Every employer has the potential for Workers’ Compensation claims. It is well worth the resource dedication to track your claims, target your most frequent injury causes, body parts injured, and the types of injuries that occur, and implement programs to help reduce those numbers.
The National Council on Compensation Insurance’s (NCCI) 2010 analysis of claims and trends revealed a success story utilizing this model. The report, published by NCCI, is entitled, “Workers Compensation Claim Frequency.” One injury discussed in the report is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). As more and more U.S. workers began using computer keyboards, the frequency and problem of CTS became a fast-growing source of Workers’ Compensation claims throughout the U.S. Insurance companies sought to slow this trend and reduce the number of CTS claims. They worked with consultants and began targeting the ergonomics of work station design and other conditions that were believed to lead to CTS, providing employers and individuals with measures they could take in the work place to prevent or significantly mitigate the development of CTS. Did all this time and attention to targeting CTS pay off for the insurance companies and employers?
According to the report, the frequency of Carpal Tunnel Claims has declined a successful 47% from 2005 to 2009. Virtually every type of business has the potential for some form of repetitive motion injury or for a similar problem area (e.g., back or shoulder sprains and strains) that affect a large number of employees. This CTS example shows that focusing on specific operational or procedural issues can yield dramatic results in reducing Workers’ Compensation claims. The employers who implemented the preventive CTS measures, such as more ergonomic equipment and conditions for their workers, received a reward for their investment. Their efforts reduced the cost and frequency of Workers’ Compensation claims, thereby reducing their experience modification factor and increased worker productivity
Coordinating the development of targeted loss control and claims reduction programs requires expertise and an investment of time and resources from employers. The Flanders Group can assist with designing and implementing such programs. Just as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome claims were targeted for reduction with great outcomes, you can rely on The Flanders Group to help you identify and attack potential issues in your workplace environment and reduce your long-term Workers’ Compensation costs.