§ 36-924.2. Rating plans for workers' compensation self-insureds - Reduced premium charges for successful participation in occupational safety and health programs - Qualification - Certificate - Records - Review of premium credit program.

A.  Any rate, schedule of rates or rating plan for workers' compensation insurance submitted to or filed with the Insurance Commissioner, or fixed by the Board of Directors of CompSource Mutual Insurance Company, and premiums, by whatever name, for workers' compensation for self-insureds except for group self-insured associations shall provide for an appropriate reduction in premium charges, by whatever name, for those eligible insured employers who have successfully participated in the occupational safety and health consultation, education and training program administered by the Commissioner of the Department of Labor pursuant to Section 414 of Title 40 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

B.  All insurance companies writing workers' compensation insurance in this state and all self-insureds providing workers' compensation insurance except for group self-insured associations, shall allow an appropriate reduction in premium charges to all eligible employers who qualify for the reduction pursuant to the provisions of this section.

C.  Eligible employers shall be those employers:

1.  Who are insured by an insurance company writing workers' compensation insurance in this state; or

2.  Who are self-insured.

D.  In order to qualify for the reduction in workers' compensation insurance premium, an employer shall successfully participate annually in the occupational safety and health consultation, education and training program administered by the Department of Labor.  Successful participation shall be defined as:

1.  Undergoing a safety and health hazard survey of the workplace, including an evaluation of the employer's safety and health program and onsite interviews with employees by the Department's consultant;

2.  Correcting all hazards identified during the onsite visit within a reasonable period of time as established by the Department;

3.  Establishing an effective workplace safety and health program and implementing program provisions within a reasonable period of time as established by the Department.  The program shall include:

a.demonstration of management commitment to worker safety and health,

b.procedures for identifying and controlling workplace hazards,

c.development and communication of safety plans, rules and work procedures, and

d.training for supervisors and employees in safe and healthful work practices;

4.  Reducing by one-third (1/3) or more the extent to which the lost workday case rate, as measured by the Department of Labor, was above the national average for the industry at the time the employer elected to participate in the occupational safety and health consultation, education and training program, or maintaining a rate at or below the national average for the industry; and

5.  Documenting a reduction in workers' compensation claims for the preceding year by showing one of the following:

a.a ten percent (10%) reduction in the dollar amount of claims,

b.a ten percent (10%) reduction in the severity of claims, or

c.no reported claims,

as a result of attending the occupational safety and health consultation, education and training program administered by the Department of Labor.

E.  1.  Upon successful participation in the occupational safety and health consultation, education and training program as defined in subsection D of this section, an employer shall be issued a certificate by the Commissioner of the Department of Labor which shall be the basis of qualification for the reduction in workers' compensation insurance premium, by whatever name.  The certificate shall qualify the employer for a premium reduction for a one-year period.

2.  Upon issuance of a certificate to an employer, the Commissioner of the Department of Labor shall mail a copy of the certificate to the employer's insurer.  Any insurer required by this section to allow an appropriate reduction in premium charges to a qualified employer which willfully fails to allow such reduction after receiving a copy of the certificate shall be subject, after notice and hearing, to an administrative fine, imposed by the Insurance Commissioner, which shall be not less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) or three times the amount of the premium reduction, whichever is greater.  The Insurance Commissioner shall promulgate rules necessary to carry out the provisions of this paragraph.

F.  The Insurance Commissioner and the Administrator of the Workers' Compensation Court shall maintain records documenting reductions in workers' compensation insurance premiums granted pursuant to this section and shall make an annual report of such reductions to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by May 1 of each year.  Insurers shall report such premium reductions in their annual statement.