The RIMS conference in LA continues. It just wouldn’t be complete, however, without one of my stellar reviews of some of the social activities surrounding the event. As you might be aware, my selection of which parties to review and discuss is complex, and is based on a criteria of the highest standards. Basically, you…
RIMS Risk Lesson #3: The QBE Thought Leader Theater is an Idea That Works
There is something new at RIMS this year. It is the Thought Leader Theater, a small presentation room set up in the middle of the exhibit hall floor that provides “mini sessions” on a variety of risk topics throughout the day. Think of it as a McSession, or better yet, the Twitter version of a…
RIMS Risk Lesson #2: Los Angeles, Curbs Should Be Yellow
Tonight was the opening reception to RIMS 2013 in Los Angeles, the annual risk management conference that draws thousands of professionals from around the world to discuss the current trends and challenges of risk in business today. The reception, called RIMS Vibe@LA Live, was held in the open air courtyard in the LA Live area,…
RIMS Risk Lesson #1: Multitasking Shuttle Driver
I have written previously that I am not a nervous flyer. It’s the ground transportation after my flight that never fails to scare the bejesus out of me. My arrival in Los Angeles Sunday for RIMS 2013 proved to be no exception to my theory that risk is alive and well in the world of…
The Face Whisperer Who Read My Amazing Face
I might still be a bit confused. It is possible that my face wasn’t the amazing part of this story. It could have been Mac Fulfer. I encountered Mr. Fulfer at the recent workers’ compensation educational conference in Mississippi. He was an exhibitor at the conference, and sat in a sparsely decorated booth in front…
Mississippi Shows Jurisdictional Conferences Have Unique Flavor and Quality
I have just departed the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Education Conference in Biloxi, MS. I had the opportunity here today to discuss the benefits and challenges of Social Media in our industry. I also revealed today the initial results from our extensive Social Media Survey Project (more on that next week). I think the presentation went…
Avalanche Forecaster Never Saw It Coming
Honestly I really do not know if he never saw it coming, but these things happen very fast. And despite the danger, what happened to this Utah Avalanche Forecaster was a very rare event. He was killed on the job last week. By an avalanche. 34 Year old Craig Patterson was a seven-year veteran of…
New Mexico Supreme Court Shows That Defense Selection Is Critical
The New Mexico Supreme Court reversed a lower courts decision on a workers’ compensation death claim this week and in so doing inadvertently demonstrated that an insurance company’s denial of a claim should be based on the most relevant defense. In this particular case, the widow of a police officer had been seeking workers’ compensation…
Doctors Too Busy To Be Concerned With Patient Safety
One thing was clear to me from last week's Prescription Drug Abuse Summit in Orlando. Doctors are a key part of the burgeoning addiction problem, and must be a critical part of any solution. Currently they overprescribe, at alarming rates, medications for purposes for which they were never designed or intended. Opioids, which were generally…
Texting While Flying a Fatal Mistake?
It was revealed yesterday that a pilot of a medical helicopter that crashed in Missouri in 2011 had been actively texting during the flight. The crash killed all 4 people on board, including a patient. Bloomberg News is reporting that the National Transportation Safety Board has documented seven texts sent or received by the pilot…