Workers Comp Loss Prevention Should Never Stop
Workers Comp loss prevention and claims loss reduction should be considered as the same function – just more defined.
When I present at safety or risk management conferences, one of the subjects I cover is the continued involvement of the safety officer or staff even after a claim occurrence. Why?
Many times, the handling of the claim for an employer is passed to someone in the human resources or other associated department. Some of the same safety techniques could be applied to claims handling – in other words safety on the back end of the claim instead of only on the front end. I have been writing on this subject for over 10 years. Check the first link in this article as it points to an article written in 2007.
The common post-accident term is loss reduction. Most claims have everything set in place within 48 hours.
- The accident has been reported to the employer.
- The treating doctor is chosen and the first visit has occurred.
- A determination has been made on whether the injured employee can return to work.
- The injured employee experiences good, bad, or indifferent treatment by his/her employer.
- The proper forms have been filed with the Workers Comp Commission or Board.
- The safety and risk management departments usually have the most knowledge concerning the prior four five bullet points.
The first four resulted in my Six Keys To Workers Comp Savings that I wrote in this blog 10 years ago.
Why should the safety department concern themselves with post-accident safety? Safety and Risk Management has long since been judged on the level of the Experience Modification Factor (E-Mod or X-Mod). While it is best in keeping an accident from ever happening, the back-end of the process should have them interested in how the adjuster views the employer’s internal handling of the safety and claim process.
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