Return to Work (RTW)
The single most powerful tool an employer has in controlling its workers’ compensation costs is immediately providing meaningful work.
MARCH TIP: To keep your rates as low as possible, offer a reasonably continuous modified-duty position (work that you believe to be available for the foreseeable future) that fits within the restrictions provided by the medical provider and matches the workers’ pay and work pattern before being injured.
Focus on Safety (FOS) –
Ladder Safety
March is National Ladder Safety Month
Every year over 100 people die in ladder-related accidents, and thousands suffer disabling injuries. National Ladder Safety Month was designed to raise awareness and to decrease the number of ladder-related injuries and fatalities. It’s a great time to refresh staff on this valuable safety topic. Learn more.
ERNwest FOS Webinar Series – March Training
March 9, 2021 at 10am | Mentoring for Safety – Coaching vs Discipline
March 16, 2021 at 10am | Reduce Lift Injuries and Stop Doing What Doesn’t Work!
March 18, 2021 at 10am | Mentoring for Safety – Coaching vs Discipline
Each month ERNwest offers topical discussions about safety strategies unique to your industry. Download the 2021 Calendar of FOS Webinars as part of our available training and refer back to ERNwest.com/training for updates and additions.
L&I Will Calculate Your 2022 Rates Soon!
Every year on June 1, the WA Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) takes a snapshot of your workers’ compensation claim expenses to establish your company-specific rate for the next year. This year, on June 1, L&I will be looking at your company’s claims and hours reported during the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020 to establish your 2022 experience modification factor (EMF) and workers’ compensation rates.
The good news is that it’s not too late to lower your rates for 2022 and beyond. The two most important things you can do are:
- Make sure you return any injured employees back to physically appropriate work as soon as possible. Time-loss benefits add avoidable expenses to your claims and will keep them from closing. Not sure if you have work available? Contact ERNwest for help.
- Close as many claims as possible. Claims that are open when L&I is calculating your rates include estimated future expenses as additional costs. Closed claims do not.
Now is a great time to think outside the box and make a push to reduce your overall claim costs. Remember, your ERNwest claims team is here to help. Please work with your Claim Manager for strategies to return injured employees to work, reduce costs, close claims, and start reducing your L&I rates.
Questions? WFIA Group Manager: Julie Osterberg | 253-881-5669 | josterberg@ernwest.com
Helpful Safety Information
Beyond Zero Injuries – presented by Bill Sims
Are zero injuries the right safety goal, or is there a better one that will drive continuous improvement? Join us for an upcoming webinar hosted by Employer Resources Northwest, with featured speaker Bill Sims, who will teach us what lies Beyond Zero and how striving for this goal will not only help us survive but also thrive in today’s business landscape.
Get more information and register for the free session.
Late Night Retail Training Resources
Do you own or manage a retail business that operates between 11 pm and 6 am? Is that business something other than a restaurant, bar/tavern, or a hotel/lodging facility? Employers of all retail businesses operating between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am are required to provide training in robbery and violence prevention to help maintain employee safety. Late night retail store workers are at greater risk of robbery and other violent crimes than many other types of employers. Labor and Industries has put together a slide show that can be utilized to meet late-night retail training requirements for employers that fall into this group. Access the training slide show.
OSHA 300 Recordkeeping Reminder
Time to get up-close and personal with those OSHA logs and clean up Worker Injury and Illness records, in preparation for the recordkeeping scramble. Remember that if you are a “covered employer,” you have some obligations:
- If you are non-exempt from OSHA 300 recordkeeping requirements, you must keep a recordkeeping log and post your OSHA 300A Summary report in an area available to employees and employee representatives. Logs must be posted February 1st – April 30th. Find out if your business establishment is exempt for OSHA 300 recordkeeping.
- Specific businesses are required to provide an OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses in electronic format to Federal OSHA by March 2, 2021. Find out if you are required to report your logs electronically.
Questions? WFIA Safety Manager: Brent Olson | 253-237-0803 | bolson@ernwest.com
Upcoming Training
ERNwest presents topics such as Understanding Industrial Insurance Rates, What is Retro? and Using Kept on Salary and Modified Duty Effectively on a monthly basis. Select a topic for more information and to register.
March 2, 2021 at 10am | Understanding Industrial Insurance
March 4, 2021 at 2pm | What is Retro?
March 16, 2021 at 10am | Fundamentals of Claims Management
Find more training online at ernwest.com/training.
Latest COVID-19 Updates
Additional Retro Resources
WFIA Safety Resources
Access WHCA and general safety resources. Learn more.
Workplace incident or injury?
Contact ERNwest first.
Report incidents immediately so that your claims manager is aware and can help guide you through the process. ERNwest.com/report-an-incident
Contacts
WFIA Retro Questions?
Julie Osterberg, WFIA Group Manager (253) 881-5669 | JOsterberg@ernwest.com
WFIA Safety Questions?
Brent Olson, WFIA Safety Manager (253) 237-0803 | BOlson@ernwest.com