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SUGGESTIONS TO CONTROL YOUR INSURANCE EXPENSES
Establish a Return to Work or Light Duty Program
A Return to Work program or Light Duty is a benefit to everyone. By speeding recovery, it helps the injured worker. By keeping the injured employee connected to your company, it benefits the entire work force. And by minimizing time away from work, it helps your insurance carrier control your workers' compensation costs.
Light Duty is a temporary job that could be as little as a week or two in duration, but usually lasts no more than 30-45 days. It is designed to help those employees injured on-the-job recover while at work. The job is designed to match the physical restrictions established by a doctor. As recovery proceeds, the doctor will lift restrictions. As this occurs, the job demands increase until the individual is released for full duty. At that time, the employee returns to the regular job.
Develop a Workers’ Compensation Fraud Prevention Program
Some estimates indicate that 1 claim out of 4 is fraudulent. All businesses need to develop a policy to combat fraud. Some items to be included in a program are: 1) A procedure to be followed when a worker is injured, 2) Notification of your Return to Work program, 3) Where to report injuries, 4) health care providers you would like injured workers to use when applicable, 5) an explanation to employees of their obligations and rules while collecting benefits and 6) a Fraud Prevention Exit Interview form. When possible, terminated employees should sign a form attesting that they have not been injured in your work place. This reduces your exposure to future claims.
Inform workers that directly or indirectly, the money for injuries ultimately comes from the employer under most circumstances. (Workers are less likely to cheat their employer than an insurance company or state.)
When you suspect fraud, immediately contact your insurer. For Meadowbrook, call 1-800-825-9489 and ask for Claims.
Implement a Safety Program
A safety program can keep your insurance costs and hidden costs to a minimum. Employee morale and increased production are usually additional benefits of not having accidents. Relatively simple, unwritten policies, practices and procedures are adequate to address the hazards in many smaller or less hazardous establishments. The more complex and hazardous an operation is, the more formal (written) and complex the program will probably need to be.
In any case, you need to inform your employees that you want a safe workplace and that you want them to work safely. If your employees don’t know what you want and what you expect, they will most likely fail to meet your expectations.
Please see the attached information for developing a more formal safety program.
The basic safety program outlined here was condensed from the OSHA Voluntary Guidelines for a Safety & Health Management Program. The program is designed to give general and timely information on a basic safety program. It is not intended as advice or assistance with specific workplace safety issues and following the guidelines of this basic safety program does not guarantee compliance with specific safety standards, federal or state laws and regulations or local codes and ordinances.
DI8-244
BASIC SAFETY PROGRAM GUIDELINES*
The time to start your safety program and your savings is now. An Occupational Safety and Health Administration survey showed that companies with a quality safety and health program experienced lost-time injuries that were approximately one-fifth to one-third of the average for their industrial classifications. In addition, employers at these sites reported improved morale and productivity, as well as significantly reduced workers’ compensation and other costs.
An effective occupational safety and health program will include the following four elements:
1.Management Commitment and Employee Involvement
Management commitment provides the motivating force and the resources for organizing and controlling activities within an organization. In an effective program, management regards worker safety as a fundamental value of the organization and applies its commitment to safety protection with as much vigor as to other organizational purposes. Employee involvement provides the means through which workers can develop and express their own commitment to safety and health protection for themselves and for their fellow workers.
2. Worksite Analysis
Worksite Analysis involves a variety of worksite examinations, to identify not only existing hazards but also operations in which changes might occur to create hazards. Being unaware of a hazard, which stems from failure to examine the worksite, is a sure sign that safety policies and practices are ineffective. Effective management actively analyzes the work and worksite in order to anticipate and prevent occurrences.
3.Hazard Prevention and Control
Where feasible, hazards are prevented by effective design of the job. Where it is not feasible to eliminate hazards, they are controlled to prevent unsafe exposures. Elimination and control must be accomplished in a timely manner once a hazard or potential hazard is recognized.
4.Safety and Health Training
Safety and Health Training addresses the safety and health responsibilities of all personnel concerned with the operations. It is often most effective when incorporated into other training about performance requirements and job practices. The complexity of training depends on the size and complexity of the job and the nature of the hazards or potential hazards.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS – Management Commitment and Employee Involvement
Declaration of Company Safety Policy - An organization, large or small, that attempts to stop accidents without a definite guiding policy, one that is planned, publicized, and promoted, will find itself continuously "fighting fires." Management, if it wants acceptable safety performance, should write a safety policy. It should be brief, to the point, and define management attitude. Once a safety policy statement is established, it should serve all personnel as a continuous reminder of their obligation in this important area.
The following paragraph is an example of a company safety statement
I consider no phase of the operations or administration to be of greater importance than accident prevention. It is the policy of the (company name) therefore, to provide and maintain safe and healthful working conditions, and to follow operating practices that will safeguard all employees and result in safe working conditions and efficient operations.
Signed ______
(Continued)
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS – Management Commitment and Employee Involvement (Continued)
Provide Visible Top Management Involvement - Management actions speak louder than words. Simply formulating a policy and telling people about it is only a beginning. Unless top management shows real interest, the best safety policy will be ineffective. Management should also provide for and encourage employee involvement in the operation of the safety program and in decisions that affect employee safety, so employees will commit their insight and energy to achieving the safety program’s goals and objectives.
Assignment of Authority – Assign and communicate responsibility for all aspects of the program, so that managers, supervisors, and employees in all parts of the organization know what performance is expected of them. Provide adequate authority and resources to responsible parties, so that assigned responsibilities can be met. Hold managers, supervisors and employees accountable for meeting their responsibilities, so that essential tasks will be performed.
Program Review – Review the safety program at least annually to evaluate the success in meeting the goals and objectives. Identify deficiencies or objectives that can be revised when they do not meet the goal of effective safety protection.
Written Program – Relatively simple, unwritten policies, practices and procedures are adequate to address the hazards in many smaller or less hazardous establishments. The more complex and hazardous an operation is, the more formal (written) and complex the program will probably need to be. A written program, which is revised regularly, can clarify policy and create consistency and continuity in its interpretation. When there is a question of priority between safety and production, management should support fair and equitable enforcement of safe rules and practices.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS – Worksite Analysis
Safety Surveys - Conduct worksite safety surveys so that hazards are identified. Analyze planned and new facilities, processes, materials, and equipment as well as routine job hazards. Once hazards have been identified, then reasonable means for their correction or control should be implemented. Once a comprehensive examination of the workplace has been conducted and hazard controls have been established, routine worksite safety inspections are necessary to ensure that changes in conditions do not create new hazards and that hazard controls remain in place and are effective.
Safety Inspections-Inspection is the preventive medicine of an accident prevention effort. Inspections are performed by supervisors, safety committees, and/or individuals. An inspection is of no value if the control information is not forwarded to the proper authority for action. All inspection items should be numbered with a followup system to assure that action has been taken. Where possible, action should be taken immediately.
Employee Feedback – So that employee insight and experience in safety protection may be utilized and employee concerns may be addressed, provide a reliable system for employees to notify management personnel about conditions that appear hazardous. Employees should be encouraged to report hazards without fear of reprisal.
(Continued)
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS – Hazard Prevention and Control
Ninetyeight percent of all accidents and injuries are caused by unsafe working conditions, unsafe acts of personnel or a combination of both. Only about 2% of the accidents are attributed to acts of nature, which we can do nothing about. Careful control of conditions and acts will prevent accidents and injuries and improve operational efficiency.
Work Procedures – Engineering techniques should be used where feasible to eliminate as many hazards as possible before work procedures are established. Work procedures should then be established that identify and control all remaining current and potential hazards. Personal protective equipment should be provided as necessary.
Administrative Controls – Reduce the duration of the employee exposure through job rotation or job sharing. Provide routine equipment maintenance to prevent breakdowns and potentially hazardous conditions.
Medical Program – Plan for emergencies so that the response to all parties will be second nature. Establish a medical program, which includes availability of first aid on site and of physician and medical care nearby, so that harm will be minimized if an injury or illness does occur.
Accident Investigation - Accidents should be investigated as soon after the occurrence as possible in order to determine the causes and to initiate corrective action. The investigator should obtain as many details as possible and then compare all the facts to obtain the correct version of how the accident occurred. Then the necessary action should be taken to prevent the accident from happening again.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS – Safety and Health Training
Hazard Identification – Ensure that all employees understand the hazards to which they may be exposed and how to prevent harm to themselves and others from exposure to these hazards. Be sure that employees accept and follow established safety and health protections.
Supervisor Responsibility – Make sure supervisors understand their role in carrying out effectively their safety and health responsibilities. Work with supervisors to identify unrecognized potential hazards under their supervision. An analysis of every job should be made to determine the most effective stepbystep procedure for handling the operations. All hazards should be included in the procedures with suggestions for control. Supervisors should train their employees on safe procedures and observe to see that they continue to work accordingly.
Employee Training– Train employees on the nature of potential hazards in their work area and on needed protection measures. Ensure safe work practices are followed through continual feedback and, if necessary, through enforcement. The employee must not only be taught the way to do his or her job, but must also be taught to recognize and avert the hazards associated with the job. Safety consciousness, awareness, and alertness must be part of every worker's indoctrination.
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For more information on safety programs, call your local OSHA office or go to the OSHA website – .
In Texas, call the TWCC at 512-804-4600 and ask for a copy of the Accident Prevention Plan Program Guide or go to:
In California, call the local Cal-OSHA office (check your telephone directory for closest office) and ask for help with an Injury and Illness Prevention Program or go to the Cal-OSHA website and select the appropriate program:
The basic safety program outlined here was condensed from the OSHA Voluntary Guidelines for a Safety & Health Management Program. The program is designed to give general and timely information on a basic safety program. It is not intended as advice or assistance with specific workplace safety issues and following the guidelines of this basic safety program does not guarantee compliance with specific safety standards, federal or state laws and regulations or local codes and ordinances.