The SCHBSIF policy services motto is to “treat each client with respect and kindness, while providing them with accurate reporting and classification information.” We strive to maintain a personal, yet professional relationship with all members. By doing so we are able to demonstrate daily the true concept on which your Self Insurers Fund was founded.
Policy Services Team:
• Brandy Shealy, Manager of Underwriting and Policy Services
Policy Services Customer Support Representatives
(assisting with Members’ businesses by alphabet)
• Kathy Fleming: Members A-F
• Kenyana Carter: Members G-M
• Linda Humphries: Members N-Z
To speak with your Policy Services CSR, call our Columbia office between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm at 803-771-0566 or toll-free at 1-800-678-8178
Safely Building the American Dream
Whether residential or light commercial, builders are making the American dream come true. As you help build the American dream, always keep in mind that it can come with a price, namely the safety of the workers who are exposed to workplace hazards. By using safety precautions on the jobsite, hazards and subsequent injuries can be greatly reduced. Reducing injuries can reduce your workers' compensation rates. Help us to help you. Be safe. Reduce hazards on your job sites and enjoy building and living the American dream.
Safety on the job means reducing hazards and selecting and training employees so that they work safely. It is impossible to have a safe work place if owners and executive managers do not display, by their actions, that they intend to have one.
Supervisors must be on board to have an effective hazard reduction program. They must be made aware of their responsibility and held accountable for the control of hazards in their work areas. Supervisors must be trained and made to understand that they are key to the prevention of accidents.
2010 Safety & Risk Control / Claims Management
SCHBSIF will host Safety & Risk Control / Claims Management Seminars throughout the year. The current dates, times, and locations of planned seminars are:
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*Please contact Tammy Floyd at Extension 132 at 1-800-678-8178 or 803-771-0566 to make your reservation.
These seminars will include information on the focus four hazards which include falls, electrical hazards, struck-by hazards, and caught-in hazards.
The following are our requirements on the components of residential construction:
Work on Roofs: Any workers on a roof after the sheathing is completed must be protected by safety harnesses and lanyards. This includes papering unless the paper is installed at the same time as the roof sheathing. Included in this requirement is work by any trade. Only incidental roofing payroll is allowed. If roofing payroll including payroll of uninsured subcontractors exceeds 10% of total annual payroll, coverage is subject to cancellation.
Truss and rafter erection, floor joist installation: If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, work must be done from below using interior scaffolding or ladders. Workers may work from interior top plates only after the first two trusses or rafters are in place and braced. These workers must remain within the braced trusses or rafters. No workers are allowed on exterior top plates.
Roof sheathing: Slide guards (a 2x4 with a 2x6 turned up in front) or roof jacks must be used along the roof eave and then again every eight feet on roofs with a pitch less than 8:12 and every four feet on roofs with pitch greater than or equal to 8:12.
Sub flooring installation: If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, the first sheets must be installed from below using scaffolding or ladders. Once a work platform is secured, workers may complete the work from the deck using harnesses and lanyards. After the deck is complete, the floor will be marked with a painted warning line six feet from any open side until the walls are erected. Any workers outside the warning line must be in a safety harness.
Wall construction and erection: If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, all workers within six feet of the edge must use safety harnesses. After the wall is erected, window and door openings must be guarded immediately.
Scaffolding: All scaffolding must be properly erected and braced to support four times its maximum intended load. All braces and pins must be in place. The working surfaces must be completely decked with scaffold grade lumber or manufactured walk boards. Guardrails and toe boards are required if the fall hazard exceeds six feet. Ladders must be used for scaffold access. If job built scaffolds are used safety harnesses and lanyards must be used if the fall hazard exceeds six feet.
Ladders: All ladders must be inspected before use. Only heavy-duty ladders are allowed. Ladders used for access to another level must extend at least three feet above the landing. All ladders must be properly set up and secured according to the type of ladder used. At least one hand must be in contact with the ladder at all times when climbing.
Open-sided floors, wall openings, open-sided stairs (Elevator Shafts): If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, guardrails must be installed.
Floor openings: If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, floor openings must be protected by guardrails or covers. Covers must be marked, secured, and able to support twice their intended load.
Stairs: Treads must be secured in place before use. All open sides and landings must be protected by guardrails.
Guardrails: The top rail must be 42 inches (+/- 3 inches) above the deck. The mid rail must be half way between the top rail and the deck. Guardrails must support 200 pounds of side or top pressure.
Excavations: All excavations 5 feet or more in depth must have a protective system unless entirely in stable rock. Protective systems include shoring, sloping, or trench boxes. A Competent Person must supervise all work in excavations regardless of depth. If sloping or shoring is used, the protective system must be designed to meet OSHA standards. All excavations deeper than 4 feet must have a ladder or other means of exit within 25 feet of all workers. No workers are allowed under loads or equipment. A registered professional engineer must design protective systems for excavations deeper than 20 feet. All excavations must be inspected by the Competent Person daily before work begins.
A Competent Person knows the hazards of the work involved, knows OSHA standards relative to that work, and has the authority to make the necessary changes to ensure employee safety.
Risk Control Team:
- Danny Dilworth, Safety and Risk Control Manager, Mobile 803-309-9603
- Scott Manns, Safety Consultant, Mobile 803-600-2468
- Kerry Grimm, Safety Consultant, Mobile 803-309-9604
- Tammy Floyd, Scheduler-Safety Visits and Seminars 1-800-678-8178 or 803-771-0566 Extension 132
Our Philosophy
The SCHBSIF claims department's philosophy is to assist our members in realizing the goal of controlling workers' compensation losses. By continually soliciting our member's involvement and information while administering employee claims for injuries, we can provide timely workers' compensation benefits to employees who have legitimate claims for work-related injuries.
Explaining the claims process and benefits to the employee helps minimize the life disruption caused by the injuries, and helps avoid unnecessary litigation. We insist the employees receive proper medical treatment, which promotes a prompt return to work and limits the extent of any permanent disability.
We make certain that all state requirements are met. We stress periodic reviews for reserve accuracy and appropriate claims closure.
Prompt Accident Reporting - It's the Law!
It is a law in South Carolina that an employer must promptly report workers compensation injuries or be subject to a fine. Failure to promptly report an injury does not make it go away. In fact, it makes the claim more costly to your company by reducing the control that we have over medical treatment, extends out-of-work times, and increases the overall cost of the claim.
It is the sole responsibility of the employer to see that his employees and uninsured subcontractors report losses promptly. Each employer should examine his claim reporting procedures and ensure that all employees/uninsured subcontractors are aware of the guidelines for prompt reporting.
As a member of the South Carolina Home Builders Self Insurers Fund, there are no reporting form to complete. You can simply call us at 800-678-8178 and we can obtain the information from you by telephone.
The most important information that we will need about the injured worker is as follows:
- Name
- Date of Birth
- Social Security Number
- Telephone Number
- Address
- Date of Accident
- Rate of Pay
- Type of Injury
- How it Happened
- Work Status
REMEMBER: Late reporting or failure to report will jeopardize your coverage with the South Carolina Home Builders Self Insurers Fund.
Payment of Benefits
Medical and disability are payable as determined by the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Act. Check with your claims adjuster for complete details.
Personalized and Aggressive Claims Management to Protect Your Money
- All participants are encouraged to report claims to the toll-free number (800-678-8178). Our staff is trained to take all accident reports over the telephone.
- Adjusters are required to complete 3-point contact (employer, employee, physician) within 24 hours of receipt of the claim.
- Average claims adjuster workloads are minimized to promote maximum effectiveness.
- Open communication among claims adjusters, medical providers, employers and employees
- Solid supervisory/claims adjuster staff with each having over 10 years of experience.
- We have a network of medical providers in South Carolina with negotiated fees, resulting in significant cost savings.
- Approved list of providers for surveillance, case management, second injury fund, pharmacy, bill review, MRI/CT scans and attorneys.
Who Represents YOU?
Claims Manager: Darlene Frick, 803-309-9761
Vickie Rita, Senior Claims Adjuster
Premium Audit Department – A resource for your Workers’ Compensation insurance audit questions
Purpose of Audit
Your Workers’ Compensation policy was issued according to annual estimates of payroll that you or your agent provided SCHBSIF. In order to determine your actual payroll at the end of each policy year, an SCHBSIF auditor will contact you to conduct a physical examination of your business records.
A SCHBSIF Senior Audit Consultant will notify you by letter or telephone to schedule an audit appointment to meet with you, a company representative, or your CPA. It is important that your company representative be thoroughly familiar with all company operations; this will allow the audit to go smoothly.
Records Needed For Audit
To prepare for a physical audit, you will need to have the following records available for review:
- Books of original entry (payroll journals and/or individual earnings records)
- Federal and State employment tax reports
- General Ledger
- Cash disbursement journals or checkbook
- Vendor list of payments and payment dates
- Backup documentation (invoices) of labor and material cost
- Certificates of Insurance for subcontractors (certificates must cover the time the subcontractor worked for and was paid by you)
Resource
A SCHBSIF Senior Audit Consultant is available to discuss your audit concerns and questions, which may involve proper employee classification, recordkeeping, types of reports produced by various software products for audit purposes, validity of Certificates of Insurance, or any other audit concern you may have. We also offer a spreadsheet with instructions to assist you with split payroll record keeping.
Premium Audit Staff:
Brian Emery, Manager (803) 603-2297
Craig Manning, Senior Audit Consultant (803) 603-5228
John Iannace, Senior Audit Consultant (803) 603-5227
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