Successful Workers Compensation Safety Equals Increased Productivity

As I talk to owners and managers of companies in virtually all industry sectors there are two consistent themes that become crystal clear. First, companies are under enormous strain to compete and grow profitably in the face of rising operational costs. The cost of energy in all forms has skyrocketed and has touched virtually every aspect of their operations. While TQM, Six Sigma and Lean Thinking concepts are valuable processes to improve operational efficiency these new financial challenges have placed an even greater burden on managers to find ways to improve operational efficiency.

Second, more and more organizations are taking a fresh look at the concept of productivity throughout their organization. If this were only a matter of investing in new technology this challenge would be relatively straightforward, although not always easy. But what makes this productivity evaluation so difficult is that it involves PEOPLE, and this imposes strain and complexities on the employment relationship. As I talk to owners and managers I get a real sense that they are struggling with this issue every day and it often keeps them up at night. As one manager said to me recently - “It is more than just displaying leadership and expecting employees to follow your lead. I must convince all of my employees that we have a common interest in operational efficiency, open up channels of communication, and earn their trust that we will truly listen to them and make the right decisions.”

While employee safety is just one component of a successful strategy here, there is no longer any doubt that it impacts these issues every day. The equation is simple:

Reduced workers compensation claims equals increased productivity

Every day that an injured employee is off work has two devastating effects on the organization. First is the impact on the bottom line. For every $1 of insured workers compensation claim costs the organization incurs between $2 and $10 of uninsured costs. In fact, CompEraser’s clients are averaging $3.80 of indirect, uninsured costs. These uninsured costs result primarily from the reduced productivity of the injured worker and fellow employees. Second, a workers compensation injury is a test of the employment relationship. Not only has a valued employee gotten hurt. It is a breakdown in the organization’s efforts to prevent injuries. Unless the organization has Prompt Injury Response and Temporary Duty Programs which are embraced by all employees and implemented consistently with compassion the trust that management is seeking to earn will quickly evaporate.

Safety is no longer a standalone “silo” within the organization. It truly must be an integral part of its effort to compete profitably in the world marketplace. It touches the hearts and minds of your employees every day. If successful your organizational productivity will increase. If unsuccessful the opposite will occur.

I invite you to take five minutes to estimate your TOTAL COST of worker injuries using OSHA estimates in the privacy of your office. It is on-line and available 24-7. To find out more go to www.comperaser.com. These resources also include injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, prompt injury response, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis.

Warning: The Treating Physician’s HIPPA Policy Can Derail Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Management Efforts

The Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information (“Privacy Rule”) establishes a set of national standards for the protection of certain health information.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued the Privacy Rule to implement the requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”).   The Privacy Rule standards address the use and disclosure of individuals’ health information (called “protected health information”) by organizations subject to the Privacy Rule (called “covered entities”), as well as standards for individuals' privacy rights to understand and control how their health information is used.  Within HHS, the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) has responsibility for implementing and enforcing the Privacy Rule with respect to voluntary compliance activities and civil money penalties. 

A major goal of the Privacy Rule is to assure that individuals’ health information is properly protected while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and promote high quality health care and to protect the public's health and well being.  The Privacy Rule strikes a balance that permits important uses of information, while protecting the privacy of people who seek care and healing.  Given that the health care marketplace is diverse, the Rule is designed to be flexible and comprehensive to cover the variety of uses and disclosures that need to be addressed.

Healthcare providers vary as to their privacy procedures in order to comply with HIPPA. These regulations require covered entities to establish privacy policies but provide no standard guidelines. As a result, there can be as many different privacy policies as there are doctors, hospitals and health plans. There is no guarantee of uniformity. Therefore, employers must increasingly make an effort to understand the privacy standards the health care provider will use in treating their injured employees and make a determination as to whether their privacy standards pose insurmountable problems. In fact, this evaluation may lead to the employer limiting or avoiding the use of their medical services.

CompEraser comes with on-line, on-demand resources needed to evaluate the treating physician’s HIPPA policy and its potential impact on claim management strategy. These resources also include injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, prompt injury response, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

Accelerate Workers Compensation Cost Reduction By Integrating Safety Into Quality Control Meetings

While using a standard “Safety Suggestion Form” may be used effectively to get feedback from employees and identify unsafe hazards, a potential drawback to this approach is that it requires the employee, through his or her own initiative, to complete it. It also requires a separate response process by the safety and health team. There is another way to get safety suggestions and, at the same time, put safety awareness on overdrive throughout your organization. Have you considered taking your Safety Suggestion Program into the inner workings of your quality control or productivity meetings? The diagram below shows how this process can work:

During the course of your quality control or productivity meeting the participating employees will discuss on-going production or service issues of all kinds, including safety hazards. The team leader will ask for and encourage comments of all kinds. It does not matter what the suggestion is. It could be minor or major. The key is to encourage employee safety suggestions that will improve their productivity. The only requirement is that the team work together to clearly identify the problem and work together to develop a recommended solution for management’s consideration. This process should also be “risk free.”

Once completed the quality control team will submit its recommendations to management for review and action. Management will then review the recommendation, makes its decision on a course of action, and assigns the task to someone to complete in a timely manner. That individual will then develop a budget and implement the action. It is critical that management notify the quality control team within five business days of its decision and also will notify them once the recommendation has been fully implemented. Otherwise the employees will quickly realize that this is just a “management fad” and “they are only interested in production.” By responding promptly management is clearly expressing genuine interest and concern for their safety and backing it up with action.

CompEraser provides a number of on-line, on-demand resources to help you quickly implement this process. Resources also include the formalization of your safety team, injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

Attorney Involvement Equals Increased Workers Compensation Costs

When you stand back and think about it, attorneys not only create friction in the worker injury claim process. They often eliminate the win-win option for both the employer and employee. All you have to do is watch TV commercials or read ads in the local newspaper to find how aggressive attorneys are at soliciting workers compensation business. They work hard at giving employees the impression that, by retaining them, their insurance award will be higher. What the employee fails to realize is that many situations they actually get less that they otherwise would. Yet in the process attorneys often exaggerate the system and prolong claim settlement for a percentage of the workers compensation award.

The strategy of the injured employee’s attorney hinges on their involvement early in the claim process. Once the attorney sends a letter of representation to the employer, or files a formal claim on behalf of the injured employee, the employer can no longer discuss the claim with the injured employee. This gives the attorney strategic advantage as they will totally control the information provided to the injured employee.

Once this is established they often try to gain control over the medical care provided to the injured employee. For example, they may send the employee to a healthcare provider who is more likely to provide an evaluation of the employee’s health and work capacity status that suits their legal initiative. Unfortunately, this alternative medical analysis is often in conflict with the information supplied by the initial treating physician. To make matters worse the attorney may send the injured employee to a physician who will provide the more aggressive and invasive care. This not only raises the value of the claim itself, it may not be in the injured employee’s interest.

It has been my experience that the vast number of litigated worker injury claims could have been avoided using basic, tried and true principles. The patent-pending CompEraser system provides, on-line 24/7, the tools and processes to help your organization minimize the involvement of workers compensation attorneys.

Resources also include the formalization of your safety team, injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

Managing Healthcare Practitioners To Reduce Workers Compensation Costs

The workers compensation system is the last bastion of medical cost shifting in the United States An employee benefit program typically contains one or more aggressive cost containment techniques designed to curb rising group medical costs. So how does the healthcare industry recoup this income? You guessed it – through the workers compensation system. As a result, worker injury medical costs are catching the full weight of increases in healthcare costs – and there is no end in sight.

To make matters worse, in many state jurisdictions employees can go to any physician they want, making it very difficult to direct the employee to the most cost effective medical service. As a result, your organization will often lose a high degree of control over the quality and delivery of healthcare to the injured employee. In addition, without proper communication between your organization’s Claim Coordinator and the claim adjuster vital information will not be shared with during the first 48-hours of an injury and the organization’s temporary duty program will not be implemented properly. This lack of communication can drive workers compensation costs through the roof.

Finally, many healthcare practitioners do not understand the workers compensation system. They are well trained in diagnosing an employee’s injury and prescribing the appropriate medical care. However, they often struggle with such things as:

• Working with the employer to develop an ADA-compliant accommodation strategy that will get the injured employee back to work as soon as possible;

• Understanding the “essential functions” of the job the employee performs and putting this in the context of return-to-work strategy;

• The impact that “balance billing” has on the employee’s attitude towards their employer;

• The need to communicate frequently with the Claim Coordinator and claim adjuster throughout the process of employee healing;

• Understanding the different classes of disability and what they mean to effective claim management.

• Understanding the regulatory process associated with workers compensation claims and where they fit into it.

It is recommended that your claim management team develop and use a checklist to evaluate medical providers situated in its local area.  It is also highly recommended that members of the claim management team tour the health provider’s facilities as they complete this survey.

The claim management team should take its time in discussions with medical providers. There should be no mystification as to how medical services will be delivered. Remember that poor communication with medical providers can directly short-circuit the organization’s claim management process.

For a free copy of CompEraser’s checklist titled “Occupational Medical Facilities and Services Checklist” please email us at info@comperaser.com.

CompEraser comes with on-line, on-demand resources needed to design and implement an effective PROMPT INJURY RESPONSE system, including this important step in the process. Resources also include the formalization of your safety team, injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

Watch Out…Is OSHA Throwing A DART At You?

Your DART rate is calculated by adding up the number of incidents that had one or more Lost Days, one or more Restricted Days or that resulted in an employee transferring to a different job within the company, and multiplying that number by 200,000, then dividing that number by the number of employee labor hours at the company.

In simple terms the “Number Of DART Incidents” is the sum total of the days indicated on columns K and L of the OSHA log (Form 300). So, looking at it this way, your DART rate is calculated as follows:

[(Column K + Column L) x 200,000] divided by the number of employee labor hours.

Why is it important to know your DART rate? OSHA it to develop annually what is known as a Site-Specific Targeting plan (SST).  The SST lays out what categories of companies OSHA considers high priority targets for safety and health inspections in a given year.  It amounts to a veritable "Most Wanted" list for OSHA compliance officers. 

The chance of a SST OSHA inspection for most organizations will depend on the frequency that their employees miss work, suffer work restrictions, or receive transfer assignments due to work injuries or illness.  The source of this information comes primarily from OSHA's survey of employer's incidents of injury and illness for the most current year that data is available, which is usually two years prior to the SST plan year.  Employers are required by law to complete the survey.  OSHA may also target particular industries that have a historically high injury rate, suspected underreporting employers, companies with other OSHA reported incidents, and those that failed to respond to the survey.

OSHA recently announced its 2008 Site-Specific Targeting Plan. You can find more details about it by visiting www.osha.gov. A careful reading of their SST plan will reveal that if you are on their list you may be subject to a complete, detailed OSHA inspection of your entire operation.

If you fall within the parameters of OSHA’ SST plan we strongly recommend that you quickly evaluate your safety program from an OSHA compliance perspective and prepare accordingly. You can now benchmark the effectiveness of your program using CompEraser’s Safety And Health Benchmark Survey. To access our FREE, on-line safety and health benchmark survey, go to www.comperaser.com today.

CompEraser also comes with on-line, on-demand resources needed to develop and implement an effective safety and health program. These resources include the formalization of your safety team, injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, prompt injury response, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

Fast, Down-And-Dirty Ways To identify Safety Training Needs That Will Quickly Impact Your Workers Compensation Costs

I constantly am by HR Managers and Safety Directors how to identify safety training needs that will actually reduce workers compensation costs. Here some key areas you can look to quickly identify trends and begin to deploy your scarce training resources:

Have You Evaluated Your Safety Manual Lately?

So you have a safety manual sitting behind your desk. But have your reviewed it lately? Is it current and satisfy the new OSHA regulations? Are all the hazards in your workplace properly addressed? Have your recently communicated your safety rules to all your employees?

You safety manual should actually be a “living document” that your employees can actually understand and follow to work safely. Yes, it may also satisfy OSHA and your insurance carrier. But the real value of it is in its ability to communicate your safety policy to the people who need to have it the most – your employees.

So let me ask you. Does your safety manual include the following?

Now You Can Benchmark Your Safety Training Program To Reduce Workers Compensation Costs

There are a number of reasons why designing and implementing an effective, on-going safety training program is important. These include:

1. Safety training is required by law. Having on-going safety training is required by OSHA and similar state authorities. Training is one of the most important elements in an OSHA compliance program. Providing workers with complete information as to the processes they are involved in, the equipment they might need to use, the protection available, and potential effects of exposure to hazards is extremely important to OSHA.  The organization may also be subject to fines by OSHA inspectors for failing to comply with these OSHA standards. 
    
2. Safety training improves safety awareness. Studies have consistently revealed that effective safety training can dramatically increase the level of employee awareness and interest in workplace safety. For example, in one study it was found that 97% of respondents positively indicated marked improvement in safety awareness in those organizations that had on-going safety programs.

3. Safety training improves employee attitudes towards safety. Surveys have also revealed that 95% of organizations notice significant increases in employee attitude towards safety once an on-going safety training program was initiated.

4. Safety training influences reductions in accidents. While it is often difficult to put an exact figure on the impact that training has on accident reduction, studies have shown that organizations with an on-going safety training program are four times more likely to reduce accidents than those who do not have an on-going training program.

It is clear that safety training, in conjunction with other safety efforts, can dramatically reduce workers compensation costs. And, when you take in to account the indirect workers compensation costs the return on investment is even more dramatic.

You can now benchmark the effectiveness of your safety training program using CompEraser’s Safety And Health Benchmark Survey. If you agree that the critical first step in making quantum improvements in your safety and health program, and reducing your total worker injury costs, is to evaluate what you have in place and measure its effectiveness then this FREE, no obligation, on-line safety assessment is for you. Nowhere else can you get such a fast, easy to use elf-evaluation that will immediately analyze the twelve major components that drive your worker injury costs, including the formalization of your safety team.

CompEraser’s amazing on-line safety and health self-evaluation comes with no strings attached. There are no sales pitches, no “bait-and-switch” tactics, no cookies, and no irritating pop-ups. Just an honest, independent assessment of your safety program that will provide unique insights into how you can significantly reduce your worker injury costs.  Plus, you complete this survey in the privacy of your office or home, on-line 24/7. No two reports are alike. You are measured strictly on your own responses. All responses are 100% confidential—GUARANTEED. Come back as often as you like at no cost or obligation (many companies do). CompEraser will immediately produce on-line (that’s right...no waiting) detailed reports that benchmark your safety and health program against industry Best Practices. Then, based upon your responses CompEraser will also provide safety tips to help you improve your problem areas.

To access our FREE, on-line safety and health benchmark survey, go to www.comperaser.com today. There you can evaluate your entire safety program or just select the Safety Training category.

CompEraser also comes with on-line, on-demand resources needed to develop and implement an effective safety and health program. These resources include the formalization of your safety team, injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, prompt injury response, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

Do You Know What Your Workers Compensation Claims Really Cost You? Find Out For FREE At www.CompEraser.com Today

Industry statistics consistently indicate that only 25 – 40% of the total cost of workers compensation claims is transferable to your insurance carrier. The remaining cost still hits your bottom line - and hits it hard – but is completely uninsured. These “uninsured costs” are the result of the marginal inefficiencies to your manufacturing or service process as a result of a work-related injury.

There have been past studies that have attempted to measure uninsured costs. Unfortunately, these studies are quite old and are general in nature. As an example, Terrance Miller, in his article “Track The True Cost of Accidents, Safety & Health, November, 1991:

“Uninsured costs are usually calculated from insured costs using a ratio. Fixed, arbitrary ratios such as 1-to-1, 4-to-1 or even 10-to-1 are sometimes used. However, uninsured costs vary so much from one operation to another, the only appropriate ration is one developed for your plant or company.”

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) also refers to these studies on their website, stating:

“Studies show that the ratio of indirect costs to direct costs varies widely, from a 20:1 to a low of 1:1.”

CompEraser’s own analysis of customer claims reveals that for every $100 if insured workers compensation claims the indirect workers compensation costs are $380. Unfortunately uninsured costs are rarely taken into account by most business owners and financial mangers because they are not easily identified. The difficulty is in accurately measuring this financial impact, and obtaining reliable information on which business owners and financial managers can deploy scare resources to minimize these costs. However, designing safety and health practices around the credible quantification of your organization’s TOTAL COST of worker injuries is the more effective way of reducing short-term and long-term costs.

Now you can estimate your TOTAL COST of worker injuries using OSHA estimates in the privacy of your office. It is on-line and available 24-7. To find out more go to www.comperaser.com. These resources also include injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, prompt injury response, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

Employer Control Is The key To Workers Compensation Disability Management

YOUR ORGANIZATION MUST TAKE CONTROL OF THE CLAIM PROCESS. Otherwise it will fall prey to the perceived “unholy alliance” created by the various “systems” used by the doctors, lawyers, claim adjusters and regulatory authorities, and you will pick up the tab. At the core of your workers compensation disability management process should be three initiatives that must be implemented immediately after a worker injury occurs:

Prompt injury response. This initiative is designed to provide prompt, quality medical care to the injured employee, explain the workers compensation system and what the injured employee can expect through the process, establish a comfortable communication flow between the injured employee and the Claim Coordinator (rather than with an attorney), establish a communication flow between the Claim Coordinator and the healthcare provider, investigate and determine the “root cause” of the injury, and promptly report the injury to the claim adjuster. If implemented properly your Prompt Injury Response system will get the workers compensation claim off on the right track, reduce the employee’s need for an attorney, and minimize future problems.

Establish compensability. Many state and federal workers compensation laws provide a degree of protection to the employer in certain situations including employees injured while under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol, facts that prove that the employee was not actually injured on the job at all, and medical treatments that do not relate to the injury itself. In addition, the workers compensation claim management team may uncover subrogation possibilities that can mitigate the ultimate cost of the injury.

Offer medically approved temporary duty. In those situations where the employee was disabled and unable to return to work, it is critical that the claim management team find medically approved work that can be offered. This initiative should include ADA-compliant, Temporary Duty return to work programs that will help the claim management team quickly identify temporary duty jobs, obtain medical approval of these tasks based upon the injured employee’s work capacity, make the formal offer to the injured employee, and respond proactively to the employee’s decision to accept or reject the temporary duty offer.

Employer control over its workers compensation disability management process will dramatically reduce both insured and indirect workers compensation costs. The Resource Library within the CompEraser system is loaded with all the tools, forms and checklists you must have to control each workers compensation claim from beginning to closure. Resources also include the formalization of your safety team, injury prevention, safety training, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

Warning: If You Don’t Communicate You Litigate

It is absolutely essential that your claim management team communicate with the injured employee, healthcare providers, claim adjusters, and attorneys early and often throughout the claim process. Otherwise their “systems” will control them. This communication should be provided both in verbal and written form and well documented. And, because this communication will be performed by many members of the claim management team, it is essential that the team members communicate effectively with each other as well.

Here are proven communication techniques that work effectively:

1. Formalize and communicate your claim management policy. The organization must develop and communicate claim management procedures and policy. This manual will provide information and sample policy templates in a number of key areas. Claim management policy establishes the ground rules for everyone in the organization to follow in the event an employee is hurt on the job. These policies must be fully understood by all members of the claim management team so that infractions are accurately identified and proper action is taken in accordance with organizational policy.
    
2. Explain the claim process to the injured employee. Successful organizations are proactively communicating with their injured workers throughout the claim management process. This starts the very first day the employee is injured and includes an explanation of what they can expect from the claim process, how their medical bills are going to be paid, and who they can contact for questions. 
    
3. Establish claim procedures with the claim adjuster. It is critical that the claim management team have a formal and detailed meeting with the claim adjuster(s) who will handle the organization’s workers compensation claims. At this meeting the claim management team should review communication procedures with insurance company adjusters so that everyone is on the same page. It is also important to review the organization’s entire claim management process with the claim adjuster and discuss how the organization expects them to communicate with members of the claim management team as they adjudicate each type of claim. In this regard, it is important that the claim management team work with the insurance company to write “Claim Service Directives” that are consistent with mutual expectations.

4. Establish prompt response procedures with the treating physician. The first 48-hours after a worker injury are critical and the healthcare facility has a vital role in it. It is recommended that the organization’s Prompt Injury Response Program be discussed in detail with the treating physician so that everyone is on the same page. If the claim management team senses that the healthcare provider wants total control over the claim process this should be a sign of future problems. It is also recommended that the claim management team discuss the fact that the organization offers a Temporary Duty Program in full compliance with state and federal laws and that it expects all medical providers to fully support the organization in its effort to identify and assign these temporary tasks where medically permissible.

5. Always have on-going communication with the injured employee. The claim management team must stay in constant contact with the injured employee from the date of injury until they are released to come back to work. The injured employee must communicate with the Claim Coordinator at least on a weekly basis and the Supervisor must be in periodic contact with the injured employee as well.

These techniques will significantly reduce both the direct and indirect workers compensation costs, improve your overall workers compensation claim management program, and improve workers compensation disability management.

The Resource Library within the CompEraser system is loaded with all the tools, forms and checklists you must have to successfully communicate with your injured employees. Resources also include the formalization of your safety team, injury prevention, safety training, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

How To Implement An Prompt Response Program For Your Workers Compensation Clams – Strategy 5

Promptly Report The Injury To The Adjuster

Another major action that should be taken in the first 48-hours is the prompt reporting of the worker injury to the claim adjuster. Delays here can dramatically increase the total cost of worker injuries.  According to one major insurance company, these costs start almost immediately and increase over time. For example, if the claim is reported 2-10 days after the injury the final cost increases by approximately 11%. If the claim is reported after 30 days the cost increases by over 55%.

Another study revealed that the rate of litigation increased as claim reporting delays increased.  For example, if the claim is reported 2-10 days after the injury the number of claims that involved an attorney increased by 20%. If the claim is reported after 30 days the number of litigated claims increased by 45%. This stands to reason because the injured employee generally feels insecure and is threatened by a process that has not been adequately explained to them. The message should be clear – prompt reporting of the worker injuries equals cost savings to the organization.

Also, if your organization doubts the compensability of the injury it should report the claim to adjuster immediately. They can provide invaluable help here. The organization will also be avoiding friction with the adjuster over the claim because of late reporting. The Claim Coordinator should explain the reasons why he or she feels the claim is questionable. The Claim Coordinator should not file the basic claim information and assume that the adjuster will also conclude that the claim is questionable. Also, the Claim Coordinator should make a recommendation as to how he or she wishes to see the claim handled.

If the injury is serious (however you wish to define “serious”) contact the insurance adjuster immediately. They will want to get involved with the process the first day of injury and possibly involve other resources to help in the claim management process. These resources may include an occupational nurse, rehabilitation specialists, and loss prevention engineering support.

If the claim has fraudulent characteristics, contact the claim adjuster immediately and explain all the facts as you know them and the concerns that you may have.

As part of the initial reporting to the claim adjuster the Claim Coordinator should provide copies of all documents gathered so far, including medical information, initial temporary duty assessment, incident investigation report, employee injury report, and witness statements. The more information the Claim Coordinator can provide to the claim adjuster the better. It is in both party’s interest to be on the same page from day one.

CompEraser comes with on-line, on-demand resources needed to design and implement an effective PROMPT INJURY RESPONSE system, including this important step in the process. Resources also include the formalization of your safety team, injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

How To Implement An Prompt Response Program For Your Workers Compensation Clams – Strategy 4

Interview The Injured Employee As Quickly As Possible

As soon as possible after the incident your incident investigator should interview the injured employee and, if possible, obtain their written statement as to what happened. Interviewing an employee after a work-related incident can be very difficult. The employee may be uncooperative because he or she is afraid of ridicule, worried about creating a bad impression, or concerned about disciplinary action. Great care should be exercised not to question an upset individual who has just sustained an injury or emotional shock. Wait until the person calms down, or the doctor or nurse indicates that it is all right.

The following are guidelines designed to help the investigator get the needed information for the incident investigation report:

1. Treat the employee like you would like to be treated. The “Golden Rule” will serve you well. Anytime you are unsure of what to do or how to do something, just ask yourself “How would I like to be treated in this situation?” More often than not the employee feels the exact same way.

2. Show concern. It is very important to show sincere concern for the employee’s injury, no matter how minor it is. Always take care of the employee’s injury first, and then begin the interview.

3. Put the employee at ease. Use a friendly approach in dealing with the employee. Avoid sarcasm, blame, and threats. Use tact in clearing up any discrepancies in the employee’s story.

4. Explain why the incident investigation is necessary. Emphasize that fact-gathering and prevention is the organization’s objective and not faultfinding. Convey that the organization is sincerely trying to find out what happened and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.

5. Listen carefully. Get the injured employee’s story first before asking questions. Be sure to listen very carefully and avoid interrupting the employee.

6. Avoid “Why” questions. While asking a “Why” question is part of the “root cause analysis” process, it should not be used during the employer interview process as it will only make the employee feel uncomfortable and resist answers. Ask any other questions that you feel are appropriate. However, avoid any “Why” questions as they tend to make the employee defensive.

7. Always repeat your understanding of the story. It is very important that, after listening to the employee, that the investigator repeat exactly what he or she understood the employee to say. This verifies that the investigator has understood what was said and allows the employee the chance to correct the story if necessary. If there are still misunderstandings, the investigator should take the time to correct the misunderstandings to both party’s satisfaction.

8. Always ask the employee for suggestions. Employees are an excellent source of safety suggestions. Up until the injury occurred the employee was probably thinking: “This will never happen to me” - but it did. Take the time to discuss ways to prevent the reoccurrence of the situation. This may also be an excellent training opportunity.

In most states the employee is not required to provide a written report of what caused the injury, and in all cases they are not required to sign the report form itself. However, your organization can have a policy statement that requires the employee to cooperate in the incident investigation and provide any information that will prevent its reoccurrence.

The keys to obtaining this form from the injured employee are timing and genuine compassion. Regarding timing, the investigator should wait until the employee has received prompt medical attention and has emotionally stabilized. The last thing the organization wants to do is appear insensitive and ask for information while the employee is in pain or emotionally insecure over the event. This will only create friction and resentment between the organization and the injured employee. Plus the next call they make may be to their attorney, something the organization does not want to see happen. Regarding “genuine compassion,” the investigator should approach the employee with the sincere intent to learn more about what happened so that you can prevent its reoccurrence.  Refrain from being accusatory at all times.

Finally, if the employee refuses to complete the form or provide information, the investigator should back away initially. Here the investigator should convey that the organization sincerely wants to understand how traumatic the injury was and that it respects the employee’s need for time and privacy. Once conveyed the investigator should try to arrange a better time to meet with the injured employee when they are feeling better. They should also report the employee’s resistance to the Claim Coordinator immediately.

CompEraser comes with on-line, on-demand resources needed to design and implement an effective PROMPT INJURY RESPONSE system, including this important step in the process. Resources also include the formalization of your safety team, injury prevention, OSHA compliance, safety training, workers compensation disability management, plus more. These resources are available 24/7 and used irrespective of which workers compensation carrier you select. Its patent-pending technology also provides unique financial reports for monitoring the effectiveness of your safety and health program on an on-going basis. For more information visit our website at www.CompEraser.com.

How To Implement An Prompt Response Program For Your Workers Compensation Clams – Strategy 1