Ron Adamczak, Loss Control Consultant for Lawley Insurance, discusses how companies can save money through implementing workplace safety best practices. This presentation, shared at the 2014 DiVal Safety Summit, explores best-practice approaches for saving money through employment assessments, setting the safety tone, branch/department charge-backs, and how accident investigation can systematically reduce injury exposure. The Lawley Risk Management department explains the difference between physical capacity testing and medical evaluations. We delve into the crucial aspects of job exposure assessments and how they are the key to this type of program. In addition, we cover case studies of employee assessment/job compatibility programs and how these programs can dramatically impact loss costs. Our management commitment model identifies the areas requiring management focus to reduce incidents. This section addresses both safety measurement and accountability methods. The charge-back model section focuses on allocating costs to branches or departments based on both loss frequency and incurred costs. We review how this allocation can be weighted on both incident frequency and cost to better allocate insurance premium and introduce accountability through cost allocation. The final portion of this session addresses how to evaluate an incident, identify its root causes, and then systematically eliminate those exposures that have already led to loss. We also cover how to leverage what was learned to gain control over similar exposures in your operation. Lawley Insurance is a privately-owned independent regional insurance firm specializing in property and casualty, employee benefits and risk management consulting and ranked among the 100 Largest Insurance Brokers in the U.S., according to Business Insurance magazine. For more than 60 years, Lawley’s team of over 300 associates have developed customized property, casualty, surety and benefits insurance programs for businesses and municipalities of all sizes. Lawley is consistently recognized as a Best Places to Work from Buffalo Business First. Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Lawley has branch offices across New York State in Amherst, Batavia, Fredonia, Rochester, Westchester and Melville along with Florham Park, New Jersey. To find out more, visit lawleylnsurance.com.

1. Saving Money Through Safety Best Practices

2. • Pre-employment physical capacity
evaluations – will you hire your next
comp claim?
• Safety management commitment –
The importance of setting the tone
Today’s Topics

3. • Safety accountability programs–
What gets measured gets done
• Systematic (known) problem
control – Accident investigation and
self-inspections
Today’s Topics

4. Will You Hire Your Next Comp Claim?
Pre-employment Assessments

5. • Had a new employee come to you
and state they just got injured on
the job and it is a back, shoulder,
knee, neck or other major injury?
Have You Ever?

6. • Frequently, injuries occur because
the employee is simply unable to
perform the work
Work or the Worker?

7. • Ergonomics – Fitting the work to
the worker, is a common and useful
response
• Proper Lifting Techniques – Body
Mechanics
Difficult Jobs

8. Pre-Employment Assessments
Two Different Approaches
1. Post-offer, medical assessments
2. Pre-offer, physical capacity testing

9. Goals
1. Keep employee from needless
physical harm
2. Keep employer from needless
costs of that harm
Pre-Employment Evaluation

10. • Selectively employing workers who
meet objective job standards
results in reduced incidence and
severity of work related
musculoskeletal illnesses and
injuries
Pre-Employment Assessments

11. • IMPORTANT - Screening is to
ensure the candidate has the
physical capabilities to perform the
job they have applied for, not to
exclude individuals from
employment
Pre-Employment Assessments

12. • ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act
• EEOC – Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Regulations

13. Common - Medical Screens
• Ensure post-offer medical screens
are established to meet the
appropriate rigor of legislative
requirements
• Medical screen must be post-offer,
pre-employment
Regulations

14. Disability related inquiries and medical
screens of employees must be:
• Post Offer
• Job-related
• Consistent with business necessity
• Evaluate essential job functions
Regulations

15. Functional Capacity Evaluations
• Can be done pre-offer
• Evaluate Physical Capability or
Capacity – Similar to a typing test
• Valid
• Repeatable/Standardized
• Objective
• Predictive of workers ability
Regulations

16. Functional Capacity Evaluations:
• Non-Medical
• Job related
• Consistent with business necessity
• Evaluate essential job functions
Regulations

17. • Written policy and process
• Current information
• Program goals and objectives
• Consistent process and procedure
Process

18. • The employee’s capabilities must
be matched to the essential job
requirements
Process

19. • The employee’s capabilities must
be matched to the essential job
requirements
• Use of job analysis to determine
the job demands
Process

20. • The employee’s capabilities must
be matched to the essential job
requirements
• Use of job analysis to determine
the job demands
• Specific to the job or job class
Process

21. • A Physical Demands Analysis is the
foundation of an effective program
• Used to match the applicant's
abilities to a specific set of job
demands
Physical Demands Analysis

22. • Assessments must be consistent
– By job classification
–All employees for that classification
–Address the essential job functions
Physical Demands Analysis

23. • Accurate physical demands
analysis (PDA)
• Clear acceptable criteria
• Physical screen
• Standardized objective test
• Occupational and job specific test
• Validated Assessment Process
Physical Demands Analysis

24. • Physical Demands Analysis (PDA)
–Break job into individual tasks
–Provide detail
–Evaluate weights, forces,
frequency, and duration
Physical Demands Analysis

25. • PDA to also include information on
the job environment and other job
demands
Physical Demands Analysis

26. • Carrying
• Lifting
• Reaching
• Walking
• Sitting
• Standing
• Bending
• Twisting
• Kneeling
• Crouching
• Climbing
• Other activities
Physical Demands Analysis

27. Assessment
II. Activity Number of hours
A. Sitting 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
B. Walking 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
C. Standing 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
D. Bending (neck) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
Bending (waist) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
E. Squatting 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
F. Climbing 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
G. Reaching (above shoulder) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
Reaching (below shoulder) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
H. Kneeling 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
I. Crawling 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
J. Twisting (neck) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
Twisting (waist) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+

28. Assessment
III. Weight
Please indicate the daily Lifting and Carrying requirements of the job. Indicate the height the
object is lifted from the floor, table or overhead location and the distance the object is carried.
Carried Lifted
Yes No Distance Yes No Height Number of Hours
Lifted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
A. 0 to 10
pounds
  _____   _____ Carried 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
Lifted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
B. 11 to 25
pounds
  _____   _____ Carried 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
Lifted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
C. 26 to 50
pounds
  _____   _____ Carried 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
Lifted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
D. 51 to 75
pounds
  _____   _____ Carried 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
Lifted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
E. 76 to 100
pounds
  _____   _____ Carried 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
Lifted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
F. 100+ pounds   _____   _____ Carried 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
Describe the heaviest item required to carry and the distance to be carried.__________
______________________________________________________________________

29. Assessment
IV. Hand and Arm Use Right Left
Yes No Yes No Number of Hours
A. Hand Use: Dominant Hand  
B. Is repetitive use of hand required?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
C. Simple Grasping     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
D. Power Grasping     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
E. Fine Manipulation     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
F. Pushing Pulling     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
G. Office Work Activities     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
(Complete Job Analysis Supplement)

30. Assessment
V. Please indicate if your job requires:
Yes No
A. Driving cars, truck, forklifts and other equipment?  
B. Working around equipment and machinery?  
C. Walking on uneven ground?  
D. Exposure to excessive noise?  
E. Exposure to extremes in temperature, humidity or wetness?
 
F. Exposure to dust, gas, fumes or chemicals?  
G. Working at heights?  
H. Operation of foot controls or repetitive foot movement?  
I. Use of special visual or auditory protective equipment?  
J. Working with bio-hazards such as: blood-borne pathogens,
sewage, hospital waste, etc.  

31. • Testing facility clear about job
demands
• Clear acceptance criteria
• Candidates to be informed of testing
• Candidates know of condition of
employment
Pre-Employment Assessments

32. • Recent Study
• One company
• 4 Year Study
• 220 Potential Hires
• 110 Screened
• 110 Not Screened
Pre-Employment Assessments

33. • The Results
• *18 potential employees did not pass the screen
Pre-Employment Assessments
Description Injured Non-Injured Costs
Screened* 1 91 $6,500
Non
Screened
23 87 $2,073,000

34. • Grocery Distribution Center: 95%
reduction in MSD claims cost in one
year while hiring three times as many
employees than prior years.
• Foodservice Distributor: Testing
reduced the overexertion MSD injury
frequency rate 63% and loss cost
88% over three years.
Other Results

35. • Major Distribution Center: 25% of the
workforce were unscreened temps.
–The frequency of knee, shoulder
and back sprains and strains was
62% below the average of two
control distribution centers and
>73% below the temporary service
agency providing workers to the test
location.
Other Results

36. • Matching employees to jobs to
which they are suited is a benefit to
the company and the employee
• Direct and indirect loss costs are
substantially lower in environments
where screening is performed
Summary

37. The Importance of Setting the Tone
Management Commitment

38. • Effective Risk Management Programs
–Why?
–Strong foundation
Setting the Tone

39. Workers Compensation Challenges
• What is the issue?
- Workers Compensation
• Experience Modification
• Shrinking Market Appetite
• Claim Reserving

40. • Foundation Program
• Top Management Commitment
• Effective Communications
• Measurement and Goals
• Accident Investigation
• Employee Involvement
• Self-Inspection/Correction
Management Commitment

41. • Top Management Commitment
• Safety is a Big Deal
• We pay attention to Safety
• Safety performance is being
measured
Management Commitment

42. • Effective Communications
• Everyone is on the same page
• Expectations are set
• Feedback is needed
• Sharing of best practices
Management Commitment

43. What Gets Measured Gets Done
Safety Accountability

44. • “What gets measured gets done”
• Loss history
• Loss trending
• Accountability
 Reduction in accidents
 Active involvement in program
 Accident review process
Measurement and Goals

45. • “What gets measured gets done”
o Loss History
o Chargeback Model
o Supervisor Accountability
Measurement and Goals

46. • “What gets measured gets done”
• Loss History
• Chargeback Model
Measurement and Goals

47. Safety Meetings/Training
Does supervisor conduct a safety
meeting each month for his
department?
Does supervisor attend a department
or plant safety meeting each month?
Supervisor Safety Accountability

48. Safety Meetings/Training
Does supervisor attend training
programs like first aid, CPR, forklift, etc.
 Does supervisor give new or
transferred employees a safety
orientation?
Supervisor Safety Accountability

49. Self Inspections:
Is supervisor conducting monthly Self
inspections?
Is a proper form being used?
Are unsafe actions and conditions being
corrected as soon as possible?
Are corrective action work orders being
submitted on time?
Supervisor Safety Accountability

50. Job Safety Analysis (JSA):
Is one JSA completed every other
month?
Are employees participating in each
JSA?
Is quality of JSA meeting standards?
Measurement and Goals

51. Accident Investigation:
Completed and submitted within 24
hours?
Completely filled out on company
form?
Have recommendations for corrective
action been completed?
Supervisor Safety Accountability

52. Incident/Non-Injury Reports:
Are significant incidents being
investigated?
Is the completed incident form being
submitted with photo?
Is corrective action taken on the
incident?
Supervisor Safety Accountability

53. Accident Investigation
Self Inspections
Systematic Problem Control

54. • Accident Investigation
• What happened?
• Where/How/Why did it happen?
• How can we prevent it from
happening again?
• Where else can we implement
these controls?
Effective Risk Management Programs

55. • Self-Inspection/Correction
• Evaluation of physical plant
• Identification of hazards
• Awareness level rises
• Corrective action a must
• Reasonable timeframe
Effective Risk Management Programs

56. Questions?