Cutting Costs After an Injury Occurs
by Kirk Lloyd, Risk Management Services, Inc.
I know, I know. The safety guy is supposed to write about what we
can do so that injuries don’t occur in the first place. But the
harsh reality is that some injuries do occur and some claims do get
filed. Maybe an employee was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Maybe a prevention opportunity was missed. Or perhaps you are facing
one of those difficult cases where it appears an employee is trying
to bend the workers’ compensation system beyond its normal bounds.
Whatever the case, there are a few things to keep in mind that can
streamline the process and minimize the expense.
Timely reporting is a great place to start. In Oregon, an
employer has just 5 days from the “date of knowledge” to file a
claim. (If managers find out on Monday that someone was hurt last
Friday and went to the doctor after work then Monday is the date of
knowledge.) Especially with major injuries or complicated cases,
prompt reporting helps minimize the damages.
If a case results in overnight hospitalization or a fatality, the
employer is required to notify Oregon OSHA and conduct an internal
accident analysis. Even when not required, it is always wise to
conduct an internal analysis to determine what went wrong and what
can be learned for future prevention. |
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Active management of an injury case can save a lot of trouble and
expense. One of the most powerful tools for controlling claims costs
and speeding recovery is employer participation in Early Return to
Work (ERTW) programs. With ERTW, the goal is to find a modified or
transitional job assignment that will allow the injured worker to
return to work sooner.
ERTW can result in fewer time loss days, reduced cost and
improved productivity. Help is available to an employer considering
ERTW; ABC’s insurance partner, SAIF Corporation, has a staff of
qualified experts available to assist policyholders with this
process. In many cases SAIF can also help employers obtain funds
from state programs designed to encourage re-employment of injured
workers.
Agri-business work is often physically demanding and it may be
difficult to find “light duty” jobs. However, most operations have
jobs that need doing and that fit the medical restrictions of a
person who has been injured. Sometimes it helps to think ahead. How
about assembling irrigation parts for an upcoming installation, or
preparing supplies that will be needed for a future activity? Maybe
the shop could use cleaning and organization, or the hand tools need
some maintenance. There are many possibilities.
The bottom line to claims management is that claim costs drive
future insurance premiums. If you participate in the ABC/SAIF
workers’ compensation group, your efforts affect future insurance
costs for everyone in the group. Don’t miss these opportunities to
keep expenses under control.
Links to Resources
If you have suggestions for topics that would be of broad
interest to our members, or have had experiences that you would like
to share through this column, please feel free to contact Kirk Lloyd
at Risk Management Resources, Inc.
Telephone 503-371-9554 in Salem or
email RiskMgt4Ag@aol.com to
contact Kirk.
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