Keep yourself and your employees safe at work. Our obligation as employers is to see that our friends and employees go home at night safely, just as they arrived in the morning! The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that 65% of workers’ compensation costs come from five common workplace injuries.
- Overexertion: caused by pushing, pulling, carrying, holding or throwing (40% of all workplace injuries)
- Falls on the same level: from wet floors or a tripping hazard
- Being struck by equipment or an object, or a vehicle
- Falls to a lower level: preventable by using proper fall protection, ladder safety or scaffolding
- Other exertions or bodily reactions: which cause strains and sprains
In 2005, the U.S. Department of Labor determined that there were 4.6 injuries per 100 fulltime employees. Injured employees required an average of 19 therapy visits (Worker’s Compensation Research Institute). The average number of work days lost to injuries was nine lost work days. A work-related injury resulted in an average loss of approximately $38,000 including wages, productivity loss and medical expenses (National Safety Council)
Costs associated with a work-related injury may include:
Direct Costs:
• Worker’s compensation premiums
• Case Management
• Medical costs for surgery, medicine and rehabilitation
• Durable Medical Equipment or ancillary aids
Indirect costs:
• Lost/decreased productivity
• Lost time to go to medical appointments
• Production downtime
• Administrative costs
• Additional overtime pay required
• Time to replace hire
• Interviewing and training new employees
• Delays in shipments and filling orders and customer payment
• Loss of products or services
• Unwarranted negative media attention
• Potential OSHA penalties
• Attorney fees
• Damages to equipment, machinery, materials and facility
• Higher Worker’s Comp premiums
• Reputation loss
• Degraded client loyalty and support
• Managerial costs due to the accident including inspections, investigations,
meetings and administration
• Loss of employee time associated with assisting with the accident,
administering first aid, and witness interviews
• Loss of employee morale
• Slowed work pace due to other employees’ fear of injury
Of course Model First Aid, Safety & Training can help keep your employees and workplace safer. 800-968-6491 or jons@modelcoverall.com