Injury Duration Guidelines for Upper Body Injuries Provide Average Timeframe for Workers Comp Injuries
Injury Duration Guidelines are helpful, yet many employers don’t know such tools are available. In planning for transitional duty, it is often helpful to know approximately how long an injured worker may be out of work. It is a way to compare against what the doctor and/or the employee say is the expectation of time out of work. If there is a discrepancy in the what you are told, ask your medical advisor.
Keep in mind any length of disability depends on many factors such as the severity of the injury and other medical conditions. For example, it may take a person with diabetes much longer to heal, than someone who does not have this condition.
When using these guidelines as a tool showing minimum times equate to clerical, light-duty job. Maximum time-frames are for heavy industrial type jobs. All time-frames are measured in weeks, unless otherwise noted.
AND, tie this in with the COST SAVINGS of Transitional Duty by showing the potential cost savings. For example, a company can save up to $126,000 enter 21 days X $200/day plus $1,500 replacement costs X 4.5% profit margin. Change the data to your own data. This is an example! Try an example for your own company – click here: Transitional Duty Calculator
Injury Duration Guidelines-Upper Body Injuries
| Type of Injury Upper Body | Area#Weeks | Area#Weeks | Area#Weeks | Area#Weeks |
| Chest | Abdomen | Back | Shoulder | |
| Abrasion/Contusions | 0-6 See Note 2 | 1-2 See Note 3 | 1-4 | 1-2 |
| Burns | ||||
| Dislocation | 0-1 | 0-8 | 1-20 | |
| Fractures | 0-3 | 1-8 | 3-6 | |
| Incisions | 2-4 | 2-3 | 2-3 | 0-2 |
| Lacerations | 1-6 | 1-6 | 3-4 | 1-6+ |
| Punctures | 2-4 | 1-6 | 1-6 | 1-4 |
| Sprains/Strains | 2-6 | 1-8 | ||
| Repetitive Motion/Tendinitis | 0-3 |
Note 1: Burn healing depends on degree (area and depth)
Note 2: Dislocations and Fractures apply to ribs. Punctures and incisions are those penetrating the thoracic cavity.
Note 3: Punctures and incisions are those penetrating the abdominal cavity.
Note 4: 2nd or 3rd degree, area variable.
Note 5: Total recuperation. However, there may be little disability during that time if walking is minimized.
Note 6: Time for carpal tunnel syndrome is quite variable, in part because factors other than workplace injuries are often involved.
Injury duration timeframes provided by Leslie J. Hutchinson, MD, MPH, FACOEM andSanford S. Leffingwell, MD, MPH, Board-Certified in Occupational and Preventive Medicine. They can be reached at: 1-770-963-1223 HLM Consultants or hlm@hlmconsultants.com
WC Calculator www.ReduceYourWorkersComp.com/calculator.php
TD Calculator www.ReduceYourWorkersComp.com/transitional-duty-cost-calculator.php
WC 101 www.ReduceYourWorkersComp.com/workers_comp.php
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws are different. Consult with your corporate legal counsel or other professionals before implementing any cost containment programs.
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