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Benton County Safety Program

Safety for Benton County’s Workforce

On this page: 

  1. Track record and safety ratings since 2021 
  2. Structure of the Safety Program
  3. Training for Employees
  4. Independent Safety Assessments

Track Record and Ratings Since 2021 

Benton County had a couple of serious safety concerns prior to 2020, when the whole world became a safety concern. Since then, the County has doubled down on safety.

Here is how we know the County’s efforts are working: 

Benton County’s last adjudicated Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) complaint was filed on January 2, 2021. After investigation, it was dismissed in January 2022. No OSHA complaints were filed in 2022, 2023, and 2024 to date.  

There were ZERO time-loss claims in 2023. This is almost unheard of for an organization with as many workers as Benton County.  

According to the County’s insurance broker, HUB International, “Everything we see from a claims/safety history is much better than average. Most public entities would love to have your experience mod and history.”  

This quote refers to Benton County’s Experience Modification Rating (EMR) – a number used by insurance carriers to gauge an organization’s risk level. It is based on a company’s past and probable future claims history. The number and severity of claims over a three-year period are compared to the expected losses for similar employers in the same region. 

An EMR of 1.0 is the industry average. Above 1.0 is considered below average, and below 1.0 is considered above average safety performance. Over the last four years, Benton County has consistently performed above average in relation to peers (similar employers in the same region). 

Benton County’s National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) experience modifications history: 

YearExperience Modification Rating (EMR)
July 1, 2024.82
July 1, 2023.81
July 1, 2022.82
July 1, 2021.84

Structure of the Safety Program 

Benton County’s safety program provides safety oversight for the entire county, but it’s not just a top-down approach. Representatives from every department and County facility have a voice in safety committees.  

The program has three components: a county safety officer, four safety committees, and a safety advisory committee.

Benton County Safety Officer 

The County Safety Officer develops and administers occupational safety and injury-loss prevention programs, including workers’ compensation, for the County. The person in this position provides consultation and guidance in the management of health and safety issues for County employees or the public that interact with County facilities or functions. The County Safety Officer reviews, evaluates, and analyzes work environments and designs programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, and biological agents or ergonomic factors. The person in this position serves as consultant to County management in the area of occupational health and safety and provides guidance in the management of health and safety problems. The person in this position may be activated to serve as the Emergency Operations Center’s Safety Officer.

Four Safety Committees 

The safety committees are organizations responsible for promoting workplace safety and identifying potential hazards. They are the primary means of communicating and exchanging information on safety issues. They meet monthly and provide reports to the management team(s). The County Safety Officer attends all safety committee meetings 

  • Avery-NAPE Safety Committee: includes Public Works, Fleet, Fairgrounds, and parks 
  • Health Safety Committee: includes all Health Department sites and Community Health Clinics 
  • Kalapuya-Sunset-Downtown Safety Committee: includes Kalapuya building, County Courthouse, and non-Health Department units in the Sunset Building 
  • Law Enforcement Safety Committee: includes Sheriff’s Office, jail, Emergency Services 

The Safety Advisory Committee 

The purpose of the Safety Advisory Committee as agreed to in 2021 AFSCME contract negotiations is to provide programmatic input. It is not intended to be a procedural or oversight committee. 

  • The County Safety Officer 
  • The chairs of each of the four safety committees
  • One member appointed by AFSCME 

The Safety Advisory Committee meets quarterly and serves to facilitate communication between the four safety committees and the County Safety Officer. 

Training for Employees 

Benton County provides more than 50 in-person and online safety training courses for employees. These cover the gamut of hazards workers in all settings might encounter in the course of their jobs. 

Safety drills are conducted regularly so employees can practice the skills they learn in the training courses.  

Independent Safety Assessments 

In 2021, Benton County invited an OSHA consultant to assess County facilities and identify safety concerns that should be addressed. This kind of independent, objective evaluation is another check the County uses periodically to ensure that safety concerns are not overlooked. The consultant’s report, dated August 17, 2021, identified only two items needing corrective action: 

  • Fire extinguishers did not have regular monthly visual inspections conducted. 
  • Compressed oxygen cylinders used in a dental clinic were not secured with a strap in a storage rack or proper cylinder cart. 

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