May 2018

Hidden costs of work injuries

Posted on May 30, 2018April 20, 2021 by Patty Busse

Few employers realize just how costly a work injury can be until they experience one at their organization.

That’s because there are so many hidden costs of work injuries that aren’t covered by workers’ compensation benefits, such as lost productivity, overtime costs, and lowered morale among the remaining employees, among others. Not to mention the impact on the injured worker.

When you’re thinking about the impact of work injuries on your organization, and the value of preventing them, the following not-so-obvious costs are worth taking into account.

Overtime and lost productivity

While an injured employee is out with an injury, you may have to hire and train a temporary replacement who is less experienced and efficient at the job. Alternatively, if you choose not to hire a replacement, you may have to pay your existing workers overtime as they cover the injured employee’s responsibilities.

These costs increase when the injured employee has a specialized or unique skill set. It is much harder to find replacements for employees with advanced degrees or the technical ability to run specialized machines.

Increased injury risk for other employees

Employees who cover for the injured worker can increase their own risk of injury due to rushing and fatigue. As a result, one workplace accident could cause a domino effect that leads to injuries among remaining workers.

Supervisors’ time

Work injuries also cost supervisors time. They may have to spend time investigating the accident, reporting the claim, working with their claims representative, implementing corrective action and checking in with the injured worker. They may also have to spend time finding light-duty jobs for your injured employees.

Disruption in the workplace

Immediately following a work injury, there can be a lot of lost time and productivity. Employees may need to stop working to try to help the injured worker, get the attention of supervisors, or get the injured worker medical attention.

Depending on the severity of the accident, you may have to stop work for a few hours or even a few days. This might affect just a few people or possibly your entire company. You may receive visits from outside individuals such as attorneys, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or even the police following an incident, which can further disrupt your work environment.

Equipment losses

Tools or equipment that were directly involved in the accident may have to be taken out of service until investigation and litigation is over. This could mean buying or renting replacements.

Low morale

Following an injury, other employees may become distracted and uneasy as they worry about their own safety and risk of being injured. Employees who witnessed the accident, or who may feel somewhat to blame, might also be dealing with lingering trauma. They might also feel less confident in their supervisors or the company.

An injury can also disrupt the dynamic between your workers. Other employees may be resentful toward an injured worker who is off work or on light-duty, or they may doubt that the employee is actually injured.

Harm to company reputation

If word gets out about a workplace injury, it could harm your company’s reputation. Customers and prospects could get the impression that your company doesn’t take care of its workers. Additionally, your employees may have to field questions or opinions from people outside the company about the accident.

Financial costs to injured workers

Injured workers who, prior to the injury, made more than the maximum compensation rate allowed by their state will take a pay cut if they can’t immediately return to their regular work. Employees who can’t ever work again could miss out on the future wage increases they thought would secure their financial stability. Being injured at work can continue to impact employees financially for years to come.

Costs to injured workers’ families

The families of injured workers often suffer from the same financial losses as the employee, and family expenses can increase, too. They may have to pay for services the injured employee can no longer perform, such as snow removal, lawn mowing and house cleaning.

There are many good reasons to do everything you can to prevent work injuries. Knowing the hidden costs provides you with a fuller picture of all that’s at stake.

Mitigating costs

The best way to avoid the hidden costs of work injuries is to focus on workplace safety and prevent accidents before they happen.

But if an injury does occur, here are a few things you can do to help your injured worker recover and avoid unnecessary costs.

Stay in contact with your claims representative

They can help you take a proactive approach in preventing some of these hidden costs.
Encourage return-to-work

Getting your injured employees back to work quickly in light-duty positions lowers your claim costs and helps prevent re-injury.
Check in with injured employees

Contact your workers regularly to check on their well-being and recovery.
Communicate with all your employees

Being open with your employees about protocol following work injuries and offering them support can boost morale. Let them know what your expectations are following a claim.
Communicate with the medical provider

Working with your injured employee’s medical provider can help facilitate return-to-work. See our past post on why employers should get to know medical providers to learn more.

Focusing on workplace safety and preventing injuries before they happen will go far to protect your employees and your organization from harm.

Fall prevention focus of Safety Stand-Down week

Posted on May 7, 2018April 20, 2021 by Patty Busse

Did you know that falls are the leading cause of worker death in the construction industry? Falls from elevation accounted for 384 of the 991 fatalities in construction in 2016. Fall prevention is an easy an important way to keep your workers safe and save lives.

One of the reasons falls are so common is due to lack of proper equipment and training. In 2017, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) included fall protection general requirements, scaffolding requirements and fall protection training requirements on their list of the top most cited violations for the year.

May 7 – 11, 2018 is National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction week. This is a voluntary event where employers are encouraged to engage their employees on the importance of fall prevention. Companies can take a break from work and allow supervisors and employees to have an open discussion about safety.

Fall prevention

Proper fall protection is key to prevention. According to OSHA, fall protection is any equipment, device or system that prevents a worker from falling or that diminishes the effects of a fall. Safety standards for construction require that workers use fall protection whenever they are more than six feet off the ground. In general industry, the requirement is four feet.

Hazards that may cause a fall include leading edge work such as roofs or bridges, roof holes and manholes, ramps and runways, steel erection, articulating lifts, bore pits, shafts and work over open tanks. Fall protection is required in hoist areas, runways, areas above dangerous equipment, wall openings, repair pits, stairways and scaffolds.

There are many options for fall protection:

Covers
Guardrail systems
Personal fall arrest systems
Positioning devices
Warning lines
Controlled access zones (CAZs)
Safety net systems
Travel restraint systems
Ladder safety systems

Before beginning a task, workers should utilize pre-task planning to reduce the chances of falling. Workers should also assess the task to choose compatible fall arrest equipment. Ensure sturdy construction and anchor points prior to starting the job.

Personal fall arrest systems must be properly selected, maintained, inspected and utilized. Do not mix components from different models. All open sides of the work area should be marked with warning lines at least 6 feet back from the edge. Clearly mark the lines with high visibility flags.

Training also plays an important role. A qualified person must train workers on how to correctly identify and minimize hazards, use personal fall protection and maintain, inspect and store equipment or systems used for fall prevention. If your company doesn’t have someone trained in fall protection, bring in an expert to help.

Additional resources

Watch out for everyday electrical safety hazards

Posted on May 2, 2018April 20, 2021 by Patty Busse

You probably don’t think too long about grabbing an extension cord or plugging something in to an outlet. It’s easy to forget that these everyday activities can pose a risk for fires, shock and even electrocution if done improperly.

Extension cord safety

Extension cords are often used incorrectly.

Here’s what you need to know to use one safely:

Choose a round, three-wire grounded extension cord versus a two-wire or flat-wire cord.
Choose an extension cord that’s rated for the electrical load needed and type of use, such as residential versus commercial.
Check cords regularly for cracks, tears, exposed wires and missing ground plugs. If you find anything wrong, take the cord out of service and tag it for repair or throw it away.
Don’t place cords under carpets or furniture and never string them through doorways, walls, windows, ceilings or floors.
Do not fasten an extension cord to a wall.
Buy an extension cord that is long enough for the job; don’t chain multiple cords together.
To disconnect a cord, pull on the plug, not the cord.
Follow the information on the cord’s warning label.
Don’t use an extension cord for more than one appliance.
Don’t use a multi-plug extension cord, as these don’t have a fuse built in to protect you from overloading the cord.
Only use extension cords for temporary needs, lasting 90 days or less. For anything more, use permanent wiring, conduit and outlets to prevent fires and electric shock.
When in doubt, ask a qualified electrician or maintenance employee to review your electrical setup.

Extension cords are often used for power tools on construction sites. For more on this, read our blog post on hand and power tool safety.

To give a quick talk to your employees on extension cord safety, see our Electrical extension cord safety 5-Minute Solution.

Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet safety

You’ve probably seen a GFCI outlet in your bathroom or kitchen. Many contractors use them whenever they need temporary power.

These outlets can help protect you from electrocution by quickly shutting off electricity when there’s a ground fault.

GFCI protection can come in the form of an outlet, portable outlet, cord or a circuit breaker panel with a test and reset button.

It’s important to test and reset GFCI outlets periodically to make sure they’re working properly. To do this:

Plug a light into the outlet.
Push the test button.
If the light goes off, push the reset button and the light should go on again. That means it’s working. If the light does not go off, have a qualified electrician repair the GFCI before using the outlet.

On a construction site, test and reset GFCIs daily before use.

Other electrical safety risks

There are a number of other electrical safety hazards you should be aware of at home and work, such as:

Stay away from overhead electrical service lines when climbing ladders.
Don’t use metal ladders when doing electrical work. Also, don’t use them when doing work near power lines.
Use proper lockout/tagout procedures for machinery that needs maintenance or repair.

Electricity can pose a serious hazard in any workplace. Remember to use it safely to protect yourself and your coworkers.