Workplace Safety

Your supervisors play a key role keeping the workplace safe. According to Oregon OSHA, supervisors can meet their responsibility by following these guidelines:

1. Provide safety training. Create awareness of safe behavior and teach required skills for working safely. Present accurate, up-to-date information about workplace hazards and safe practices and procedures.
2. Offer resources and support. Make sure employees have the proper tools and equipment, including PPE, to work safely and prevent accidents. Conduct “job safety analyses” to identify and correct hazards. Coach employees to perform their jobs more safely, and stay available to answer questions.
3. Oversee work. Observe employees on the job to make sure that they’re performing tasks safely. Analyze all workplace accidents (including near misses) to find causes and take corrective action.
4. Demonstrate safety leadership. Inspire employees to take responsibility for their own safety and that of their co-workers by setting a good example. Do everything possible to encourage employee-driven safety and make sure everyone knows that the work group is only as safe as each employee.
5. Enforce safety policies and rules. Keep employees informed about workplace safety regulations. Offer constructive feedback to workers who take shortcuts or violate safety requirements. If needed, discipline violators. However, before doing so, supervisors should make sure that they are enforcing rules and policies consistently and fairly have provided proper training, resources, and support to ensure safe behavior.

The safer your workplace, the healthier your employees, the higher your productivity and earnings – and the lower your workers comp premiums.

Our agency’s professionals stand ready to help you, and your supervisors, meet this goal. Feel free to get in touch with us at any time.

Compensation claims for overweight employees cost far more than for those of normal weight l– 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.

Keeping your employees up-to-date on their safety training plays a key role in the prevention of workplace accidents and injuries. That’s why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires many businesses to provide retraining “at least once every 12 months.”

Although you don’t need to do this on the exact anniversary of the preceding training, you must provide it reasonably close to this date (bearing in mind the convenience of both the company and your employees). If you can’t meet this requirement, document why the instruction has been delayed and when you will provide it.

Keep in mind that the term “at least every 12 months” generally means that more frequent training might be needed under some circumstances. It’s essential that you prepare employees to protect themselves from all known workplace hazards, including new dangers that might result from changes in workplace practices, procedures, or tasks. For example, OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard at 29 CFR 1910.1030(g)(2)(v) provides for “additional training when changes such as modification of tasks or procedures or institution of new tasks or procedures affect the employee’s occupational exposure.”

OSHA might also require more frequent training when employee performance suggests that the prior training was incomplete or not fully understood. OSHA training requirements usually include: the hazards of the work assignment; safe performance of the operation and proper use of any required personal protective equipment (PPE); basic OSHA regulations on the operation; and application of training to the worksite and the equipment being used.

Make sure that you keep a close watch on your calendar in scheduling safety training. You’ll keep OSHA inspectors off your back, keep your workplace safer – and help keep your workers comp premiums under control.

Insurance companies use an Experience Modification Rate (EMR) formula to calculate your workers comp premium, based on the cost of past claims and the probability of future accidents. The higher your EMR, the higher your premium– and the converse.

Here’s how the formula works:

1. To set a base premium, the company divides your payroll in each job classification by 100, and then by a “class rate” set by the National Council on Compensation Insurance that reflects the risk in this classification. For example, because structural ironworkers have a much greater risk of injury than receptionists, their class rate is significantly higher.
2. The company compares your claims history during the past policy period to those of similar firms in your industry. The formula factors in the ratio between expected losses in your industry and those you actually incurred, together the frequency and severity of losses. The formula “penalizes” businesses that suffer a single large loss less severely than firms that have many smaller (statistically more likely) losses.
3. The result is the EMR, which the company multiplies against the manual premium rate to set your workers comp premium for the next policy period.

If your business has an EMR of 1.0, your premium would remain unchanged. A rating of 1.2 would mean that might pay as much 20% more than a competitor with an EMR of 1.0 – a difference that you would have to swallow by cutting costs and/or raising prices. Conversely, if your EMR came to .8, you would enjoy a competitive advantage over competitors with higher ratings.

The good news: a comprehensive safety program can lower your EMR by reducing workplace hazards and injuries. We’d be happy to help you design and implement a plan tailored to your needs.

Insurance statistics show that recently hired employees are far more likely to suffer on-the-job injuries than more experienced workers.

Here are some of the causes behind injuries to new hires – and what can you do to curb these mishaps:

1. Employers assume new employees know more than they really do. Orientation offers an opportunity to find out how these workers know about safety.
2. Many new employees are afraid to ask questions. Supervisors need to tell these workers there are no “stupid” questions about safety. Many workplaces assign an experienced employee to guide and mentor new hires.
3. Because the environment is unfamiliar people don’t know what to do in an emergency. Make sure new employees familiarize themselves quickly with the facility and receive training in emergency procedures.
4. Employee training focuses on tasks, not safety. Job instructions should address potential dangers and how to avoid them.
5. Employees lack knowledge about hazardous substances. Provide appropriate raining when assigning new workers to jobs that could expose them to hazardous materials.
6. New workers don’t understand the importance of personal protective equipment. Injury statistics show that an alarming number of new workers weren’t wearing PPE that could have prevented or reduced the severity of the mishap. Make sure your orientation includes information about selection, use, and care of PPE.
7. The worksite doesn’t convey the message. New employees need to see a workplace that’s clean and orderly, supervisors who answer safety questions promptly and politely, and frequent drills in emergency procedures. The initial impression can make a huge difference in the new worker’s attitude toward safety.

We stand ready to offer our professional advice on helping you keep all of your employees safe on the job.

If your business uses hazardous chemicals, OSHA requires you to provide a written hazard communication (HazCom) plan?

In case of an accident, your plan is the first thing a compliance officer will ask to see. Although it doesn’t have to be long or detailed, this document must be well thought out, clear, and comprehensive.

Your HazCom plan should include:

• Policy statement. Explain the purpose of the plan and express your commitment to letting employees know how they can protect themselves from chemical hazards
• Plan administration. Describe the duties of the program administrator and others with responsibilities for different aspects of the plan, together with contact information.
• Updates and reviews. Schedule updates and reviews of the plan at regular intervals and whenever new hazards are uncovered.
• Plan availability. Explain how employees and government regulators can access the document.
• Labels. Describe the requirements for container labeling.
• Safety data sheets (SDS). Set procedures for ensuring that employees can obtain necessary sheets.
• Employee training. Identify information about hazardous chemicals for communication to employees in comprehensive training sessions, with follow-up.
• Nonroutine tasks. From time to time, employees might need to perform nonroutine tasks that could result in temporary exposure to hazardous chemicals. Your plan should include a statement that, in these cases, you will provide workers with information on the hazard, appropriate safety measures or equipment, and methods of reducing the danger.
• List of hazardous chemicals. Attach a list of hazardous substances that includes each chemical’s name. number, manufacturer, and areas in which the chemical is used.

For a complimentary review of your HazCom plan, feel free to get in touch with the workplace safety professionals at our agency. We’re always here to serve you.

Although you’re usually well aware of workplace health hazards, they might not always be obvious. A health hazard evaluation (HHE) from the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) can determine whether your workers are exposed to hazardous materials or harmful conditions that might create health problems.

An HHE request can be filed by any employee (with the signature of two other workers), a union officer, or a manager. NIOSH will keep the name of the requestor confidential, if asked.

The agency logs in the request and usually sends a letter to the person making the request within a few weeks. If NIOSH decides that a phone consultation or a workplace visit is needed, it assigns a project officer within four to six weeks who will get in touch with the requesting party If this is an employee or union, the agency will inform the employer about the request and arrange to visit the site (NIOSH seldom conducts surprise visits).

The agency reports its initial conclusions to employers, employees, and employee representatives, either during a conference at the conclusion of a site visit, or by telephone. After analyzing all the information and data, NIOSH gives a final report of findings and recommendations, with copies to the requesting party, employer, union representative, OSHA, and other appropriate agencies.

The agency requires the employer is required to post the final report in a place accessible to employees from all areas evaluated. Although NIOSH cannot force an employer to adopt its recommendations, experience has shown that most employers attempt to address the problems the report identifies.

For more information, feel free to give us a call.

Workers Compensation fraud is a widespread and serious problem that’s not only illegal, but leads to higher insurance premiums for all businesses – including yours.

According to industry experts, Comp-related scams often involve one or more of these “red flags.” Although no one sign should necessarily be cause for alarm by itself, two or more should raise suspicions and could trigger an investigation of the claim:

1. Monday morning report of injury. The alleged injury occurs first thing on Monday, or late Friday afternoon, but is not reported until Monday.
2. Change in employment status. The reported accident occurs immediately before or after a strike, job termination, layoff, end of a major project, or the conclusion of seasonal work.
3. Suspicious providers. The claimant’s medical provider or legal consultant has a history of handling dubious claims.
4. Lack of witnesses. No one else saw the accident and the employee’s description does not support the cause of the injury.
5. Conflicting descriptions. The employee’s account of the accident doesn’t match with the medical history or injury report.
6. History of claims. The employee has filed a number of questionable or litigated claims.
7. Refusal of treatment. The claimant declines a diagnostic procedure to confirm the nature or extent of the injury.
8. Late reporting. The employee delays reporting the incident without a reasonable explanation.
9. Elusiveness. The allegedly disabled employee is hard to reach.
10. Instability. The claimant changes physicians, addresses, or jobs frequently

If one of your workers files a claim that has some of these warning signs, be sure to let us know. We’ll work with you and your Workers Comp carrier to check it out.

If your workers need to reach, lift and carry, twist their bodies, or perform other activities that place them under strain, their shoulders might be at risk.

As the most mobile and one of the most versatile joints in the body, the shoulder is highly vulnerable to musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs). Recovering from these injuries takes an average of 21 days – one of the longest recovery periods for on-the-job accidents.

To help keep your workers’ shoulders healthy, and your Workers Comp premiums under control, we’d recommend these guidelines.

• Minimize lifting. Provide mechanical assists (carts, slings, dollies, jacks, etc.) to raise and hold objects. Put materials as close as practical to where they will be used
• Lighten the load. When lifting can’t be eliminated, or when objects (such as tools) must be held at arm’s length, make sure these items are as light as possible, In construction, for example, use lighter-weight building materials. Have a team lift all heavy objects.
• Control motion. One of the most dangerous situations is a “save” – when a load shifts or slips and a worker attempts to prevent a fall. To reduce this danger, hold work pieces in place using a jack or brace.
• Improve the grip. Lifting requires more force, and is more difficult (and more likely to cause injury) when there’s no easy way to grasp the object – for example, drywall panels. One solution: apply removable suction handles and temporary handles to flat surfaces.
• Encourage rest and stretching. Workers can minimize damage from jobs that put stress on their shoulder joints by taking frequent short breaks (15-20 seconds) and stretching gently to relieve tension in over-worked muscles and ligaments.

For more information, please get in touch with our workplace safety experts.

It’s frustrating when you suspect that a Workers Compensation claimant is milking the system. However, you can reduce potential malingering significantly if you attend to it from the get-go.

Start by designating a manger as the “firm’s rep,” to ensure that any employee who makes a Comp claim gets a doctor promptly and to inform your insurance company immediately. The rep should transport the employee to the physician, stay at the office during the examination and treatment, and then take him or her home or back to work.

While at the doctor’s office, the firm’s rep should ask the physician about the medical condition, recommended treatment, and a reasonable return-to-work date. If the claimant or physician objects, the rep should assure them that he or she will work with the insurance company to make sure all reasonable and necessary benefits and medical bills are paid.

Resist any employee excuses for not seeing a doctor. If the employee has an attorney, suggest getting a second opinion (which you will provide at no cost). If the claimant already has a doctor, have the firm rep offer to take him or her for a consultation– and ask about diagnosis, treatment, and return-to-work status.

The rep should then: 1) follow up with the employee at least every two weeks – and more often if possible – face to face or by phone; and 2) stay in touch with the claims adjuster to share information about visits with the doctor and claimant that might help him or her return to work as early as possible.

Although these techniques won’t always work, anecdotal evidence suggests that they can reduce malingering claims by up to 70%.

What’s not to like?