Transcript Partnering for Safety with Your Workers* Compensation

Partnering for Safety with Your
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Carrier for a Small School District
Dr. Brad Hanson – Monett R-1 Superintendent
Rhonda Kauffman – Missouri Employers Mutual, Loss Prevention
Specialist
Speaker Background
• Dr. Hanson, Ed.D
• 31 years in Education
• 15 years teacher/coach
• 16 years administration
• Current Monett R -1 Superintendent for 5 years
• Have supervised the workers comp policies and procedures for 6
years.
Speaker Background
• Rhonda Kauffman, CIH, CSP, CHSP
• Over 20 years in safety and health
• Over 15 years of workers compensation loss prevention experience.
• Diverse group of policyholders within portfolio:
• Industry types (manufacturing, healthcare, transportation and educational industries)
• Small to very large companies from just a few covered employees up to multi states.
• Exposure to various hazards and controls within the industries and shared knowledge
Objectives of this session
• Discuss resources for establishing effective risk management practices
from the perspective of a smaller school district.
• Focus will be upon District employee safety policies and procedures
• District Management Commitment and Involvement
• Employee Engagement
• Utilization of Outside Services
• Onsite Contractors
• Web-based resources
• Safety Consultants
Understanding the Connection with
Employee Safety and Workers’ Comp
• The Basics:
• What is workers comp?
• Workers' compensation is a "no-fault" insurance system that pays benefits to workers
injured on the job to cover medical care, part of lost wages and permanent disability. In
return, employers receive immunity from civil lawsuits by employees over such
workplace injuries.
• What are some examples that are not typically workers comp?
• Commuting to and from home and fixed workplace.
• Lunch breaks not associated with any company required task.
• Each case’s circumstances and legal interpretations can impact compensability.
Learn some of the comp basics
• Know your Metrics
• Your experience modifier (aka “eMod”) - what it means?
• Impact on the premium that is charged
• Do you know your agency, their safety related resources?
• How about your carrier and their resources?
• Regular claims communication with your carrier?
Basics of an “eMod”
Experience Rating uses a companies past “experience” (losses) to help
project future losses.
• Compares your losses to the same class code.
• Like other insurance, it is part of a company’s overhead
• Higher overhead, less $ for other things
• 70% discount for med only claim
E-mod – rate for your current year
Based on 3 years of loss history
2012
2013
2014
2015
Last policy
year
Previous Three Years
Accidents affect your mod rate!
2016
Current policy
year
E-mod
Looking ahead
Based on 3 years of Loss History
2016
Incident
09-19-16
2017
2018
2019
2020
Get ready for it!
Injury costs affect your E-Mod rate.
So where to start with addressing District
Safety?
• Most Districts do not have a full-time safety director but there are
resources - many are free:
• Industry websites –such as Missouri Employers Mutual
• www.worksafecenter.com
• Associations
• Missouri United School Insurance Council
• www.musicprogram.org
• OSHA website – www.OSHA.gov
• State of Missouri Department of Labor - http://labor.mo.gov/dwc
Workers’ Compensation Background
for Monett R-1 School District
Heightened emphasis as emod / insurance rates were increasing
Emods:
2008 policy year 1.11
2009 policy year 1.21
2010 policy year 1.13
2011 policy year 1.07
2012 policy year 0.96
2013 policy year 0.95
2014 policy year 0.75
2015 policy year 0.95
Personnel Impacts
• Don’t underestimate how important hiring practices are
• Have a formal hiring process
•
•
•
•
•
•
Application
Job descriptions
Interviews – trust your instincts
Educate hiring authorities in HR legalities
DOCUMENT – how does your district manage this process?
Post offer drug testing?
• Does your District have a drug and alcohol testing policy as part of its Drug Free
Workplace?
New Hire Orientation
• Best time to educate personnel on District safety requirements
• Document this training – there are various HR management websites
• Safety rules
• Accident reporting procedures
• Who do your employees call?
• Is there a designated District comp contact?
• Where do your employees go for treatment?
• School nurse?
• Local healthcare provider?
• Tele-web?
Safety Processes
• Risk Management for Districts
• Tend to be student/ public focused
• Enhance to include employee safety
• Walking surfaces - Slip/Trip/Falls
• sidewalks and parking lots
• winter planning and communication
What Monett R-1 School District Has Done to
Manage its Workers’ Comp
• Enhanced its HR / Safety management process
• Uses a web-based HR management tracking system
• MEM data reveals ~ 35% of claims less than 1 year on the job.
• Employee policies and procedures. The system tracks each employee and module.
• Safety rules
• Step ladders in each room – prohibit use of chairs, desks, etc. to reach heights.
• Footwear
• Play with Purpose
Footwear
Purpose of this policy: Reduce potential slip/trip/falls associated with the type of
footwear that is worn.
DO……Keep a pair of sneakers in the classroom- field trips, PE, and for bus or recess
duties.
Closed toe footwear ideal - if open toe shoes are worn, should be sandal style
• Straps that securely wrap around the back of the ankle.
• Sole with well-defined tread pattern & flexible assists traction.
DO NOT…. Wear open toe footwear w/o securing straps around the ankle. These are
considered “flip-flops”. Flip flops typically have little to no tread pattern and
therefore have less traction to the floor.
Play with Purpose
What Monett R-1 School District Has Done to
Manage its Workers’ Comp
• Enhanced its HR / Safety management process
• Accident reporting
• Directs care to local clinic
• Knows the District / policies for Light Duty,
• restrictions the district can accommodate
• Post accident drug testing
• Accident Investigation
• More than filling out comp report form
• Root cause determination
• Corrective action for cause
• Accountability
What Monett R-1 School District Has Done to
Manage its Workers’ Comp
• Safety walk-throughs
• Quarterly
• Team – Including Superintendent, Building Principal, Loss Prevention
Consultant, Local Provider, Contractor Reps
• Visible and understood by staff
• Reinforces safety messages by presence
• Many occasions, staff interact with safety team
• Hazard identification
• Confirmed within service letter with pictures
• Education opportunity for district
Examples of inspection findings
What Monett R-1 School District Has Done to
Manage its Workers’ Comp
• Safety communications
• Posters
• Safety policies in writing
• Regular training and in-services
• General
• Specialized for job
What Monett R-1 School District Has Done to
Manage its Workers’ Comp
• Accident Analysis
•
•
•
•
Who
What
Where
Loss Analysis Trends
• Modmaster reports
• Claim Reviews with Insurance Carrier
• Do you know the status of your open claims?
Sample Loss Analysis Summary
Loss Analysis Summery
This report provides a detailed loss analysis for the time period of July 1, 2009 – September 1, 2013. This loss information provides a
comparison of loss frequencies and costs by policy year, occupation, location site and accident cause.
Analysis of top loss causes demonstrates that strains are the loss drivers. These were somewhat evenly distributed through the staff
including:
• 2 teachers having strains (one associated with an MVA and the other with shoulder playing sports) that incurred $77,663. This is
approximately 38% of total incurred since policy effective 2010.
• 2 cooks incurring strains of the hand and the knee incurred total losses of $20,602.
• 1 custodian with a groin strain while lifting incurred $12,115.
Slip / Trip / Falls for teachers incur the greatest claim frequency (16 of 63 claims analyzed for 33%) but not in severity (dollars paid).
Paraprofessionals were next with 11 of the 63 claims analyzed for 17%.
A higher percentage of claims (37%) occurred during the hours of 10 am and noon. Recess related activities could be a factor to focus
upon.
What Monett R-1 School District Has Done to
Manage its Workers’ Comp
• District employee verses Contracted
•
•
•
•
Maintenance
Janitorial
Food Services
Transportation
Does not sit on the shelf
• General District Policies
• Such as accident reporting for all employees
• Departmental Specific Policies
• Such as para-professionals safe lifting
• Teachers and administration de-escalation techniques
• Regularly reviewed, updated and communicated
Questions?