I have heard it argued that a mission or shelter is better off having no written procedures than to have them and not adhere to them. This argument maintains that a court of law would, therefore, be unable to prove that the staff and/or volunteers did anything inconsistent with the organization’s procedures...
Author Archives: Brian H. Merriam, CPCU, ARM, AAI, President
Social Engineering: A New Threat That May Surprise You
What do the second-largest bank in Chile and a homeless shelter in Midwest America have in common? Recently, Banco de Chile lost $10 Million in a cyber hack, and the homeless shelter, though losing quite a bit less than that, lost in excess of $10 Thousand to a similar scheme....
The Conflict between Replacement Value and Actual Cash Value
There are few greater joys for a mission Executive Director than receiving a letter from an attorney and finding that the mission is not being sued, but is instead, the recipient of a bequest. After many years of effort to raise money for a new dormitory, some person has now...
The Threat of Workplace Violence
Have you considered the threat of workplace violence? According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are close to 2 million victims of workplace violence in America, annually. This includes any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, even murder. In fact, homicide is the third leading...
Workers’ Compensation vs. Disability Income
Few people think about Workers’ Compensation (“WC”) insurance until it is needed. It is compulsory coverage required of most every employer for the benefit of most every employee. It is a trade-off that requires employers to provide unlimited work-related medical benefits to employees who are injured at work in exchange...
D&O Retention Limit and what it means to you
Q: In Directors & Officers Liability insurance (“D&O”) for my mission I notice a $5,000 Retention Limit on the policy declaration page. What is that and what does it mean to us? A: Directors & Officers Liability insurance is an essential form of insurance that provides both defense and settlement...
The Importance of Fire Drills
The fire that occurred at The Station nightclub on Thursday, February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, took the lives of 100 people in under 6 minutes. Most of those deaths were due to the smoke created. The loss of life might have been avoided had the attendees known...
Man-made Water: The Danger Outside Your Walls
One of our mission clients noticed water on the floor in their below-grade cafeteria dining room. A thorough check of all predictable sources of water were ruled out until someone decided to check on their storage building next door. There they found to their horror water up to the top...
Abuse and Molestation Part III
Accommodating sex offenders It has been freezing rain for most of the day, and Benny walks up to your desk man just in time for dinner. He is a level 2 sex offender who wants a hot meal and to spend the night, or at least stay until the weather...
A Matter of Security
This past March I wrote an article on risk management in regards to the possibility of an active shooter who may someday enter your premises. This prompted some responses that indicated several missions are either looking to hire a security company or perhaps even train their own staff in security...