Tips To Reduce Workers’ Compensation Costs
The following are tips to help reduce your overall Workers Compensation Costs
1. Have an Injury Prevention Plan (IPP) – Injury Prevention Plan templates are readily available for free. Having an IPP is key to your overall workers’ comp safety program.
2. Identify your risks – Review your workers comp claim history in detail to understand, prepare and prevent future injuries.
3. Conduct pre-hire / post offer fitness-for-duty exams – so that you don’t hire a workers comp claim. Once a Conditional Job Offer is made you can inquire into a job applicant’s medical background to make sure they are “fit for duty”. Your employment attorney or HR professional should assist you with ADA accommodation issues and developing an effective hiring program.
4. Conduct Ongoing Safety Training and Teach proper posture and use ergonomics – Whether its typing at a keyboard or lifting a box, using correct posture reduces lower back problems and carpal tunnel claims. Proper training from the first day of hire will go a long way toward managing your worker’s comp claims. Your training program should include on going safety training for every position within your organization.
5. Safety posters – Use updated safety posters to remind your employees of the importance of a safe work environment.
6. Make sure ALL injuries are reported promptly – Prompt medical care to your injured worker is critical to your overall risk management program. Develop an environment where management understands the importance of quickly reporting a claim and getting medical help for the injured worker. The first week after an accident is a critical time period for the employer to gather the facts of the claim.
7. Get the Claim Detail Quickly – Make sure that there is a thorough investigation of the details surrounding the work injury: secure statements from witnesses and injured workers, preserve the accident scene at the time of the injury (take pictures/video), determine corrective action taken to prevent future accidents.
8. Show that you care – Stay in touch with the injured worker. Show that you care for their well being. Workers need to understand your return-to-work process.
9. Keep in contact with your claims representative – Keep in contact with your workers comp claim representative and work together in getting the claim processed. Make sure to let your claim representative know if you suspect fraudulent activity.
FACTS ABOUT INJURIES:
- Back injuries remain the most common compensable non-fatal injury while Repetitive Trauma Syndrome (carpal tunnel, rotator cuff, etc.) and stress claims have skyrocketed to the top of workers’ comp claims.
- Violence in the workplace has increased due in part to workplace stress, drug usage and the availability of deadly weapons
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*This is intended for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.