Safety Group Program FAQs

Pinnacol Assurance is dedicated to ensuring the safety of our policyholders. We believe that it is crucial for employers to have access to the latest safety training, tools, and resources. That's why we offer an exclusive safety group program. This program is specifically designed to lower workers' compensation costs by emphasizing safety and effective claims management in the workplace. With our program, we aim to make sure that employees can stay safe on the job every single day.

Training Requirements for Individual Safety Group Members

Minimum requirements for safety group members:

Complete any two Pinnacol-approved training sessions per policy period, including:

• Training sessions offered by the safety group
• Pre-approved safety training offered by your agency
• Safety training hosted by Pinnacol Assurance. This includes in-person events and live virtual webinars (pre-recorded webinars on the website do not count). Check out our upcoming Pinnacol hosted training sessions.
• Online training courses provided though Pinnacol's Safety Education Online Learning Management System (LMS).
  • Unsure which courses count towards safety group credit? Once you are logged in and in “Learner View”, simply click the “Category” drop down and select “Safety Group Approved” courses. This will show you all courses that meet the Safety Group requirements. For more information and to sign up, click here.

Does a risk management training class conducted by a third party (e.g., a Red Rocks Community College safety class) count toward fulfilling one of the individual member training requirements?

Unfortunately, Pinnacol cannot review and approve all the risk management training classes offered throughout the state that could be completed by a safety group member. Pinnacol will only review and pre-approve training submitted by the safety group for group training sessions.

Training Requirements and Process for Safety Groups

Minimum requirements for the safety groups include:

• Offer two training sessions per group per year
• Training must be pre-approved by Pinnacol
• Training must be specific to and offered by the safety group
• Training must address specific risk management issues within your industry

Please note: The safety group can set the total number of safety training sessions that will be presented to their members. The guidelines above above are the minimum training requirements.

Who can conduct training for the safety group?

• Training can be conducted by Pinnacol from our approved training list
• Training can be conducted by an outside presenter such as OSHA, CDOT, or a 3rd party training vendor. These trainings should address the specific risk management issues within the group.
• Members of the group can provide relevant training to the group
• Training can be a roundtable or panel discussion between members

How do you get approval for safety group training?

All safety group training requests will need to be submitted no less than 45 days prior to the training. Complete the Safety Group Training Approval form and submit it to SG_approval@pinnacol.com Your safety consultant or agency sales manager will respond to you within 10 business days to let you know if your course has been approved.

Is there a minimum number of attendees for Pinnacol Hosted events?

Pinnacol hosted Safety group training requires a minimum of 10 attendees or registered members, regardless of whether the session is virtual or in-person. If registration does not meet this requirement 24 hours before the training, it will be canceled and rescheduled

If my training is approved by Pinnacol, how long is the training approval valid?

As long as the components on the original request form do not change (e.g., presentation topic, presenter, etc.) from the time it was approved, it is valid until the next group renewal date.

If a training topic is not approved by Pinnacol, will I be given feedback on why it was denied?

Yes. Pinnacol's training team will provide you with specific feedback if your training request has not been approved. Additionally, one of Pinnacol's safety consultants will work with you to determine what topic or changes to your presentation might better address some of the risk management concerns for the group.

Can two or more safety groups join together to conduct training for their members?

Yes, as long as the risk management training topic applies to the members in both safety groups. You will want to follow the same process in order to get the training pre-approved. The tracking process remains the same.

Can Pinnacol provide me with a list of my members who have attended training sessions?

Yes. You can request this report on a quarterly basis by contacting your agency sales manager.

How do the safety group renewal date and the individual member renewal date impact the training requirements?

Individual policyholder training requirements must be met during the member’s policy period. Safety group training requirements must be met during the safety group’s policy period.

Can Pinnacol provide me with a list of my members who have attended training sessions?

Yes. You can request this report on a quarterly basis by contacting your agency sales manager.

How do members receive credit for attending the training session?

All members who attend a safety group training will need to sign in using the Attendance Tracking Sheet provided to the respective group by their Agency Sales Manager. The safety group will need to provide the completed attendance tracking spreadsheet to their Agency Sales Manager within 30 days of the event. Please note: members who do not sign in using the attendance tracking spreadsheet will not receive credit for the training.

How many safety group credits will members receive for attending safety group hosted training sessions?

All approved training sessions will receive 1 safety group credit. Exception: Pinnacol-hosted OSHA 10 or 30-hour courses will receive 2 safety group credits.

Visit our Safety Hub for more information on safety services and training options.

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