California Southwestern Insurance

California Southwestern Insurance Agency (CSIA) is a personal and business insurance agency serving Californians since 1972. They cater to a niche market, one of them being the Pavement Maintenance Market, and that is the banner under which street sweepers sit.

CSIA believes that risk reduction translates directly to lower insurance costs for you and your business. Managing risk effectively can greatly reduce the overall cost of insurance, and that will improve your bottom line.

There are many factors that go into the underwriting process toward determining your insurance premium, and CSIA works hard to get you the lowest rates possible. They offer workers compensation, as well as a variety of insurance types from property and commercial auto to general liability and equipment, in order to meet the needs of your company, and Al Gonzalez, Pavement Maintenance Insurance Specialist for CSAI, has provided a convenient checklist of
things to consider when applying for or changing insurance carriers:

• Loss History—Typically, an insurance carrier will review three to four years of losses to see if you are a good candidate for coverage.

• Corrective Action—Losses happen. That’s why you have insurance. Did you identify the cause of loss? What have you done to prevent that loss from happening in the future?

• Risk Management—Most insurance carriers offer risk management programs and services at no additional cost to you—are you taking advantage of them?

• Safety Programs—Do you have a formal written safety program and communicate the program with your employees? Do you have regular safety meetings or tailgate talks? Do you have employee incentives for safety?

• Training Programs—Are your employees properly trained for the equipment and processes? They should be, and this should be included as part of your Safety Program.

• Housekeeping—A clean and orderly facility reflects an overall sense of good risk management, and should also be part of your Safety Program.

• Hiring Practices—Do you perform background checks on potential employees? Do you do drug/alcohol testing? Do you review Motor Vehicle Reports prior to hiring and annually thereafter, especially if that employee will be driving company vehicles?

• Maintenance of Equipment—Do you have regular scheduled maintenance? Do you keep records
of maintenance or repairs?

• Job Site Supervision—Is management or foremen present at job sites or make periodic checks on jobs or job sites?

• Financial Condition—Are you profitable? Do you have the resources to implement and control the risk management processes?

• Associations—Are you an active member of industry associations? Do you and/or your employees have industry accreditation or take part in continuing education?

• Your Insurance Agent—Are they a reputable insurance agency? Do they represent several insurance companies? Do they have an interest in your business and understand your risks? Do they offer risk management services?
All these factors added together improve your overall business operations, lower the risk of injury to your employees, decreases your risk of loss of income and can reduce the cost of your overall insurance program.

CSAI is known for being “Top Dog” in the California insurance industry, and they build their business on finding big savings for their clients. Call 800.279.4781 today for a free quote, or visit them on the web at www.csia-ins.com.