Calif. State Fund to Hold Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Seminar

California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund is partnering with the California Department of Health Services to offer a free seminar to policyholders and the public on October 19 in Monterey Park, Calif., that will address emergency preparedness and disaster planning for the convalescent home and residential care facility industries.

The two-hour seminar will feature an overview of federal and state regulatory requirements for protecting the health and safety of patients during emergencies, especially in heat waves. There will also be a section of the seminar focusing on worker safety issues.

Featured speaker for the seminar will be Kathy Clark, disaster preparedness coordinator for the California Department of Health, Licensing and Certification Division. A State Fund loss control consultant will also speak during a portion of the seminar on worker safety.

“The heat wave this summer caught many people off guard,” said State Fund’s Lauren Mayfield, Safety and Health Services Manager. “We think it is essential to help employers develop emergency plans that will enable them to comply with state and federal regulations and make their facilities safer for patients and workers.”

Topics at the seminar also include:
-Details to include in a disaster plan
-How to recognize when extended heat conditions become an emergency situation
-Worker safety tips including patient handling, slips and falls, and blood borne pathogens

The seminar is scheduled from 9-11 a.m. at State Fund’s Monterey Park District Office, 900 Corporate Center Drive, 1st Floor. To register, call Gina Villagrana at 323-266-5144, or send a fax to 323-266-5543. Or e-mail, grvillagrana@scif.com.