Workplace Safety

According to the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, there are 100 million people in the US suffering from chronic back pain. This should be a frightening figure for anyone who works with workers compensation because many jobs require long hours of sitting in chairs that may or may not be providing the right ergonomic support. While the odds aren’t great, there are things you can do to improve the overall safety in the workplace. Here are some ways to combat the chances of having unnecessary claims filed for chronic back pain.

1. Start Making Exercise a Part of Your Day 

   Wal-Mart famously did this by having workers do calisthenics before their shift started. Maybe it seemed too little silly for more professional organizations to adopt the practice, but you certainly won’t find it in most offices. However, just incorporating it into the morning routine could do wonders for productivity and overall worker satisfaction. Basic stretching or even a few lunges will suffice for increasing worker awareness about their back when sitting as well as strengthen the muscles. It also could encourage otherwise sedentary employees to be more active throughout the day.

2. Post Signs and Send Out Memos
   
   It doesn’t take very long to do, and again, gets workers to remember that their bodies need to be taken care of are as they work through their daily list of tasks. Let them know the proper posture (back and neck straight and taut) that’s best for warding off this dreaded condition. When people are cognizant of what they’re doing throughout the day, it can encourage better habits that then become second nature. For those who work in a more active environment, caution against workers taking shortcuts such as lifting items with their back.

3. Offer Choices In Their Environment 

   Investing in the proper chairs is far cheaper than potentially paying out for a workers comp claim or having your insurance premiums raised. Quality chairs can last for years when treated properly, and are smarter choices than their cheaper counterparts. Chair backs should have an angle of 10 degrees while providing support for the small of the back and hips. Feet should be flat on the floor and elbows should be at a 90 degree angle to the desk. You may also want to offer ergonomics balls or stand-up keyboards. These can be morale savers in an office environment for people who want options. Many companies are offering cash incentives too for employees who manage to stay active which is an important part of avoiding chronic back pain. Overweight people are far more susceptible to developing back pain, so encouraging overall wellness in your employees is imperative.

There are lots of studies being completed to try to determine where worker injury might occur. Student engineers may run workers through repetitive tasks over and over again to see where potential dangers lie so they can write up their proposed solutions. You can’t keep up on every new medical or scientific document that may come out but you can develop some tactics to find the right information. Seek it out, and you may be surprised at how helpful it can be.

Start Local

Those in education ask and answer questions for a living, so this may be your best bet. Try setting up a meeting at the nearest college. If you work in a hazardous environment, speak to the experts. Come prepared with a list of specific concerns, and let the person know your expertise in the matter.

Even if you feel like you’ve already learned everything there is to know from simply being on the job day in and day out, you might be surprised at the insights you can glean from those who have looked at the situation from different angles. Those in the academic world are able to do this while you may not have time because you have so many other responsibilities in your day-to-day life.

They may be able to tell you about new technology advances that come out or statistics that can teach you of the most common threats. Whether you manage construction workers or welders, don’t assume that you have all the information.

Talk to Your Competition

If you have a relationship with your competitors, then exchanging information can be beneficial. Ultimately, worker safety needs to be promoted for everyone, so this is a neutral issue. If you don’t know your competitors, then this could be a good way to develop a mutual respect for one another.

The person you speak with will have different experiences and knowledge, and may have noticed something that you haven’t. You could both provide information that the other one may not have considered which saves both of your companies money in potential claims. Employees can be careless, but the more efforts you make to avoid a potentially life-threatening disaster, the better everyone will be.

The key here is to utilize all your resources so you have a full understanding of what safety means today.

General Trends

For those who work in more conventional office environments, you’ll need to stay on top of what’s happening with American workers. Obesity and back pain is rampant, and they cause everyone’s insurance premiums to rise while increasing the risk you’ll be charged with workers comp. consider raising more awareness throughout the office with a fitness plan or a healthier lunches program.

Fraud is a part of life, regardless of how much we wish it wasn’t. People will always try to get as much as possible without expending too much effort. For those who see workers comp as just an unlimited paycheck, it’s necessary to keep up with the news to see if there are new trends within the industry. Opportunity crime is everywhere, so if people see a loophole you can bet there will be more exploitation of it. The creativity used can be truly amazing, so learn to recognize signs now so you can prevent fraud later.

Several Schemes

If a worker starts collecting workers compensation for a legitimate injury, the temptation to continue collecting after healing seems to be strong. Two cases, one in Ohio of a married couple and one in Canada, recently show that people continue working (generally when they’re self-employed or the principal employee in the business) while still collecting checks.

It’s impossible to know if their original claims were thoroughly investigated before being approved, it seems clear that the money outweighed the potential negative consequences for the people committing the crimes. In this case, they had a dual income for quite some time. If you have an employee that you know can do his or her job at home, then you may want to take some extra precautions in these cases.

Also, another man in Ohio was charged with fraud soon after his sister was charged with the same crime. The couple and the siblings are good indicators of what a ripple effect can look like when one person receives clear benefits by taking advantage of the system. Keep everyone involved informed and be as honest as possible. If you suspect that an employee is not telling the full truth, as with a yet unsettled case from a cop who may have injured his knee while off the job, then sometimes asking questions is your best line of defense. People can be tripped up in lies fairly easily, so keep details straight and if something doesn’t add up then you’ll need to speak up to the proper people.

Both Sides Now

Unfortunately it’s not just employees who commit fraud. Employers have been in the news lately because they haven’t had enough coverage or have failed to provide adequate restitution to their employees. This may not have even been intentional fraud, so ensure that you’re not skipping any steps or taking any shortcuts when it comes to your business. You never know when a legitimate problem will arise and you’ll need to have all of your ducks in a row in order to have a sustainable outcome so you’re not hurt by legal fees or worse – jail time.

Technically if you have a telecommuting employee who works from home or another non-office location, you’re still liable for their injuries as the employer. Of course, the burden of proof is on the employee, and these types of situations can get tricky fast. Obviously as an employer, you can’t be sure of what your employees are up to 100% of the time, but particularly when an employee works from home you may feel entirely powerless. However, there are a number of concrete actions you can take in order to ensure a healthier and safer employee.

Get Involved

Set Up the Guidelines

It’s no surprise that younger people can be foolhardy when it comes to how they conduct themselves which can spell trouble for employers. A large percentage of the population hasn’t lived long enough to have that pesky but sometimes useful emotion of fear instilled within them. We’ll never get anywhere as a society if older people never give them a chance though. If you’re an employer, you’ve probably wrestled with this problem time and time again, and while frustrating, you can step up your safety training before they even get on the job to lessen the risks.

Repetition Is Your Friend

Walking Them Through It

Unfortunately there are a certain amount of people who are going to scam you. In the case of workers comp, your employees may find doctors or other ‘experts’ who are willing to jump on that train for the money. It’s maddening, but impossible to mitigate against entirely. No matter what kind of business you operate from the cushiest office job to the most hazardous conditions, make sure you understand the basic practices which can help reduce or eliminate the number of incidents you may face.

Use Your Network

Have Strong Policies in Place For Claims

Compensation claims for overweight employees cost far more than for those of normal weight – giving businesses a financial incentive to offer help obese workers shed poundage.

“If your 300- or 400-pound worker has an injury, you’re looking at a half-million-dollar claim,” says Misty Price, of workers compensation defense firm Adelson, Testan, Brundo, Novell & Jimenez (Thousand Oaks, CA). “Their obesity is going to drive it. If an employer spends $30,000 or $40,000 helping them lose weight, they may reduce the total cost of the claim and return the individual to work sooner.”

According to “Indemnity Benefit Duration and Obesity,” a 2012 report by the National Council on Compensation Insurance, obesity raises the cost of comp benefits significantly:

• For “morbidly obese” individuals, with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, medical costs were 6.8 times those for claimants of healthy weight. Morbidly obese employees were twice as likely to file a claim, while their number of lost workdays was almost 13 times higher.
• For claimants with BMIs of 35-40, medical costs came to 3.1 higher those than for employees who were not obese, while claims were 1.9 times more frequent, and 8.3 times more workdays were lost.
• For workers with BMIs of 30-35, medical costs of claims were 2.6 times those by employees of recommended weight, claims were 1.5 times more likely, while 5.3 times more workdays were lost.

Ms. Price recommends that businesses collect BMI data to track how much obese and overweight workers are adding to their comp costs. “You don’t need to spend a lot of money on fancy predictive modeling to predict your large losses,” she says. “You can lay your eyes on it by looking at your workforce.” Sounds like healthy advice.

Safety signage plays a key role in protecting your workers. To make the most effective use of these warnings in your facility, and comply with OSHA regulations, be sure all employee are familiar with the three colors of workplace signs and pictographs so they can recognize the degree of danger (or safety) even if they don’t have time – or aren’t able – to read the specific message.

Here’s how the system works:

Red stands for danger. Red danger signs and tags, with contrasting black or white lettering, are used in areas where an immediate, serious hazard that can cause death or serious injury exists. Flammable liquid containers are usually colored. Red markings are also used for some safety equipment, such as emergency stop bars, buttons, and switches.

Yellow stands for caution. Yellow and black caution signs and tags warn about potential hazards or unsafe practices that could cause minor injuries. Wet floors, radiation, and “Do Not Enter” signs are colored yellow

Green is for safety. Safety instruction signs have a white background, a green panel, and black and white letters or markings. They provide general safety information. For example, to mark the location of emergency exits, first-aid kits, and safety equipment.

These pictographs or graphic signs are usually self-evident. However, to make sure that all workers understand their meaning, review them in a safety meeting, and then give them a quiz to ensure they can match the hazard to the graphic. The workplace safety professionals at our agency would be happy to help you review your signage policy. Give us a call at any time.

Proper lifting technique begins with proper delivery and storage. Plan incoming deliveries when enough labor is available to assist without straining. According to Liberty Mutual’s five year study, overexertion is the number one cause of on the job injuries. We can manage and do better.

Check supplies in, and then put them where they belong. By storing materials quickly, hallways, loading docks, and work areas stay uncrowded. And, employees know where to store and find supplies.

Muscle pulls can occur with relatively light weights. To reduce the frequency of these pulls, try to organize storage so a minimum of reaching high or bending low is required, especially with heavier objects.

Store twenty pound objects at waist height. Any object weighing more than twenty pounds should be stored where hand trucks can be used to move the objects. Do not store objects higher than five feet. People should not reach over their heads to retrieve an object. Reaching risks dropping a load on the employees head.

Sounds like you need more storage space? First, try disposing of all that top shelf long-term stuff. Everyone in business has a certain amount of clutter that accumulates over the years. It’s similar to the attack or garage. Space tends to fill up with stuff. Clean it out. Psychologically, it will make you feel leaner as a company.

Do not overcrowd storage areas. Overcrowding promotes two bad hazards. Trips and falls occur more frequently in overstuffed storage areas. Unusual twisting and bending of the torso occurs more frequently in disorganized or overcrowded storage.

Design and designate storage space so adequate supplies or materials can be on hand without employees needing to twist, turn, strain or trip and fall to get them. Organized, safe storage promotes more professionalism. People tend to maintain inventory as they find it. Safety is the result of proper planning and implementation of storage management.