, trips and falls involving volunteers, guests and members accounted for 66 percent of the general liability / medical payments claims and 61 percent of the losses. Some of these losses occurred during festival events, indoors and outdoors.

As Church Mutual insures nearly 100,000 organizations — churches, schools, camps and senior living facilities, for example — it reasonably presumes churches across the country have similar experiences regardless of insurance company.

Routine maintenance of your building and grounds, however, can help keep your church slip- and trip-free. Areas to maintain should include:

Sidewalks, curbs and walkways. They should be inspected regularly. Seasonal changes in temperature and regular wear and tear can affect their condition. Mark places where the level of the walking surface changes.

Carpeted floors. Check regularly for frays, tears and loose edges.

Tile, wood and linoleum floors. Smooth surfaces require constant maintenance. Keep floors clean and free of water, oil and grease.

Entries, stairwells and steps. Light them up! And keep them dry and clutter-free. Add sturdy handrails on both sides of steps when possible. Steps should have the same rise and depth with visible edges. Keep the areas free of grease, snow, ice and other clutter, such as boxes.

Lighting. It’s crucial to slip-and-fall prevention. Keep your grounds well lit.

Slip / fall hazards at worship center festivals• Tie-downs and tent stakes • Electrical cords across walkways

and hallways• Uneven walking surfaces — think grass,

gravel, dirt and dance floors, and moving from one to the other

• Stage platforms and steps• Exposed tree roots and stones and even

animal holes in the ground• Congested areas around game booths,

dunk tanks and inflatable jump houses• Haphazardly arranged tables

and chairs• Poorly lit parking lots, sidewalks,

stairways and festival areas

Note: This list is not all encompassing.

Ladder safety• Never substitute a table, chair or box for

a ladder.• Equip extension ladders with anti-slip

safety shoes / feet.• Repair damaged rungs and side rails

before use.• Don’t overreach. If your belt buckle

reaches past the top of the side rails, you’ve gone too far.

• Always face the ladder and maintain three points of contact while climbing.

• Do not use metal ladders near electrical power lines, service panels or other electrical sources.

• Make sure your ladder extends at least 3 feet above the point of contact of a roof and is secured to help prevent slipping. The base of the ladder should be spaced 1 foot away from the building for every 4 feet it reaches up — about a 75-degree angle.

Resources

Church Mutual Insurance Company offers a variety of resources to help prevent slips, trips and falls, including two videos: Improving Safety at Your Worship Center and Preventing Workplace Injuries is No Accident. Visit our website — www.churchmutual.com — and click on “Safety Resources.”Amy M. Kimmes is editor of Church Mutual Insurance Company’s Risk Reporter newsletters

www.churchmutual.com/94/Risk-Reporter for religious organizations, schools, camps and conference centers and senior living facilities.

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • S A F E T Y S T R AT E G I E S6 churchexecutive.com

STRATEGIESSAFETY

Metal jungle gyms held together by rusty bolts.Tall slides that burned to the touch on hot, summer days.Merry-go-rounds anchored in a sea of black asphalt.

These are playground images that might come to mind for adults who grew up in the decades that scroll back into the 1940s, even the 1930s.

Accidents and injuries were almost a given, accepted as an inevitable part of life. Even during a span of eight years of the 21st century, more than 200,000 children were treated in emergency rooms each year for playground-related injuries.

But these times, they are a changin’ — and passively accepting that kids are destined to get hurt on a playground no longer should be the case.

The jungle gyms and merry-go-rounds from yesteryear have been replaced with equipment that has been built with safety in mind.

And while injuries and accidents cannot be completely prevented, there is much one can do to help keep playgrounds as safe as possible.

Make them age-appropriateTo start, playgrounds should be built for two age groups: 2- to 5-year-olds and 5- to 12-year-

olds. If both age groups will be served, the playground should be divided by a buffer zone. Think shrubs or benches.

Appropriate playgrounds for kids ages 2 to 5 include areas to crawl, low platforms, short slides and ramps with handles attached for grasping. Appropriate playgrounds for kids ages 5 to 12 include climbing pieces, horizontal bars, seesaws, sliding poles and spiral slides.

What’s on the surface counts Falls from equipment account for more than 70 percent of playground injuries, and 80 percent

of those occur at playgrounds with unsuitable surfaces. There is no such thing as a “perfect” playground surface, but there are some materials that will help reduce the risk of injury — sand, pea gravel, shredded tires, wood chips, mulch, rubber mats and poured-in-place rubber, to name a few. Asphalt, concrete, dirt and grass are not suitable surface materials for playgrounds.

Keep an eye outProper supervision is key at playgrounds. More than 40 percent of playground injuries

at schools are related to inadequate supervision. Always have a minimum of two adult supervisors. Add one supervisor for every 20 additional children. Supervisors also can perform routine inspections on the equipment, complete simple maintenance tasks and report hazards.

Safety firstMany playground injuries could have been avoided with some safety precautions.For example, strangulation is the leading cause of playground fatalities. In many cases,

drawstrings in clothing become entangled in the equipment. The best way to avoid the hazard is to close gaps in equipment, eliminate protruding nuts

and bolts and eliminate V-shaped openings where material or body parts can become stuck.Entrapment also is a safety hazard, but can be avoided by keeping openings in equipment

smaller than 3.5 inches or larger than 9 inches.

Maintenance mattersMore than 30 percent of playground injuries are related to inadequate or inappropriate

maintenance, so be sure to inspect equipment regularly.Each playground should have its own comprehensive maintenance plan and designated

personnel to follow it and update records. Have a plan in place for reporting a problem, a process to fix the problem, and a system to keep proper records.

Amy M. Kimmes is editor of Church Mutual Insurance Company’s Risk Reporter newsletters www.churchmutual.com/94/Risk-Reporter for religiousorganizations, schools, camps and conference centers and senior living facilities.

Learn how to keep your playground a fun, safe place for children to play at www.churchmutual.com/101/Safety-Videos

Playing it safeBy Amy M. Kimmes

Playground safety checklist• Ensure surfaces around playground

equipment have a minimum of 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand or pea gravel, or safety-tested rubber mats or rubber-like materials.

• Extend protective surfaces at least 6 feet in all directions from the play equipment. For swings, be sure the surface extends, in front and back, twice the height of the suspending bar.

• Space play structures that are more than 30 inches high at least 9 feet apart.

• Check for and eliminate dangerous hardware, such as “S” hooks and protruding bolt ends.

• Ensure spaces that could trap children — openings in guardrails and spaces between ladder rungs, for example — measure fewer than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches.

• Check for sharp points and edges on equipment.

• Look for tripping hazards, such as exposed concrete footings, tree stumps and rocks.

• Install guardrails on elevated surfaces — i.e., platforms and ramps — to prevent falls.

• Check equipment and surfacing regularly for proper conditions.

• Diligently supervise kids.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

S A F E T Y S T R AT E G I E S • CHURCH EXECUTIVE 7churchexecutive.com

Recent research shows that schools can help reduce the rate of bullying if they put students in a safe, connected environment that teaches them how to manage conflict and stand up for what’s right.

“Bullying prevention has been eclipsed by more meaningful conversations about school climate,” says Finessa Ferrell, a director for the Colorado Education Initiative program in Denver, who has done extensive work in the areas of school violence prevention, bullying and students’ social and emotional learning. “If you don’t focus on climate, you’re stuck in the trap of investigation and punishment, and the core issues never get fixed.”

Problems defining bullying“There’s significant controversy about how to define it,” Ferrell says. “Traditionally, the definition has included a power differential — whether social, emotional or physical — intention to harm and an activity that’s repeated over time, but it’s much more complicated than that.”

Michael Carpenter, a nationally certified bullying prevention consultant who founded the International Bullying Prevention Conference and is co-author of Bullying Solutions, agreed. “Stick with a conventional definition of bullying, and you’ll miss a lot of problems — even behavior that isn’t necessarily ‘bullying’ needs to be addressed,” he says.

Some problematic elements of conventional definitions:They don’t account for the target’s perspective. “One person might

be extremely upset about an incident that doesn’t bother someone else,” Ferrell says.

Bullying can be a one-time event. “If your child’s head is shoved into the toilet once, you’re not going to say that wasn’t bullying because it wasn’t repeated,” Ferrell says.

Could the “bully” and the “target” have equal power? “Sometimes two students cycle back and forth between being friends and doing terrible things to each other,” Ferrell says. “Is it bullying? Is it conflict? Either way, it needs to be addressed.”

Changing the climate at your schoolGet a handle on the problem. “Survey staff, students and parents to

learn about the climate and culture of your school,” Carpenter advises. “Where are bullying hot spots? Where do kids feel unsafe and when? Ask for specifics.”

Empower students. Most students are neither the aggressor nor the target but become complicit in creating a bad environment by not speaking up. “Teach students to intervene in situations that are unjust and unfair,” Ferrell says. “We call this creating ‘upstanders.’”

Schools are understandably concerned about bullying. It can create a corrosive school environment, disrupt learning and have a long-term effect on everyone involved.

Climate change: A better way to deal with bullying

STRATEGIESSAFETY

Practice is critical. “A key indicator for success in improving school culture is regularly scheduled, ongoing class meetings,” Carpenter says. “Talk about what kindness looks like, what meanness looks like. What is intimidation? What is coercive behavior? What is and isn’t acceptable behavior or language?”

“Kids are often very uncomfortable with behavior they’ve witnessed and feel guilty about it, but a powerful leader in a clique is the aggressor, and they don’t know how to stand up to them,” Ferrell says. “Give them a script for dealing with these uncomfortable situations and have them role play.”

Ferrell also recommended creating situations where students are forced outside their friend groups. “Expose them to kids from other groups — try to undermine the cliques.”

Build relationships between students and adults. Students need trusted adults, and schools must offer mental health counseling to help kids navigate challenges.

Take action. Students must feel there are consequences for their actions, and when a problem is reported, something happens. Confidentiality is a must. Online and other reporting tools can be helpful.

Offer professional development for staff. “There are plenty of adults who practice bullying behavior,” Ferrell says. “Their behavior needs to be addressed too.”

Address cyber. “If something bad is happening online, it’s happening in your school too,” Ferrell says. “Cyber is part of your culture, and you need to address it and give students skills for dealing with it.”

This article is provided by Church Mutual Insurance Company in Merrill, WI. Risk Reporter newsletters www.churchmutual.com/94/Risk-Reporter are available from the company for religious organizations, schools, camps and conference centers and senior living facilities.

RESOURCES FOR YOUR SCHOOLBullying Solutions can be found at www.wagepeacetoday.com.

The Colorado Education Initiative offers a wealth of resources to help schools create a healthier climate

Transforming School Climate Toolkit www.coloradoedinitiative.org/resources/transforming-school-climate-toolkit/

Connecting Health and Learning Health is Vital to Student Success: An Overview of Relevant Research www.coloradoedinitiative.org/resources/connecting-health-and-learning-health-is-vital-to-student-success-an-overview-of-relevant-research/

RepresentativeWith Church Mutual, you get more than just insurance. You get access to a team of experts who will be there when you need us most.Maria Allen is a Church Mutual account manager with more

than 10 years of experience. She leads a team of customer

service professionals ready to serve your most immediate

needs. Whether that means helping you file a claim or

answering a question quickly and accurately, being present

when you need us most is important to each and every one

of our employees. Because with more than 117 years of

experience, we understand how important it is to you.

Church Mutual has received consistently high ratings from industry analyst A.M. Best every year since 1952.

To learn more, call us at (800) 554-2642or visit www.churchmutual.com.

Listening. Learning. Leading. is a registered trademark of Church Mutual Insurance Company.

© 2015 Church Mutual Insurance Company

* Church Mutual is the only religious insurancespecialist to be named to the prestigious 2015 Ward’s50 Top Performing Property & Casualty Insurers.

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S A F E T Y S T R AT E G I E S • CHURCH EXECUTIVE 9churchexecutive.com

“People want to see their church as an extension of their home — a place that’s filled with their family and friends,” but they don’t have the same level of control at church as at their home, says Denise Allen, the crime prevention coordinator for the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. “Crimes happen when there’s desire, opportunity and ability. We can help churches eliminate the opportunity.”

Do a security reviewMany police and sheriff’s departments have people who will tour a

church facility and look for vulnerabilities, review policies, and make recommendations for keeping the church safe. Some departments also will patrol church grounds. Joining a local neighborhood watch program and setting up a church safety team also go a long way toward keeping your church safe.

Address physical vulnerabilitiesHelp minimize risk of theft and intrusion by evaluating the following:Doors and locks. Exterior doors should be solid wood or metal, and

exterior doors should have a heavy-duty, single-cylinder deadbolt, Allen advises. The quality of the lock on interior doors depends on what’s stored in the room. “The Sunday school room might have a different lock than the room where you store church records and money,” Allen says.

Access. Limit building access during times when few people are on the site — especially in the early morning or evening. At the very least, lock any and all doors not in use. Some churches lock all doors and require visitors to be buzzed in through a security system during “off” hours.

Parking lots. Encourage congregants to remove valuables and lock their car doors. “Too often, people think nothing will happen in a church parking lot,” Allen points out.

Vegetation. Make it hard to hide near windows and doors by keeping vegetation low and trimmed or by using “hostile” vegetation that’s hard to climb through, such as holly bushes.

Lights. Illuminate exterior areas and use motion detector sensors. “A thief can’t be sure someone didn’t spot them and turn the light on,” Allen says.

Outbuildings. The doors on outbuildings should be locked at all times, especially on buildings that store expensive lawn and maintenance equipment or dangerous chemicals.

Little-used entrances. The simple solution: keep them locked.Keys. Limit who has access to keys and who’s allowed to duplicate them. Money. Although many churches have gone to digital collections, it still

is common to pass a collection plate at most churches. “Keep a very limited amount of cash on hand and have an appropriate

safe for your church — possibly a drop safe that can only be opened by certain people at certain times of day,” Allen recommends. “If you make

The word “church” typically conjures up an image of a safe, nurturing environment where people go to share and celebrate their faith. But, the reality can be a bit more complicated.

Too often, churches become an irresistible target for criminals because their open-door policies and limited staffing levels can make it easy to pilfer expensive sound systems, audiovisual equipment and artwork.

STRATEGIESSAFETY

Safeguard your church — and your people

cash deposits at the bank, have an irregular deposit schedule and use different people to handle the transaction so a thief can’t easily determine your pattern.”

Consider adding a security systemA recent study by Campus Security Magazine shows that most burglars

are deterred by the presence of alarms, outdoor cameras and surveillance equipment. Investigate the wealth of available security options, including cameras, alarms, perimeter and glass-break sensors, panic buttons and coded entry pads. Large churches with many buildings might consider hiring a security service.

Design and implement effective policies and procedures The best in physical security systems can’t make up for poor policies

or enforcement.Have a check-in system. If practical, consider having a central check-in

area where all visitors have to give their name and the reason for being at the church. Visitors also should sign in and get an ID badge. “This can be tricky,” Allen says. “Churches don’t want to feel unwelcoming or do anything that conflicts with their mission.”

Larger congregations also should consider requiring identification badges for all staff members.

Consider the time of day. “Train people to do tasks in a safe way,” Allen advises. “For instance, they shouldn’t be taking garbage out to the secluded dumpster at night.”

Use the buddy system. Ideally, staff members and volunteers should never be on church grounds alone.

Communicate. When few people are on a site, each person should have some kind of communication device with them at all times, such as a cellphone or radio.

Hire smart. “Good hiring practices and background checks help minimize the risk of hiring people with bad intentions,” Allen says.

Train. Employees and volunteers must be on the lookout for unusual or suspicious behavior and know how to respond to disruptive individuals, what to do in the event of a robbery or intrusion and to report any criminal events. Don’t assume they know how and when to handle these types of events — train them.

The challenge of homelessnessChurches in urban locations might encounter issues with homeless

people congregating near or breaking into the church. To help meet the needs of the homeless without compromising church security, Allen recommends keeping a list of shelters for staff members to hand out and partnering with food banks to provide basic foodstuffs.

This article is provided by Church Mutual Insurance Company in Merrill, WI. Risk Reporter newsletters [ www.churchmutual.com/94/Risk-Reporter ] are available from the company for religious organizations, schools, camps and conference centers and senior living facilities.