Workers’ compensation and liability payments based on City of Vicksburg claims went down drastically in 2007, and safety director Ki Miles said credit is due to a greater emphasis on job safety and closer investigation of claims.

“I go from job site to job site. I make sure things are safe before guys go out and do their jobs,” Miles said. Better scrutiny of the injuries that get reported has resulted in fewer workers’ comp claims, he added.

Lower payouts could improve the city’s insurance rating and lower the premium it pays into the pool that funds medical and other costs of public and private employees harmed in the course of doing their jobs.

Based on city claims in 2007, the pool paid $65,608, making last year the first since at least 2001 of payments below $200,000.

“We don’t mind paying what we need to pay, but some of these claims, people do stuff at home and try to put it on the city,” Miles said. “I tell the guys I don’t mind paying the claims, because I want to help people, but I’m also partly responsible for the financial end. We’ve made a real effort to look at these things.” The city has 485 full-time employees and a payroll of more than $15 million.

Miles, who holds a bachelor’s degree in community health and safety administration from the University of Southern Mississippi, became the city’s safety director in September 2004.

General liability payouts during Miles’ tenure have also fallen, to $371,214, compared to $628,603 during the previous three years. Miles attributed the decrease in liability payments to closer investigation of claims.

Records are available only beginning 2001, Miles said. Earlier data was lost when the safety department got a new computer.

The city nurse, Kay King, said she sees 100 city employees or more every month, for everything from city-required drug tests to illnesses to injuries. When she is on duty, city workers must see her for injuries that do not require immediate attention. If the injuries require more care than she can give, she sends the employee to a doctor.

King, who processes comp claims and sends them to the insurance company, said that when treating and examining injuries she tries to determine specifics like “where did it happen, when did it happen, what is the severity of your claim.”

“If they do have a true injury, they’re going to get care,” she said.

Miles said more safety courses and an emphasis on injury prevention have contributed to the drop in numbers. He is working to draft a new safety plan for city employees that will include procedures for activities like welding and construction and even tips to avoid injuries around the office.

Miles said many employee injury claims come for shoulder and back strains. Strains and bruises were the most frequent injuries reported in 2007, accounting for about 45 percent of the total. In 2007, workers in the street department claimed $27,444 in compensation, the most of any department. By comparison, a claim in 2006 for injuries incurred during an accident involving a police cruiser, resulted in an $85,242 payout.

The highest single claim in 2007 is still open and was the only one to surpass $10,000. It was a $19,226 claim on a sprained shoulder an employee sustained while spreading asphalt.

Workers compensation and liability insurance is carried by Mississippi Municipal Service Company.