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Is everything possible being done to protect your company from the costly impacts of Workers Compensation claims? As an employer, you know that injuries will happen. However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't try to prevent them by knowing the dynamics and some of the solutions recommended by the experts. Minor Injury, Major Claim. It's the small injuries that often result in big claims. Some statistics show that 80% of workplace injuries are inconsequential, meaning they just require first aid or a trip to a physician. Eight percent of such claims are sprains and strains to the neck, back and various joints. However, these types of injuries account for an estimated 80%-90% of the system's costs. Major claims are likely to follow if the frequency of such seemingly inconsequential injuries isn't addressed. Falsified/Exaggerated Claims. Claims that didn't actually occur or that occurred outside the workplace are only representative of a small fraction of claims. However, employers can implement tip lines, video surveillance, drug screenings both before employment and after accidents, and so forth to reduce false claims: The larger problem is from exaggerated injuries. Employers can take these steps to address exaggerated claims: Get injured employees immediate and appropriate treatment. Even if duties need to be temporarily modified, get injured employees back to work as quick as possible. Ensure supervisors communicate with injured employees and convey their concern and support. Do as much as possible to reduce the disruption employees may face post-injury. Assess and address behavioral issues that could be driving an injured employee's disability. Observing Patterns. Experts have recognized that there are patterns of reoccurring claims within groups, such as among certain industries or particular groups of employees. For example, more injuries may be seen in equipment operators that don't receive proper eye screenings. Overweight employees tend to have more injuries than those of an average weight. The healing of injuries may be longer and more difficult among diabetic employees. Overexertion, meaning doing too much; too fast; and/or too frequently, is one of the primary causes of sprain and strain injuries. This often comes from an employee demanding more of their body than it's capable of doing. The challenge is that this is a human behavior. Studies have shown that the majority of workplace injuries are from unsafe acts, not unsafe conditions. In other words, even in the absence of workplace hazards, injuries will happen. Additionally, there are also patterns of reoccurring fraudulent and exaggerated claims, such as an employee that seems to repeatedly have accidents. Claim Reduction. Begin at the hiring process, ensuring that potential employees are capable of doing the physical and mental demands you've listed in the applicable job description. It's important to understand that injury prevention must be embraced at the leadership level to be effective. Statistics show employees are most likely to have injuries when they feel their management doesn't care. You might also consider: Excellent workplace safety programs. Efficient communication programs that allow you, injured employees, and insurance adjusters to easily communicate. A post-injury protocol, specifying the immediate reporting of an injury to appropriate personnel. Routing injured employees to seek medical care from a provider specializing in occupational injuries. Staying in touch with both the injured employee and their medical provider, making sure that you communicate your concern and care to the employee as they recover and accommodate any physical restriction recommended by the provider upon their return. Cost Mitigation. Employers can take several routes to reduce the financial impact of claims. Transitional duty programs that enable an injured employee to continue some capacity of working as they recover would be one example. Research shows that around 40% of employers don't currently have a transitional duty program. Another example would be referencing treatment guidelines to determine typical recovery times for various injuries. This information can be used to approximate how long it should take an injured employee to be treated and recover. Employers may consider having an on-site clinic for employees to go for both acute injuries and everyday health issues. Partnering with a physical therapy network may be a consideration. Research has shown that companies affiliated with physical therapy networks see injured employees returning to full-duty work 30% faster. Wellness, Don't Be Afraid. Lastly, some employers are apprehensive about implementing wellness programs because they're concerned that participation itself may cause injuries. However, the risk of such is far outweighed by the many benefits of a wellness program, including claim-related benefits like healing faster and being able to resume work sooner. Remember, the success of any program comes from it being accepted from the top down. Content provided by Transformer Marketing.

Unfortunately, many small businesses ignore business continuity planning - perhaps because this seems so simple that they just don't need to do it. Here are five basic (and cost-effective) steps you need to take before disaster strikes: Define who's in charge. Because you might be unavailable after a disaster - injured, ill, on vacation, etc. - designate an order of succession to avoid confusion and unclear responsibility during the recovery process. Avoid a communication breakdown. Normal communication infrastructure might be disabled after a disaster, so make sure you have alternatives for employees, customers, clients, key suppliers, and subcontractors. At a minimum, have phone numbers (landline and cellular), and e-mail addresses. Don't rely on outdated, unreliable methods such as phone communication trees. Use a voicemail system supported by a vendor with communication equipment offsite. Don't forget to consider backup power needs. Perform data backups. Be sure to make duplicate copies of data regularly, with one copy at a location that's easy and inexpensive to access. Have a Plan B. if your facility is destroyed or access is denied by civil authorities, can you conduct certain business operations from home or a local hotel? For example, what steps can you take to replace computers and retrieve data? Make sure you have enough insurance. In a worst-case disaster scenario (major fire, windstorm, civil disorder, etc.), you might well lose your business assets and face a period of downtime - zero cash flow. Insurance can keep you afloat until you're back on your feet. We stand ready to help design a comprehensive, cost effective program that can make your business less risky.

No one expects the worst to happen, but sometimes it just does. Whether it is a complete power outage or a fire breaking out in your break room, preparing for the unexpected should be part of your overall safety program. While prevention should always be your first priority, preparedness may reduce the severity of the event and help maintain your employees' safety. Emergency Planning is Your Responsibility Every company should have a published, well-communicated and practiced emergency preparedness and life safety plan. The National Fire Protection Association and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) provide codes, regulations and guidance on emergency action and fire prevention plans, including minimum standards. OSHA, in fact, requires a written emergency action plan for workplaces with 10 or more employees. Employers with fewer than 10 employees must still have an emergency action plan, but they may communicate the plan orally to employees. Of course, a plan is only as good as its effectiveness, when put into action. How would your plan fare in a real emergency? Do your employees know what to do? These are questions to ask before an emergency happens. Communicating, training and drilling are all essential elements to include in your emergency action plan, and can help make the critical difference in life safety outcomes. Effective Planning Can Save Lives In the first critical minutes of an emergency, taking the right steps can help save lives. Planning ahead and maintaining a well-trained emergency team can help make the critical difference. Appoint, organize and train designated staff with their emergency response duties and responsibilities. Document and distribute emergency procedures, including how to notify the fire department, evacuate employees and provide accommodations for those with special assistance needs. Publish instructions for the use of emergency equipment, such as the voice communication system, the alarm system or emergency power supply system. Post procedures for confining, controlling and extinguishing fires. Post procedures for assisting the fire department in accessing and locating the fire. Communicate your evacuation plan to all employees, visitors, vendors and contractors. Distribute the plan to emergency personnel who will be responsible for taking actions to maximize the safety of building occupants, including the fire department and designated emergency management and supervisory staff. Post your evacuation/floor plan exit diagram in clearly visible locations. Assign locations away from the building or job site for employees to gather. Practice drills on a regular basis. Monitor and evaluate drill performance to consider improvements. Include full, partial and shelter-in-place evacuations, designed in cooperation with local authorities, to familiarize employees with procedures. Develop a roll call system to account for all persons and notifications to the fire department of any missing person. Travelers safety professionals see a broad spectrum of businesses and facilities and understand the plans used to ensure emergency preparedness. Every day, we share our insights with our customers to help keep their businesses, and most importantly, their people, safe.

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Here at MAXIMUM we understand the intricacies and requirements of the Professional Liability sector, which is why we have spent the time to create a Professional Solutions Insurance package that provides full service to your client’s needs. Our MAX team can not only perform a rigorous form analysis but they can tailor the appropriate insurance terms to fit what your client needs.