Month: April 2018

Prevent obesity in the workplace to reduce costs, research says

Posted on by Patty Busse

Obesity in the workplace can be a complex and sensitive topic. Excess body weight is one of the most common health conditions in today’s workforce, and it’s also a public health issue.

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) reviewed more than 1,400 articles published between 2011 and 2016 that studied obesity in the workplace. Based on the findings, the researchers developed several recommendations for employers to manage obesity among workers to improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs.

Their findings were published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in January 2018.

How obesity and workers’ compensation are connected

The study reported several ways that obesity and its associated health conditions adversely impact the workplace. Obesity is associated with sleep disorders, increased depressive symptoms, lower productivity and absenteeism. It’s considered a risk factor for musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis and back pain, which are some of the most common workplace injuries.

The research showed an indirect association between obesity and workplace injury rates — workers who meet the definition of obesity file more workers’ compensation claims and require more days off to recover before returning to work.

In a Duke University study , workers with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 filed twice the number of workers’ compensation claims as non-obese workers. They had seven times higher medical costs from those claims and lost 13 times more days of work from work injury or work illness than non-obese workers.

A University of Texas-Austin study showed that for workers with major injuries, a higher body mass index was associated with more expensive workers’ compensation claims. Recovery can take longer, complicated by weight-related medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Focus on prevention at work

Obesity has high costs both in terms of a worker’s health and costs to the employer. What can an employer do to address obesity in the workplace? After reviewing the research, the ACOEM panel recommended that employers tackle the issue through both prevention and treatment.

Workplaces can help employees reach or maintain a healthy weight by designing the work environment to encourage physical movement and healthy eating.

The types of short-term lifestyle modifications typically seen in workplace wellness programs can have modest results. However, it can be a challenge for workers to maintain the behavior after the challenge is over. Instead, ongoing interventions like wellness and nutrition classes, fitness club membership discounts and healthy options in the vending machine could make a lasting impact.

For more on effective wellness programs, see our tips for starting and building your workplace wellness program and wellness program best practices.

For more findings from the ACOEM study, see the full ‘Obesity in the workplace’ report .

 

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New studies on opioids show ineffectiveness, high cost

Posted on by Sara Goese

Almost daily, reports of opioid misuse and overdose make the news as the opioid crisis continues to effect more lives. In the past few months, studies and research have provided new information about the effectiveness of opioids and the rising toll of the opioid epidemic. For the first time since 1963, the average life expectancy in the U.S. has dropped two years in a row , due in large part to increases in opioid overdose.

A government-funded study has shown that after a year of treatment, opioids weren’t any better than common painkillers . The study measured improving pain related to daily functioning, such as ability to sleep and work. In fact, opioids were slightly worse at controlling pain intensity but had more side effects. While opioids are good at treating acute pain, they are less effective for chronic pain.

A Workers’ Compensation Research Institute study has linked long-term opioid use with later return to work for injured workers . For work-related, nonsurgical, lower-back injuries, long-term opioid prescriptions tripled time away from work in comparison to claims without a prescription.

Other research has shown a 30 percent increase in emergency room visits nationwide due to opioid overdose. Within the Midwest, there was a 70 percent rise. The economic cost of the opioid crisis has exceeded $1 trillion since 2001 . Much of the cost comes from lost wages, lost productivity and health care costs. This doesn’t account for the emotional costs to individuals with opioid addictions, as well as their families and loved ones.

SFM’s commitment to reducing opioid use

In 2014, SFM determined that the increasing long-term opioid use by injured workers was a vital public health issue. SFM began reviewing older claims with long-term opioid use in high doses and recommending alternatives to opioids for newer claims. To aid in this, SFM hired Gail Pravatiner, an experienced drug review nurse. Pravatiner reviews claims, communicates with physicians and injured workers and manages medications for high-risk claimants.

Long-term opioid treatment parameters support Pravatiner in her efforts. In July 2015, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry published treatment parameters addressing opioid use long term. In March 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published guidelines that supported the minimum effective dose and assessed the efficacy of treatment plans that involve opioids.

Both the treatment parameters and CDC guidelines determined that physicians should recommend non-opioid treatment first. If opioids are prescribed, there should be an evaluation of the risk of harm or misuse. When necessary, they should yield not only a substantial improvement in pain but also an increase in function.

After tracking opioid use from July 2015 to July 2017, SFM found that 66 percent of cases with high opioid use either have decreased the dosage or have stopped using opioids completely. Pravatiner believes that this is due in part to the increasing public awareness of the opioid epidemic and to the education she and SFM provide to injured workers and prescribers.

How loss prevention visits target business safety risks

Posted on by Patty Busse

SFM’s team of loss prevention representatives, comprised of occupational health and safety professionals, understand workplace safety and how to prevent injuries.

To get to know a company’s unique safety risks and provide strategies to address the risks, our loss prevention team spends most of their time visiting and working one-on-one with employers. The frequency of in-person visits depends on company size and nature of the business.

We want to understand their current processes and current risks. Then we can begin finding a solution for the risks.

~ Lee Wendel

What to expect during a loss prevention visit

For the initial visit, the loss prevention representative will meet with the business owner, a safety manager or perhaps someone from human resources or the head of operations. The visit typically takes about 45 minutes and can include a walk-around of the facility.

A visit with a loss prevention representative serves two purposes:

  1. Educating you about SFM’s loss prevention services and answering any questions
  2. Learning about your organization, operations and unique safety risks

The second purpose of the visit helps the loss prevention representative develop a thorough understanding of your business’s needs, its safety program and current processes.

Knowing how your business operates and cares for employees will help us work together and provide you with the right resources to reduce safety risks unique to your business. To do that, we ask about several areas, including:

“Part of learning about the operation is seeing the work in action,” says Loss Prevention Technical Leader Lee Wendel. “We want to understand their current processes and current risks. Then we can begin finding a solution for the risks. Whenever we can, we want to be part of the solution.”

The loss prevention representative will ask questions about workers’ core functions to identify risks for work injuries. They then come up with strategies or resources to reduce or eliminate those risks.

For example, if any of your employees drive as part of their day-to-day work, they’ll ask about your seat belt and cell phone use policies. When visiting a healthcare facility, safe patient handling training and equipment will be discussed.

By the end of the visit, you will know more about the resources SFM can offer you, and our team will be able to provide customized recommendations to help meet our shared goal of keeping workers safe.

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Checklist helps keep employees safe during school construction projects

Posted on by Patty Busse

Construction projects at schools can create a variety of new hazards for employees, students and visitors.

For example:

  • Construction materials can create trip hazards
  • Increased parking lot traffic can pose danger to pedestrians
  • Work can create noise and air quality issues

That’s why SFM’s loss prevention staff created a new resource to help schools keep employees safe throughout construction projects. The checklist includes advice to consider while planning and preparing for the project, as well as tips to maintain safety as the project is ongoing.

You can download the school construction safety checklist in the resource catalog.

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