We all know that the best workers compensation claim is the claim that never happened. We have written various articles on what management can do to prevent claims, including creating and/or improving a safety program. This top down approach is effective and leads to the prevention of accidents. What the top down approach often misses is the importance of having the supervisors actively involved in the safety program. The importance of safety training for the field supervisors or the floor supervisors cannot be overstated.
The safety responsibilities of the lower level management ( the supervisors ) need to be incorporated into the job descriptions just as much as production goals, financial goals or other performance measurements. The safety objectives that should be a part of the job description of every supervisor are (WCxKit)
- Regular inspections of the work area to identify any safety issues
- Responsibility for initiating work orders for safety related repairs
- Responsibility for insuring all needed repairs are completed timely
- Responsibility for identifying areas where improvements of the physical area would reduce risk
- Knowing and complying with all OSHA requirements
- Knowing and complying with all state safety laws
- Enforcing compliance with all safety regulations
- Responsibility for training all new employees on the safe completion of the work
- Responsibility for having monthly safety meetings with the employees in her/her group
- Responsibility for the safe completion of all work
- Responsibility for recording all safety incidents
- Responsibility for reporting all safety incidents to management
- Responsibility for investigating all accidents
- Responsibility for preventing the reoccurrence of similar accidents
- Responsibility for reviewing with management how to improve safety
The supervisor’s performance review should include how well they met the safety goals. Management should avoid the temptation to measure safety solely by the number of injury claims reported. The completion of regular safety inspections, the timeliness of repair orders, the compliance with OSHA and other regulations, the safety training provided to the employees and the recommendations on how to improve safety should be given equal weight with the number of injury claims reported. By placing the emphasis on the prevention of injuries as opposed to the number of injuries, you reduce the temptation of the supervisor to underreport the minor injuries that occur.
An importance safety function of the supervisor is to create a detailed accident report after each injury. A review of the quality of the accident investigations completed by the supervisor should be a part of the each performance review. The supervisor’s manager should check each accident report to determine if the injured employee and the co-workers/witnesses were properly interviewed. The object/ machinery/ equipment involved in the injury should be a part of the accident investigation with a determination if the accident was the employee’s fault or caused by a defect in the object/equipment/ machinery being used. A recommendation by the supervisor on how to prevent a similar accident from occurring in the future should be a part of the report.
Safety reporting is more than completing OSHA forms. It should entail a review of injury accidents by categories determined by management. Sample categories could include employee error, equipment/machinery malfunction and unforeseen. The purpose should be to identify areas where further safety improvements can be made.
The review of the safety work orders for repairs or improvements should also be included in the supervisor’s performance review. The supervisor’s manager should verify the supervisor is identifying and seeking to correct legitimate safety hazards. The accuracy and the effectiveness of the safety work orders will impact the overall outcome of the safety program. (WCxKit)
By integrating safety into the job performance of the supervisors, the compliance level with all safety requirements will improve and the number of workers compensation claims will be reduced.
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.
Editor Michael B. Stack, CPA, Director of Operations, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in employer communication systems and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their Workers Compensation costs by 20% – 50%. He is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. Contact: Mstack@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.
Regular readers of our website know we are about saving employers money through reducing the cost of workers compensation. In this day of sound bites and short summaries, we offer easy ways to reduce the cost of workers compensation.
1. Report All Injuries Immediately
One of the biggest mistakes an employer can make is to delay the reporting of a workers compensation claim. The employee, whether suffering a major or minor injury, is going to understand very quickly that the employer is unconcerned about his well being when the injury is ignored. Also, the sooner the claims adjuster is aware of the injury, the sooner the adjuster can start the claims handling process moving the claim forward. The sooner the employee is treated, the sooner the healing process can start, and the sooner the employee will be able to return to work. (WCxKit)
2. Document the Details of All Injuries
The memory of the injured employee, the supervisor, and any co-workers who witnessed the accident begins to fade with the passing of time. To have the most accurate record of the claim, all witnesses and the employee's supervisor must be promptly interviewed. Write down what is said. If there are any tools, equipment or machinery involved in the accident, inspect it and document any failure of the tools, equipment or machinery. Do not dispose of anything involved in the injury until the claims adjuster has had an opportunity to inspect it or to have it inspected by an expert.
3. Keep in Contact with the Employee
Following an injury the employee is going to be concerned about: 1) obtaining the needed future medical care 2) how they are going to replace the lost income 3) losing the job if they are unable to work 4) the prospect of possibly being disabled and unable to ever return to the job.
While the adjuster can explain the workers compensation claim benefits, the adjuster does not replace the employer in the claimant's mind. The claimant is feeling vulnerable after an injury. Contact from the employer helps to reassure the claimant that the employer cares about their well being and returning them to work.
4. Keep in Contact with the Medical Provider
This is one area where most employers fall short. Even if the employer has kept in contact with the employee, the employer still needs to be in contact with the medical provider. Often the medical provider will be very cautious with the injured employee and will keep them off work the maximum time needed for full recovery if their only input is from the employee. For example, if the employee is asked by the doctor what is the maximum weight of lifting at work, the employee may honestly say 100 pounds, but that may happen only once per month. If the employer has advised the medical provider to modify the employee's position to not lift over 20 pounds, the employee will be returned to work much sooner.
5. Have an Established Return to Work Program
The easiest way to accommodate an injured employee's work restrictions is to have an established modified duty return to work program in place. If all employees know before an accident they are considered a valuable part of the company with an established return to work program, they will be more compliant with both the employer and the medical provider about working a light duty job until they are able to return to work full duty.
6. Have an Established Safety Program
This is a no-brainer. The accident that never happens does not incur any claim cost. Set up a safety program to identify those aspects of the work that potentially can cause an injury. Analyze what can be done to reduce or eliminate the risk of injury, and then do it. Establish the proper methods of doing the day-to-day task so that the potential for injuries is removed. Be sure the employees have everything they need to do their job in a safe manner. Arrange for on-going safety inspections to identify and correct any hazard.
7.Train the Employees to Work Safely
It is not enough for the employer to know the potential hazards of the job. The employees must know too. The employees must be trained to do the job correctly, including complying with all safety measures. Whether it is the safe operation of machinery, or the proper lifting techniques, the employer can reduce workers comp cost by training the employees to work safely.
8. Reward Employees for Promoting Safety
When employees think safety is “management's thing”, they are not considering themselves in the safety quotient. Involve the employees in the safe operation of the company by providing small monetary rewards to employees of a department that avoid injuries over a given period of time. The cost of the 'reward' will be far cheaper than the cost of workers compensation claims and the resulting insurance premium increase.
9. Have Your Insurance Premium Audited
Underwriters make mistakes. They can have your business improperly classified. They may also have employees misclassified or they may have the payroll information wrong for one or more categories. If the workers compensation insurance premium has risen lately and you do not know why, arrange for an independent premium audit. As the premium auditor works for a percentage of the premium reduction, it makes good sense to have your premium audited every couple of years or when there has been an increase in premiums. (WCxKit)
10. Have Your Claim Files Audited
The last thing the insurance company is going to admit is that the workers comp claims were poorly handled. When work comp claims are poorly handled, they cost more. The carelessness or oversights in claims handling comes back to the employer in the form of higher insurance premiums. If the results on the claims are not expected, hire an independent claims file auditor to review the files for proper handling, proper reserving and proper settlement.
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 website 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. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: RShafer@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.
One of the most common causes of workers compensation claims is the improper lifting of a heavy object by an employee. It is also one of the easiest workers compensation claims to avoid. When an employee injures a back, it is usually not the heavy weight, but the method of lifting the weight that was improper. These back injuries can be avoided. The teaching of proper lifting techniques, to any employee who may be called upon to physically move objects, is an essential part of any good safety program.
There are at least 6 common things that employees do that cause them to hurt their back. They are (this is not an all inclusive list)
1. Twisting while lifting
2. Holding the object too far away from the body
3. Lifting with the back bent
4. Contorting the body to lift in an unnatural way
5. Losing their balance while lifting
6. Not coordinating their lift with other co-worker(s)
1. Twisting while Lifting
When a heavy object needs to be moved from a floor or other level to a higher level, the employee will often be paralleled to the higher level when the object is picked up and will have to twist to set the object on the higher level (shelf, cart, conveyor belt, etc.). The employee should approach the object perpendicular to the higher level where the object is going to be placed, with the employee, the object and the higher level in a straight line. This puts the object in the middle between the employee and the higher level, allowing the employee to lift the object without twisting. It also allows the employee to have the head facing straight forward to keep all parts of the spine in a straight line. (WCxKit)
2. Holding the Object Too Far from the Body
Sometimes employees just do not want to get dirty. If the object is dirty, greasy, oily, etc., the employee may be inclined to try to lift the object while holding the object away from the body. This is difficult to do with light objects and a recipe for an injury with heavy objects. The further the object is from the body, the harder it is too lift and the more strain it places on the body. The employees need to be taught to hold the object they lift as close to the body as possible to avoid strain on the back.
3. Lifting with the Back Bent
When employees have not been taught the proper lifting techniques for heavy weights, they are often inclined to keep the legs straight and the back bent. This is backwards of the proper way to lift. The employee should be facing the object with the feet shoulder width apart. The employee should keep the back straight and bend the knees to lower the body closer to the object. This allows the employee to lift the object with the strength of the legs instead of placing tremendous strain on the back by trying lift with the back bent.
4. Contorting the Body to Lift in an Unnatural Way
Often the box of supplies, or bucket of parts or other heavy object is surrounded by other objects that are in the way of the employee trying to lift the object needed. When the employee contorts the body to lift a load in a cluttered area, the worker is inviting injury. While it takes a little longer, the employee should be taught to move other items out of the way (using proper lifting techniques) before trying to lift a heavy object. The employee should be sure the area around the object and the pathway from the object is clear prior to lifting it.
5. Losing Balance While Lifting
There are different ways the employee can lose his balance while lifting a load. Common mistakes include placing the feet too close together, picking up an irregularly shaped object where the load is uneven, trying to pick up a stack of two or more objects at the same time, or trying to pick up an object that is too heavy. The employees should be taught that the feet need to be at least shoulder width apart, or slightly wider. If the load is unevenly balanced, the employee should redistribute the weight of the load if more than one object, or to get someone to assist in lifting the object if the weight of the object is unevenly distributed.
6. Not Coordinating the Lift with Others
When two or more people are lifting a heavy object at one time, not only is there a strong probability of a back injury if done incorrectly, the employees may badly smash toes. When it takes more than one person to lift an object, and a forklift is not option, it is imperative that all the parties to the lift communicate where they are holding or grasping the object, where they are moving the object to, and when they will lift simultaneously. (WCxKit)
Proper lifting can easily be taught to all employees involved in any type of manual labor. The basic points each employee needs to know include
- Keep the back straight at all times
- Keep the load as close to the body as possible
- Keep the feet at least shoulder width apart with the toes turned slightly outward
- Bend the knees, not the back
- Keep the object to be lifted directly in front of you to avoid twisting
- Keep your head forward facing the object
- Breathe out as you lift
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 website 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. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: RShafer@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
Employers and workers using fall protection equipment must have completed an approved training program from a approved training provider according to the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission in New Foundland, Canada is advising. Training begins January 1, 2012.
According to a report from the Commission, workers who have not completed an approved training program will not be permitted to work from heights or to work with fall protection equipment in Newfoundland and Labrador. (WCxKit)
Under Newfoundland and Labrador Occupational Health and Safety OH&S Regulations, fall protection equipment is required where a worker is at risk of falling three meters or more or is working above hazardous or dangerous areas.
“Seven workers in Newfoundland and Labrador died as a result of falls from heights since 2004,” said Commission CEO Leslie Galway. “All workplace accidents are preventable and this new training requirement will help ensure these types of tragedies are not replayed across the province."
The use of fall protection equipment is required in all industries in Newfoundland and Labrador. These include, but are limited to, general construction, residential construction, road construction, roofing, utilities, oil, mining, fishing, and municipalities
The Commission recently developed the Fall Protection Certification Training Standard establishing criteria for fall protection training providers and trainers. Training providers wishing to deliver fall protection certification training should develop and submit their training curriculum to the Commission for approval.
Fall Protection Certification Training by an approved provider is valid for three years. (WCxKit)
Training is available through a number of providers approved by the Commission. For a complete list of approved training providers and courses, consult the Commission Web site at: http://www.whscc.nl.ca/PREV_FallProtection.whscc.
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.
While welcoming the fact the government has partially climbed-down from its original proposals, Great Britain's Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said it will still oppose any new plans that would result in compromised safety.
According to PCS information, the change means some Coast Guard stations previously threatened with closure will be saved, and all those remaining will stay open 24 hours. This recognizes the need for around-the-clock coverage to preserve the vital local knowledge the government initially claimed would not be lost, but which was proved wrong.(WCxKit)
Last month's announcement is a partial victory for communities that campaigned to save what is an essential public service they hold dear. But it will be a bitter blow for those still under threat, according to the PCS. The union is concerned the government has made no commitment to prevent compulsory redundancies and concerned that, again, the proposals say nothing about improving pay for coast guards who are the worst paid in the emergency services. These new plans must now be subject to full and meaningful consultation involving staff, unions, the public, and other interested parties.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka noted, "We pay tribute to our coast guard members and people in their communities who have fought so hard to defend what is a vital public service.(WCxKit)
"This fight is not over. We are committed to ensuring we retain the local knowledge of our coastlines that is essential to saving lives, as we are determined to defend all public services and our communities from the government's cuts."
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.
The number of serious injuries in Nova Scotia workplaces is at its lowest level in 15 years, the Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia announced recently in its 2010 annual report.
In 2010, 6,921 people suffered serious injury on the job – the first time that number has been below 7,000 since 1995, when time loss injuries began being calculated the way they are today. There were 10,515 time loss injuries in 1995. (WCxKit)
The report marks continued progress toward a safety culture.
Looking back a decade, in 2000, 9,061 people suffered time loss injury on the job – over 2,000 more than in 10 years later. Numbers show there has been a particularly steep and consistent decline over the past five years.
Meanwhile, assessable payroll, the WCB’s measure for the number of covered workers, has consistently increased. The injury rate – the number of people per 100 covered workers who are seriously injured on the job – is now 2.13, down from 2.26 in 2009. It was 3.0 in 2004.
Return to work has also seen improvement. The vast majority of workers – 95% – return to work making 100% of their pre-injury earnings. And in 2010, over 40,000 fewer days at work were lost due to injury. This benchmark is much better than results of U.S. companies.
Yet despite this continuous improvement, there remains much work to do. Nearly 120 people have died as a result of workplace injury or illness over the past five years.
“Since 2005, we’ve seen an average five per cent reduction in time loss injuries each year,” said Nancy MacCready-Williams, CEO of the Workers Compensation Board. “That’s good news and we are clearly heading in the right direction as a province. However, we must be clear: there is no acceptable number of workplace injuries. We want a Nova Scotia free from workplace injury.”
“Creating a safety culture in Nova Scotia is a team effort. Our team of dedicated employees at the WCB are collaborating with employers, workers, labor unions, safety and industry associations, and the Department of Labor and Advanced Education to make Nova Scotia a safer place to work and to help injured workers get back on the job sooner,” said MacCready-Williams. “We are seeing the positive impact of this collaboration in the 2010 results.”
The Workers Compensation Board continues to recoup the investment losses suffered during the global economic downturn in 2007 and 2008. Following significant market losses in 2007 and 2008, 2009 and 2010 have shown more positive results. The WCB ended 2010 a slight surplus overall of $3.5 million. (WCxKit)
The full Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia 2010 Annual Report is available at: www.wcb.ns.ca
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 or 860-553-6604.
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 Llangollen, Wales nursing home has been fined following the suffocation of an elderly woman after she become trapped between her mattress and bed rails intended to stop her falling.
Elizabeth Roberts, 89, was found suffocated in her room at the Headlands Nursing Home in August of 2008. Her upper body had slid down to the floor between the bed mattresses and bed rails where she had become trapped. (WCxKit)
Mold Crown Court heard Roberts had suffered from a previous entrapment incident three weeks before but no alternative bedding arrangements had been made.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed care staff at the home engaged bedside rails after Roberts repeatedly fell from her bed, however employees had not been provided with up-to-date training on the safe use of bed rails, in particular the risk of entrapment created by beds. HSE found the home also failed to complete a suitable and sufficient risk assessment on the use of bed rails for Roberts, which should have identified that they may have been unsuitable in her case. There was no company policy on the safe use of bed rails and no system for routine inspection, monitoring and maintenance. (WCxKit)
Deevale Homecare and Services Ltd of Grosvenor Road, Wrexham, who own and operate the Headlands Nursing Home in Llangollen, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and Regulation 3 (1) Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
They were sentenced at Mold Crown Court and fined $114,525.6, with $3,569,691.02 in costs.
This could easily become a products liability case against the bed manufacturer. Ask first, could the hazard have been designed out of the product? Why wasn't the product recalled and retrofitted with safer rails or guarding system? A warning clearly would not have been sufficent given users of a hospital bed are frequently ill and infirm thus cannot be read warning labels. On discovery for a suit against the manufacturer, find out how many prior injuries (near misses) there have been on this product.
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 or 860-553-6604.
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.
An average of nearly one worker death occurred each week in Massachusetts in 2010, including five firefighters who died from work-related cancer and heart disease, according to a recently released report from the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupation Safety and Health.
As the Boston Globe reported, Hispanic workers, an increasing population in Massachusetts and the nation, experience workplace deaths at a much greater rate then that of white, non-Hispanic workers. In 2010, 3.5 Hispanic workers passed away on the job per 100,000 versus 1.2 deaths per 100,000 for white, non-Hispanic workers, the two organizations noted. (WCxKit)
What's more, workplace violence continues to be a prime employment hazard, responsible for the deaths of three workers who passed away during the performance of their work in 2010, the report's authors wrote.
The report is titled, "Dying for Work in Massachusetts: The Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces." And one conclusion of the report is that not enough safety precautions and workplace oversight are costing workers their lives.
Compared to other parts of the nation, Massachusetts is one of the safest states to work in the country, in part due to a high concentration of low-risk injuries, the national AFL-CIO reported. (WCxKit)
Robert Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, noted, "Of the 47 families who suffered the pain of losing a loved one at work this year, many have to struggle with the fact that an existing safety regulation could have saved their loved ones' life. All an employer had to do was care enough to properly implement it.”
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 or 860-553-6604.
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
When adjusters daydream, their non-work daydreams are like every one else – romance and money. But when they are about work, many dreams are about how much easier life would be if their clients – the employers – knew what they know. If you could see inside the adjuster's head, here are some of the things the adjusters wish their clients knew:
5 Things Adjusters Wish Their Clients Knew:
1. You Hire Too Many Druggies
Workers compensation adjusters know that from 38 to 50 percent of all workers compensation injuries are related to substance abuse, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor. The adjuster's biggest wish is that their clients had a drug-free workplace program. When employers have a published drug-free workplace program that includes pre-employment drug screens, random drug testing and mandatory drug testing of all employees involved in a work-place accident, the number of work-related injuries drops sharply. Hence, the adjuster daydreams about every employer having a drug-free work place and because of that, having a lot less workers comp claims to work on. (WCxKit)
2. Safety saves you Money
One of the first things the work comp adjuster does when a new work comp claim is assigned to him or her is to read the Employer's First Report of Injury (
FROI). The FROI has a section for the employer to describe what happened. When the adjuster reads, “
Employee hurt back lifting ________ (fill in the blank),” or, “Employee tripped over ________ (fill in the blank),” or, “Employee was struck by __________ (fill in the blank)," the adjuster recognizes what the employer does not see – the employer's safety program needs improvement. Lifting, tripping, and being struck by something are all types of accidents that can usually be avoided with an enforced safety program in place. The adjuster wishes the employer knew how many fewer accidents there would be (and how much lower the work comp premium would be) if the employer had an enforced safety program.
3. Treat Every Little Injury
Too often, the adjuster gets to handle the mess the employer made when they decided not to report a “minor” injury. The employee may have said he could “tough it out” when he strained his back, twisted his knee, or dropped 200 pounds on his foot. The untreated injury often gets worse before it gets better. Just like the old proverb “a stitch in time saves nine,” timely medical treatment for a small injury can prevent an employee from aggravating the injury and making it more serious. The adjuster wishes employers would send every injured employee immediately to the doctor (and while the employee is being treated, get the drug test done as there is often an alternative motive for “toughing it out”).
4. Keep in Touch with the Employee
The smart work comp adjuster knows the employee is another human being, and, just like almost every person, the employee wants to know that someone, anyone, cares about the injury that has occurred. The big burly roughneck is not going to think,” My employer is compassionate,” if he never hears from the employer after an accident. What he will think is, “They don't give a damn (or insert much stronger curse word) about me," and off he goes to get a lawyer who
will listen to him and who
will “make sure the employer pays for this.” The adjuster daydreams and wishes that the employer would stay in touch with the employee after an accident, sharply reducing the number of lawyers involved in their claims.
5. Keep in Touch with the Adjuster
The adjuster needs to know what the employer knows about the work comp claim. If the employer hears scuttlebutt that the employee's accident happened at home, or that the employee could return to work but does not want to, or any other information about the claim, the information should be shared with the adjuster. The adjuster's daydream here is the simple wish the employer would keep the adjuster informed of any developments.
6. Modified Duty Saves Money
While physical therapy will assist the employee's recovery from musculoskeletal injuries, often-light duty work will do the same thing, and is a whole lot cheaper for the employer in the end. When the adjuster calls the employer about the employee returning to work on light duty, and has to deal with a supervisor who is only thinking about what is convenient for the supervisor, the adjuster sighs. When the employer refuses to accommodate light duty, the adjuster wishes the employer knew and understood how much sooner the work comp claim would be over if the employer would put the employee back to work on modified duty. (WCxKit)
Workers comp adjusters do not daydream or wish the employer knew everything about their jobs, but the adjuster will continue to wish the employers understand how the employer's action or inaction affects the adjuster's job. If you want the adjuster to feel yours is a wonderful company, heed the ideas expressed above.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and website 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. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact:RShafer@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
Posted in
