Presentation Highlights – Safety and EMods Are Very Related

How Safety and EMods intermingle was the basis for most of the highlights from my presentation. The NC Mid State Safety Council was kind enough to ask me to do a presentation on how safety programs impact an employer’s bottom line from a Workers Comp standpoint. I am the Treasurer for the organization.
The highlights from my presentation were (you may want to print this one):
- Safety Departments can be easily scored by their E-Mods. It is the same as a personal credit score but much harder to improve quickly.
- Self Insureds do have an EMod, better known as an LDF (Loss Development Factor). If your company is self insured and does not have an LDF, you are operating a blind WC budget
- Due to the economy, there are now temporary employment agencies that may not have their WC policy in force. In this case, the employer will often get stuck with the bill if a temporary employee is injured on the job.
- Subcontractors that are operating without a valid insurance policy or with an expired policy actually become employees as the Workers Comp courts are going to go up the Ladder of Insurance (c) to make sure the injured employee will receive WC benefits
- Calling the carrier (not the agent) that is listed on the WC certificate of insurance is a good idea just to make sure there is coverage in place for temporary agencies and subcontractors
- Do not use your company’s Workers Comp funds to pursue a fraud prosecution.
- Workers Comp supplements paid to an injured employee will only make them much more resistant to return to work

The Four Ways To Cut Work Comp Costs from a claims standpoint are:
- Filing First Report of Injury to carrier immediately
- Medical treatment network in place
- Return to Work program in place
- Treat the injured employee as if they are still on the job as they are still your employee
North Carolina Scheduled Rating Plan – discounts are available if a great safety program is in place and your carrier understands your company’s safety measures
An example of how not having a medical network in place = $1.1 million dollar claim
- The new NCCI split points can be a benefit or a curse to a safety program
- High EMod companies are going to take a hit
- Lower Emod companies will experience a benefit
- Safety programs and professionals will be worth their weight in gold for the next few years
Bottom Line – Safety is going to be heavily judged by their WC E-Mod even though the safety department may not be involved in some of the WC decisions
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