You can email or fax recommendation responses, supporting information, and updates.

Email: LossControlServices@donegalgroup.com (TIP: spell Services with an “s” at the end)

Fax: 1-888-880-8303

Be sure to include your account number or policy number with your response to ensure proper and timely filing of information

You can send an email requesting additional information, such as photos, to LossControlServices@donegalgroup.com. Please include your account or policy number with your email.

The date on the recommendation letter is a “respond by date”, not a due date for completing recommendations. A response is needed by the date in the letter indicating if the recommendation(s) are completed (Y or N), information on an action plan with anticipated completion date for any incomplete recommendations, as well as requested documentation.

If there were any incomplete recommendations in your initial response, follow up with Donegal to confirm status, including if there are delays in completing any recommendations, confirm recommendation completion, or to provide requested documentation.

Important: Include your account number or policy number with your response to ensure proper and timely filing of information

Acceptable documentation may vary from recommendation to recommendation, depending on what was requested, but below are several examples of acceptable documentation:

• Detailed receipt or invoice noting specific service, repairs, etc.
• Detailed report or letter from a qualified contractor with observations or recommendations
• Clear photos showing improvements, updates, and changes

Recommendation letters are generated via an automated system, but recommendation responses are processed and reviewed manually. There may not have been enough time to process your response and a 2nd letter was generated and sent. You can email LossControlServices@donegalgroup.com to confirm if your response was received.

Important: Include your account number or policy number with your email response to ensure proper and timely filing of information

In most instances, confirmation that recommendations are completed is done by reviewing submitted documentation. On rare occasions, a follow up inspection may be needed to confirm recommendations have been completed; however you would be notified in advance to schedule this visit.

Free access to standards is available through various websites. Some of the most frequently referenced regulations can be accessed from the resources below:

National Fire Protection Agency (Link to Create NFPA Free Access account)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): 1910 General Industry Standards

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): 1926 Construction Standards

Fire sprinkler system maintenance requirements are detailed in NFPA 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems.

A building fire sprinkler or suppression system requires at least an annual inspection, as well as a five year internal inspection of the sprinkler pipes. Depending on the system’s design, equipment, and components, more frequent or additional service may be needed. These items include, but are not limited to backflow preventers, fire pumps, and waterflow valves.

Donegal requests this information to confirm the sprinkler system is being maintained according to NFPA 25 by a qualified contractor and there are no deficiencies.

Documentation needed for this recommendation is the detailed inspection report. If the sprinkler system is less than 12 months old, note this on your response and provide the acceptance testing document. A photo of the tag on the sprinkler riser is not adequate documentation.

The internal inspection is a requirement of NFPA 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems to exam the insides of the sprinkler piping for corrosion and build up of debris. This examination must be carried out at a minimum of every 5 years by a qualified contractor and is typically documented in a report separate from the annual sprinkler inspection, testing, and maintenance report.

Documentation needed for this recommendation is the detailed inspection report. A photo of the tag on the sprinkler riser is not adequate documentation.

If the fire sprinkler system is less than five years old, you can respond to this recommendation in this manner.

Fire sprinkler systems need to be designed to adequately control a fire for storage items present in buildings and for operations being performed in a building. This is to ensure that enough water would flow to control a fire.

Sprinkler adequacy is not assessed during the periodic sprinkler inspections or maintenance performed by a qualified contractor, which means that the sprinkler inspection report will not contain design or adequacy information.

You’ll need to work with a licensed fire protection engineer to calculate the hydraulic design of the sprinkler system to determine if the system design is adequate and meets the requirements of NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems for current operations, commodities stored, and storage arrangement.

Documentation that clearly shows the month and year of the inspection is needed to close the recommendation. The preferred documentation is the report from the qualified contractor that performed the service that details the service provided, inspection items, and observations made during the service.

This type of service MUST be performed in accordance with requirements of NFPA 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations and completed by a qualified contractor. Performing cleaning by an “in-house” person is not acceptable and will not satisfy the recommendation.

The kitchen automatic extinguishing system (AES) is a fire control system located in the kitchen hood and duct, which must be inspected every six months (semi-annually) based on requirements of NFPA 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations. The preferred documentation for this recommendation is the report from the qualified contractor detailing the AES inspection items and observations made during the service.

Important note: The AES is not the same as the portable fire extinguishers mounted on walls in various areas of the building.

Overall, the idea of this recommendation is to have an inspection by an electrician to ensure there are no issues, overloading, exposed wiring, and fire hazards that need to be addressed. The electrician would highlight any exposures found, as well as recommend and/or complete repairs. The key inspection points would include the main electrical panel, any secondary electrical panels, meter box, smoke detectors, attic, crawlspaces, etc. and could include thermal scanning and voltage testing.

These electrical panels do not meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70 National Electrical Code, which requires that all installed electrical products are listed and labeled. Being listed and labeled means that electrical components have passed testing by an independent testing agency, such as Underwriters Laboratory, to confirm they are acceptable for intended use.

Federal Pacific and Zinsco electrical panels were not tested to meet Underwriters Laboratory (UL) standards, an independent testing agency, and do not meet current electrical national consensus safety codes. There is a documented history of a high rate of failure of these panels related to not tripping during overload situations or breakers remaining energized even though they appear to be turned off. An electrical breaker that fails to trip or is live when it appears to be off increases the risk of personal injury and fire.

Examples of Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL)

OSHA's Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Program - Current List of NRTLs | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

While there isn’t a specific company that is recommended for vehicle telematics, there are quite a few companies out there if you do a quick internet search (GPS fleet tracker, fleet management tracker, fleet telematics, etc). Consider finding a company that offers a free trial to gain experience with features and determine the right company for you.

Something to keep in mind when implementing GPS monitoring is to make sure someone is responsible for monitoring the data, have criteria established for this data (i.e. speeding, hard braking), what actions are taken if employees are violating the criteria, and making employees aware of this criteria and possible coaching or discipline. This is something that should be integrated into the fleet safety program, implemented gradually, monitored for lessons learned, and used as a coaching tool.

Barriers should control vehicle placement near tanks and be substantial enough to offer protection from being struck to reduce the risk of property loss. Examples of barrier types that could satisfy this recommendation include steel pipes imbedded in the ground, concrete pillars or bollards and concrete jersey barriers. It’s also recommended the barriers are painted with a highly visible color, such as yellow.

These letters will NOT be in the correspondence tab in the dashboard and are accessed 1) through the Loss Control Report or 2) if already on the details for the account or policy.

The steps on accessing the recommendation letter are below:

1. Click on the link in the email
2. Once you’ve signed in, you will be redirected to the Loss Control report page.
3. When you run the report, you will see a table of current Loss Control Recommendation letters for all policies/accounts within the agency.
4. Once here, click on the billing account or policy number to get directed to the corresponding details for the account/policy.
5. Once on the details page, navigate to the documents tab and the Loss Control Recommendation Letter will be in the table. From there, the user can click the link to view the document with options to print/download as well.

Log into the Donegal Dashboard, go to Reports, and then select “Commercial Lines Inspections”

On the next screen, click “Run Report” for a list of accounts with open surveys.

Once logged in, instructions can be found on the Donegal Dashboard.

Go to “Contacts” on left side of the page.

Under the “Account Contact Maintenance” heading at the top of the page, click on “Agency Contact Guide”. A document with instructions will open from this link.

Still need assistance? Contact the Donegal Insurance Group Resource Center.

• Resource Center Email: support@donegalgroup.com
• Resource Center Phone Number: 1.888.640.5840