Safety Group Program: 25 Years of Building a Culture of Safety and Delivering Value to Colorado Livestock Producers
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Colorado Livestock Association (CLA) Safety Group Program—a milestone that reflects a quarter century of commitment to protecting Colorado’s livestock producers, their employees, and their families through industry-leading safety education and risk management.
Since its establishment in 2001, the CLA Safety Group Program has helped foster a culture of safety across livestock operations throughout Colorado. In partnership with Pinnacol Assurance as the workers’ compensation carrier and endorsed insurance brokers Flood & Peterson, HUB International, and Renaissance Insurance Group, who joined the program in 2022, the Safety Group provides livestock operations with timely, industry-specific safety training, proactive claims management, and a dedicated team of partners focused on preventing workplace injuries, reducing claims costs, and supporting employers.
“For 25 years, this program has helped build a culture where safety is part of everyday operations. That commitment saves lives, prevents injuries, protects families, and strengthens agricultural businesses. CLA is proud to be a leader in fostering a safety-first culture that benefits livestock operations and serves as a model for Colorado agriculture,” said Britt Dinis, President of the Colorado Livestock Association.
In addition to creating safer workplaces, the program continues to deliver financial value to participating members. Through premium discounts, ongoing safety promotion, and improved claims management, eligible policyholders may receive an annual Safety Group Dividend based on both the overall performance of the CLA Safety Group and their individual policy performance. Since 2001, the CLA Safety Group Program has returned more than $3.1 million in Safety Group Dividends to participating members.
While Pinnacol Assurance has discontinued most of its safety groups over the years, the CLA Safety Group remains one of the organization’s elite programs because of its exceptional performance and long-term results.
Twice each year, representatives from CLA, Pinnacol Assurance, and the program’s endorsed brokers meet to review performance metrics, analyze accident trends, and identify opportunities to strengthen safety programming. This collaborative approach ensures that training remains relevant and addresses the real-world risks facing today’s livestock operations.
Education remains at the heart of the program. Each quarter, CLA offers two agricultural safety training sessions available to all members, with recordings posted on CLA’s YouTube channel to expand access to these valuable resources across the livestock industry. In recent years, CLA has also continued to grow its library of Spanish-language safety materials, helping ensure safety education is accessible to more agricultural employees throughout Colorado.
The association also celebrates farms that exemplify outstanding workplace safety through its annual Safe Farm Awards. These awards recognize agricultural businesses that maintain exceptional safety records while fostering a culture of safety throughout their operations and communities.
As the CLA Safety Group Program celebrates its 25th anniversary, it stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, education, and continuous improvement. By helping livestock producers create safer workplaces while reducing costs and returning millions of dollars to members, the program continues to strengthen Colorado’s livestock industry and reinforce CLA’s leadership in advancing a culture of safety across Colorado agriculture.Safety Group Program: 25 Years of Building a Culture of Safety and Delivering Value to Colorado Livestock Producers
www.coloradolivestock.org/safety