On-site professionals face hidden dangers says American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Whether you're an insurance adjuster, appraiser, real estate professional or governmental agent, there is documented risk in entering other people's homes ... especially when they are under duress. 

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Those risks and several resulting tragedies are what inspired the creation of the new, nonprofit manual, Safety in the Field for Adjusters and other On-Site Professionals.

"If this manual can save one life, it's worth it," opines Jeffery Froeschle, father of Katie, a young insurance adjuster who thought she was making a routine visit to assess storm damage. Little did Froeschle's daughter know her job was leading her into a different kind of violent storm that was about to extinguish her life. 

"If only this safety manual had been available when Katie became an adjuster, she might still be alive today," recounts Froeschle. "Thankfully, the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (AAPIA) is doing something about it."

Explains Gene Veno, President of the AAPIA, "While engaged in a webinar about the hazards of working in the field, I learned of Katie's senseless murder and became convinced I had to do more to protect the welfare of my hard-working members. Upon researching and determining there was no specialized safety manual on-line or in print, I set out to develop what many believe will be a critical, life-saving tool."

Veno's members couldn't agree more. Upon reading the first edition written specifically for adjusters, AAPIA's members recognized its broader relevance and urged their leadership to reconfigure and expand the message to include all workers who perform on-site inspections, evaluations, or attend meetings in a client's home.

According to their website, the AAPIA's safety manual is being dedicated as a public service on behalf of those brave young men and women who lost their lives in the call of duty. It is a step-by-step guide designed to prepare the reader for unforeseen acts, both environmental and personal, that could occur when working in the field.

Concludes Veno, "The hard fact is, Katie entered a Tampa, Florida high-rise and was beaten to death with a muffler pipe. Two insurance department employees in Louisiana were shot to death while attempting to meet with a disgruntled licensee ... 

How many tragedies will it take before on-site professionals recognize the inherent risks in performing their jobs? The hazards are ever-present and invariably hidden, but at least now we have answers that are clear and simple."

Click here to order your copy of Safety in the Field.

For an in-depth interview contact Gene G. Veno at 202.422.5092 or [email protected]. All profits from AAPIA's safety manual will benefit The Katie Froeschle Foundation.

Click here for an audio message about Safety in the Field.

http://www.aapia.org/

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SOURCE American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters