You’re busy, we know. So Roundtable has gathered the best and most compelling stories from the workers compensation world for you. Sit back, relax, and read about just those things that interest you, confident you won’t be missing important developments in compensation.
LexisNexis Communities Analyzes Motel Sex Case, Odd-Lot and More
The Workers Compensation Law Community Powered by Larsons on LexisNexis compiled a great newsletter evaluating the details of many current
WC cases this week. Sign up for their newsletter
here and get all this and more in your inbox.
Wacky World of Comp Sex Case Examined by Roberts
Cassandra Roberts, Esq., writes in her
blog, about the Australian woman who received WC benefits for facial injuries sustained while having sex on a business trip. The Federal Court of Australia found that this injury was no different than any other that may happen on work time. Roberts’ three-part analysis looks at how Delaware might handle the case by examining state precedent in similar business trip injuries.
Spotlight Shines on Odd-Lot Doctrine, Exclusive Remedy, Retaliatory Discharge, and Disfigurement Award
Larson’s Spotlight takes a
look at the odd-lot doctrine, which means total disability may be found in the case of workers who, while not altogether incapacitated for work, are so handicapped that they will not be employed regularly in any well-known branch of the labor market.
The spotlight also examines these three cases:
1. From New York: Employer's Corporate Subsidiary Was Shielded by Exclusive Remedy Defense Where Injured Worker Worked Under Supervision of Both the Subsidiary and the Employer
2. In Texas: Evidence That Worker Was Terminated As Part of General Reduction in Work Force Held Sufficient to Defeat Worker's Retaliatory Discharge Action
3. In Delaware: Board's Facial Disfigurement Award Reversed Where Board Did Not Compare Severity of Scar with Other Similar Scars that Board Had Observed In Its Accumulated Experience
Juge Looks at Louisiana 2011 In Review
Denis Paul Juge, Esq. notes that while there were no major legislative changes in 2011, significant changes are expected in 2012. He urges those interested in Louisiana WC law monitor the legislative activity at
here. Further, the OWC has promulgated the new hearing rules that include limitations on the trial continuance by consent and provides for the stay of a suit if good cause is shown, he says. Read more of his noteworthy case developments
here.
Max Comp Rate Determine By Date of Disability, Not Injury
Monica F. Markovich and Jonathan A. Tweedy discovered in Practical Application of Roberts vs. Sea-Land Services, Inc., that the date in which an injured worker is "newly awarded compensation" and its effect on the maximum compensation rate is defined differently than originally thought.
They write, “The following chart explains the practical application of the decision:
- Injury causing immediate disability: Maximum compensation rate is based on date of injury.
- Injury without immediate disability: Maximum compensation rate is based on first date of disability.
- Injury where disability lasts more than 3 but less than 15 days: Maximum compensation rate is based on fourth day of disability, where the disability actually begins under Section 6(a).
- Injury where initial disability lasts more than 3 but less than 15 days but a later period of disability occurs: Maximum compensation rate is initially based on fourth day of disability. If there is a later period of disability such that the total disability exceeds 14 days, then the maximum compensation rate would revert back to the first day of disability.”
Read more of the analysis
here.
Community Blogs Shredding up The Net
Take a look at the work of these top WC blogs:
- LexisNexis Workers' Comp Fraud Team, here.
- Cassandra Roberts.
- Paintballing, Wrestling and a Head-Banging Good Time: Another Commentary on Horseplay in Delaware, here.
Longshore Seminar Coming up In New Orleans
Robert Wilson recently noted on
WorkersCompensation.com there is an upcoming seminar for the National Workers' Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN). It will be June 6 and 7 in New Orleans.
Wilson writes that longshore topics and the related Jones act “are not as ‘well traveled’ as others in the conference arena. In fact, I am hard pressed to remember any conference where an emphasis was put on these areas. If these jurisdictions are within your realm of interest, I would suggest you look into attending.”
For more information about the seminar, look
here.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. She is the author of the #1 selling book on cost containment, Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
WORKERS COMP MANAGEMENT MANUAL: www.WCManual.com
MODIFIED DUTY CALCULATOR: www.LowerWC.com/transitional-duty-cost-calculator.php
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2012 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact us at: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
WorkSafe Victoria construction inspectors are staging a blitz of domestic housing sites in Melbourne’s west, according to a WorkSafe report.
It is the first of a series of statewide campaign visits targeting basic safety issues, the acting Director of WorkSafe’s Construction and Utilities Division, Allan Beacom, said.
“What we find is that employers and tradespeople consistently fail to properly address the basic safety issues like fall protection, electrical safety, housekeeping, site security and supervision,” he said.
“At this time of the year there is an extraordinary amount of work which has to be completed to meet contractual requirements. In such a busy environment the already-existing risks can be magnified. During our visits, inspectors will be issuing safety improvement and prohibition notices and if they’re not dealt with, the risk of prosecution, whether or not someone is hurt, is high.”
There were 425 claims in the domestic construction sector last financial year with treatment and rehabilitation costs exceeding/ nearly $5.5 million. The absence of fall protection on a domestic housing site is a feature of WorkSafe’s current enforcement campaign showing workers on the roof of a house.
“Safety issues have been raised, but there’s reluctance to deal with them because it’s a ‘two-minute job’. It’s then that the WorkSafe inspector drives up,” Beacom continued. “Apart from the need for rails, a lot of time will be lost and it’s likely he’d find other issues. Doing the job right, the first time, is in your interests.
“The good news is that businesses and individuals can make a difference by taking a few simple measures and although Victoria is Australia’s safest state with a record low number of work-related injuries, a lot more can be done.” (WCxKit)
Other metropolitan and regional areas will be targeted in coming months.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A Welshpool, Australia manufacturing company has been fined $20,000 over an incident in which an employee sustained injuries to his left arm when part of a rope press shattered and struck him.
According to the Western Australian Department of Commerce, Jeminex Brands & Operations Pty Ltd (formerly Beaver Brands) pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court recently. (WCxKit)
Jeminex Brands is a manufacturer of wire rope slings and chain slings. Using a rope press, wire rope of a required length is fed through an aluminum collar known as a “ferrule” and the ferrule is then compressed between two dies until they touch to hold the rope together.
The pressure applied by the dies is able to be varied according to the diameter of the rope, with maximum pressures stipulated in a chart of pressures in megapascals of pressure. The process is known as “swaging”.
A Jeminex employee was engaged in swaging rope. He had already completed two ropes by visually determining when the dies touched. When he swaged the third rope, the dies came together and shattered, causing lacerations to his left arm. The amount of pressure on the dies can be pre-set, and once that maximum pressure is reached, the limit switch is activated and no further pressure can be applied. The maximum pressure stipulated for the diameter of rope being used by the employee was five megapascals. The wire rope press was set at a maximum pressure of 34 megapascals.
The court heard that the employee was not instructed to check or change the maximum pressure of the wire rope press before he began the task.
It was practicable for the employer to have trained its employee to either set the press to the maximum recommended pressure or to set the pressure at a low level and increase it in small increments until the dies touched.
WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said the case should serve as a reminder of the importance of training and instruction in the workplace.
“
Training of new and young workers is one of WorkSafe’s operational priority areas, and a large amount of time and resources are invested in ensuring that employers provide workers with suitable and adequate induction and training,” McCulloch said.
“
This worker had been with the employer for four months, and this incident made it apparent that he had not been provided with sufficient training and instruction to operate the machinery in a safe manner. (WCxKit)
“
Every employer has the responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace; to share information and to provide training and supervision – that is part of the employer’s basic duty of care.
Australian Tire Center, Director Fined After Worker Suffers Injuries
A Yamba tire center (New South Wales, Australia) and its director have been fined a total of $170,000 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs after an employee received serious injuries while fitting new tires to an earthmover, according to a report from the WorkCover Authority of NSW.
The Lower River Tyre Centre Pty Ltd (Lower River) sells tires, wheels and batteries as well as providing tire-fitting services for a range of private, commercial and industrial vehicles. (WCxKit)
A 47-year-old Lower River tire fitter was changing six spilt rim grader tires on an earth-moving grader when one of the six tires exploded while it was being inflated.
The tires on this large commercial earthmover were around 1.4m in diameter and approximately 40cm thick.
The employee sustained serious injuries to his face and upper-body, as well as complications during surgery which required months of rehabilitation.
A WorkCover investigation found that Lower River had no adequate safety protocols in place at the time of the accident.
There was no safety cage large enough to protect the worker, nor any devices in place limiting tire pressure on larger commercial tires, which both would have reduced the risk of injuries.
The company also did not have documented OHS systems in place; failed to carry out a proper risk assessment; did not conduct formal risk assessments; and did not provide adequate or documented
training.
Lower River and its director Anthony Paul Hardacre were charged with breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000. Both pleaded guilty to the charges. (WCxKit)
Lower River was convicted and fined $160,000. Anthony Hardacre was convicted and fined $10,000.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He is an editor and contributor to Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2012 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact us at: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
New Zealand Employer Fined after Serious Injuries to Workers
Two companies from Taranaki, New Zealand have been fined a total of $71,500 after an employee suffered serious injuries when the hired machine he was operating rolled down a slope, pinning him underneath.
According to details from the Department of Labor, Taranaki Civil Construction Limited was fined $38,500 and ordered to pay $12,000 in reparation to its employee who suffered a compound fracture to his right arm and lacerations to his scalp and neck. (WCxKit) Graham Harris (2000) Limited, the company that hired out the roller, was fined $33,000 and ordered to pay $4,000 in reparation for failing to ensure the roller was safe to use.[WCx]
The New Plymouth District Court heard that the company was working on a project in New Plymouth to improve flood defenses in February this year. The employee was using a roller to compact clay at the top of the stop bank.
“The roller that the company hired was not fit for the operation as it did not have a roll over protective structure or a seat belt,” says the Department of Labour’s Taranaki Service Manager Jo Pugh. “This type of machinery is not appropriate to use on top of a narrow stop bank of clay and it put this employee at serious risk of harm,” says Pugh.
“This accident could have been prevented had some basic safety steps been followed, saving this employee from a number of operations that were required due to his injuries.”A Kewdale, Australia, company engaged in designing and manufacturing semi-trailers has been fined $20,000 over an incident in which a worker was injured by a tanker that rolled off a stand, according to the Western Australia Department of Commerce.
Australian Employer Fined after Worker Injury
General Transport Equipment Pty., Ltd., pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety or health of a person not being an employee and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court this winter. (WCxKit)
In July 2009, General Transport was holding a tri-axle tanker trailer in its workshop that had undergone welding repairs. During the time it was being held, the tanker was empty and remained supported by a semi-trailer jack stand fabricated by General Transport.
On July 7, a worker was directed to perform a hydrostatic test on the tanker, a process where each separate compartment of the tanker is filled with water in turn, then pressurized to test for leaks.
During the filling of the front compartment there was a component failure that caused the tanker to roll to its left. A man not employed by General Transport who was working at a bench to the left of the tanker was trapped between the tanker and the bench, suffering pelvic bruising.
WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said the case demonstrated that safe systems of work needed to be in place at all times. [WCx]
“
It was fortunate that this man was not more seriously injured — or even killed — in this incident,” McCulloch said. “The court found it would have been reasonable to expect that the tanker would have been supported using appropriately rated trestles or stands, or that the employees should not have been allowed to hydro test without the tanker being properly supported.
“This employer failed to take any practicable measures to ensure this task was performed in a safe manner, and the case should serve as a reminder to ensure that safe systems of work are in place at all times,” he said.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He is an editor and contributor to Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contactInfo@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A Western Sydney manufacturing company and its director were recently fined a total of $127,400 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs after a high powered industrial blender was turned on with a man inside it.
According to a report from the WorkCover Authority, FIP Brakes International (FIP) produces industrial sized brake pads, as well as other products, for trains and other railway vehicles and employs around 60 people mainly based at its facility in Wetherill Park. Its managing director is Chris Katakouzinos. (WCxKit)
A machine operator was killed when he was cleaning out an industrial blender at FIP’s premises.
The power to the machine had not been isolated and the machine became operational with the worker still inside. He died at the site with extensive crush injuries and lacerations.
A WorkCover investigation found a significant number of safety failings:
1. The machine should not have been able to operate while its front
doors were open.
2. The safety switches were either broken or malfunctioning.
3. The machine’s electrical power supply had not been turned off.
4. The machine operator should not have been working alone.
5. The machine was not properly maintained.
6. The operator was not given proper training.
In handing down her finding in the Industrial Court, Justice Backman said the incident was foreseeable and that there were serious deficiencies in the company’s systems. (WCxKit)
They both pleaded guilty. FIP was fined $117,000 and Mr. Katakouzinos $10,400. The court ordered them to pay WorkCover’s legal costs.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A Western Sydney manufacturing company and its director have been fined a total of $127,400 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs after a high powered industrial blender was turned on with a man inside it.
According to a report from WorkCover Authority of New South Wales, FIP Brakes International (FIP) produces industrial sized brake pads, as well as other products, for trains and other railway vehicles and employs around 60 people mainly based at its facility in Wetherill Park. Its managing director is Chris Katakouzinos. (WCxKit)
A machine operator was killed when he was cleaning out an industrial blender at FIP’s premises. The power to the machine had not been isolated and the machine became operational with the worker still inside. He died at the site with extensive crush injuries and lacerations.
A WorkCover investigation found a significant number of safety failings:
1. The machine should not have been able to operate while its front doors were open.
2. The safety switches were either broken or malfunctioning.
3. The machine’s electrical power supply had not been turned off.
4. The machine operator should not have been working alone.
5. The machine was not properly maintained.
6. The operator was not given proper training.
In handing down her finding in the Industrial Court, Justice Backman said the incident was foreseeable and that there were serious deficiencies in the company’s systems.
FIP was fined $117,000 and Katakouzinos $10,400. The court ordered them to pay WorkCover’s legal costs.
WorkCover NSW’s Acting General Manager of Work Health and Safety Division Peter Dunphy said the risks to the employee’s safety were entirely foreseeable and the incident should never have happened.
“This case is particularly significant given that the company’s insurer had 12 months previously identified major shortcomings in the company’s occupational health and safety systems.
“The WorkCover investigation found that many of the identified problems had not been addressed. (WCxKit)
“The steps that should have been taken were not only simple, but they were well-known safety practices in the industry.”
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A major development company has been fined $350,000 for an "immense oversight" at the construction of a giant warehouse in Melbourne's southeast that led to the death of a man.
According to information from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, County Court judge Liz Gaynor said that John Parton's fate was sealed when Australand failed to oversee properly work being done at the Dandenong South site where he was killed when a steel frame collapsed. (WCxKit)
She said it was only luck that more men had not yet arrived for work when the structure, measuring 82 meters by 240 meters, crashed down on the 47-year-old Langwarrin man.
Gaynor said the steel frame had not been properly braced and a colleague with Mr. Parton narrowly escaped death or serious injury.
She said failing to ensure the partially built frame was braced was a "serious example" of an occupational health and safety breach that had resulted in the "massive collapse of a massive structure.”
Australand, the principal builder of the project and in charge of overseeing construction, was fined $350,000.
Australand had no prior convictions and Gaynor said it had shown remorse and taken immediate steps to improve safety on its projects.
Acting director of WorkSafe's construction and utilities team, Allan Beacom, said after the sentencing that temporary bracing on partially-built structures was integral to workplace safety.
“There are a surprisingly high number of structural failures where this simple step has not been done, and in every case, people are at risk," he said.
“The incident must act as a reminder to all that fundamental safety responsibilities must be adhered to." (WCxKit)
Charges against two other defendants in the case are yet to be heard.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact
Age discrimination in Western Australia workers compensation legislation has been abolished by state parliament, according to a report from the Government of Western Australia.
Commerce Minister Simon O’Brien said changes to the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981 passed in August, come into effect on Oct. 1, 2011, giving all employees the same entitlement to workers comp regardless of age.(WCxKit)
O’Brien said the Act had clearly been unfair to workers over the age of 64, previously entitled to only one year of income payments.
“The change means contributions older workers make to the WA economy and society are recognized in the workers compensation legislation,” he said.
“With Western Australia facing an aging workforce, record low unemployment and a need to maintain skilled and experienced people, the removal of any barriers to working past 65 will have a positive economic and social impact.”
The changes are part of a number of Liberal-National Government legislative reforms to take effect on Oct. 1 and result from a 2009 Government review of workers compensation.
The other significant change is the extension of the safety net which ensures seriously injured workers are protected if their employer is uninsured.
“Injured workers should not have to pay for the unlawful business practices of the very small number of employers who fail to take out insurance,” the Minister said.
“The changes mean that in these cases WorkCover WA will meet the costs of damages awarded by the Court if negligence is proven and the employer does not have insurance.”
The workers comp dispute resolution system is also improved through the amendments, creating more accessible and timely conciliation and arbitration services.
“These changes have been made in response to strong stakeholder feedback about the need to improve the dispute resolution arrangements,” O’Brien added.(WCxKit)
“Only a small number of workers compensation matters end up in a dispute between the parties. When this happens it is important the matter can be dealt with in a straightforward and transparent way.”
Changes to the dispute resolution system take effect from Dec. 1, 2011.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
WorkSafe ACT (Australia) said the alleged assault of one of its safety inspectors by a worker at a Gungahlin cafe was caught on a closed-circuit television camera.
According to The Canberra Times, the young female inspector was placed on sick leave after she was allegedly manhandled out of the cafe July 29.(WCxKit)
Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe reported details of the assault, claiming his organization would not stand for any bullying of its officers.
McCabe stated the female inspector was revisiting the cafe after a previous health and safety audit had revealed issues that needed immediate attention including a faulty griller with exposed wires and fire safety problems.
She was returning to the cafe to ensure the matters had been addressed. The young woman had dealt with the same person on each occasion and had shown her identification.
McCabe claimed he had viewed CCTV footage of the incident. Police were investigating the alleged assault and seeking witnesses.(WCxKit)
According to McCabe, inspectors also deserved to work in a safe environment as they carried out their duties.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Australian federal work health and safety regulator Comcare has highlighted several occupational health and safety issues, including bullying and drug and alcohol harm at work, in its Work Health and Safety Plan for the current financial year.
According to a report from Comcare, the plan commits to improving work health and safety across federal employers by focusing on four key priority areas: worker health, preventing harm, stronger enforcement, and a smooth transition to national work health and safety laws.(WCxKit)
Comcare’s Work Health and Safety General Manager, Neil Quarmby, said this is a major change in the way Comcare delivers its services.
“Our new regulation model highlights the importance of preventing workplace injuries. This year we’ll deliver strong enforcement outcomes, but also commit to stopping workers getting harmed in the first place,” Quarmby said.
This includes an initiative to target federal employers with poor workplace cultures with relation to drug and alcohol harm.
Also on the agenda is a workplace bullying campaign which will address the recent growth in mental stress claims.
“We’re targeting workplaces where bullying is just ‘how things work,’ and we’ll be working with employers where alcohol harm is a known risk in the workplace. We’re sending the message that it is not OK — that it’s unacceptable,” Quarmby says.
Harmonized work health and safety laws due to start on Jan. 1, 2012, are also a major priority. Comcare will re-train its inspectors to exercise new powers under the laws, such as providing assistance to victims and families involved in workplace harm.(WCxKit)
Quarmby adds harmonization will reduce red tape on a national level and help regulators such as Comcare improve the way it deals with workplace incidents.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
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