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There are many ways an employee can get hurt on the job: falls, car crashes, and even workplace violence. But one of the most difficult and frustrating – not to mention costly – injuries for employers is repetitive motion injuries. A well thought-out plan to prevent those injuries can make all the difference. Many people think of repetitive motion injuries as being an office problem that can be fixed with ergonomic keyboards and better chairs. And while it is true that office workers can fall victim to repetitive motion injuries, most of the professions with high levels of these injuries do not involve working behind a computer. Those workers need different preventative solutions to the problem. The professions with the highest rates of injury include nurses, laborers, drivers, and construction workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is unsurprising, as all of these jobs involve making the same motions over and over again. The New York Times recently reported that bartenders – with all of the shaking and stirring – are beginning to develop repetitive motion injuries and high rates. This is supported by BLS statistics, which show that food workers are common victims of these kinds of injuries. There are many things employers can do to prevent and identify repetitive stress injuries in their workers. These tips can help those in a variety of industries:
What has been suspected for some time through anecdotal evidence has been confirmed: Obesity is systematically increasing the cost of workers compensation in the United States. NCCI Holdings examined thousands of workplace injuries to see if there was a difference between costs to treat those who were obese and the costs to treat those who were not. The results were staggering. The study found that, while individual claims varied considerably, there were large and systematic differences between those who were obese and those who were not. The study compared cases where people were the same age and sex, lived in the same state, were given the same preliminary diagnosis, and were in the same industry – but one group was obese and the other was not. Across the board, costs were far more costly for the obese group. Even more worrying was that there was a much higher chance that injuries will lead to a permanent disability among those who are obese. This is especially worrying for employers as the U.S. workforce is getting more obese every year. However, employers can only do so much to control the weight of their employees. Some employers have begun to encourage workplace health programs, just as many workplaces instituted anti-smoking programs over the last decade or two. Some have also installed gyms and tried to encourage healthy eating. The results of these programs are mixed, but employers with increasing workers compensation are likely to continue experimenting in an effort to lower their costs.
The fight is on in New York City over the spread of so-called crash taxes – charges levied by cities to respond to vehicle accidents. These fees have been spreading across the country in recent years, but have become more high-profile now that they have been proposed in New York. At a recent New York Fire Department hearing members of the insurance industry and other crash tax opponents took aim at the proposal, calling it double-taxation that will only drive up the cost of insurance. The hearing highlighted the main objections to the laws. First, that taxes are already levied to pay for the fire department and any additional fees amount to double-taxation. Second, that insurance companies do not generally pay for these fees and if they are forced to, it will drive up insurance rates for everyone. Third, that any such fees would encourage those involved in accidents to not call the police or fire department, thereby increasing the chance that serious accidents will go unreported. And lastly, the fact that these fees don't work well in raising revenue. Ellen Melchionni, president of the New York Insurance Association, explained that places such as Quincy, Massachusetts, are bringing in a small fraction of the money they thought would be produced by similar fees. The debate in New York is one the rest of the country can expect in coming years, if it hasn't already. Localities in 27 states already have crash taxes, while 10 states outlaw them completely. With tax revenue down and state and local governments looking for money any way they can, these fees are likely to continue to spread.
When people think of natural disasters in California, they naturally think of earthquakes. But as anyone who endured the latest snowmageddon on the East Coast can tell you, storms can often be just as damaging and disruptive as an earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey recently set out to determine what a truly massive winter storm could do to the Golden State. The conclusion is that in a worst-case scenario, California could suffer $725 billion in damage – three times the estimated damage of a major earthquake in Southern California. The worst-case scenario envisioned by the USGS is entirely plausible. In fact, a storm of such magnitude hit the state about 150 years ago. In the winter of 1861-1862 the state was ravaged by a series of storms that literally turned the state's Central Valley into an inland lake. Reports from the time detail a lake almost 300 miles long and 20 miles wide covering what is now some of the richest farmland in the world. The California state capital actually had to be temporarily moved from Sacramento because of the intense flooding. The USGS report also shows that this was not an isolated event, and that geological records show that similar flooding has taken place many times over the last 2,000 years. The report emphasizes the need for better planning. Most government agencies that would be tasked with responding to such a crisis are ill-prepared, according to the report. However, it isn't just government agencies that are ill-prepared; most Californians, if they are thinking about natural disasters at all, are thinking about earthquakes. Flood insurance is a key purchase for any business or homeowner as standard property insurance policies do not cover flood damage. Talk to your insurance representative if you are unsure of your coverage or have any questions about your risks.
For the last four years, West Virginia has led the nation in deer-vehicle collisions. According to State Farm Insurance, a driver in West Virginia has a 1 in 41 chance of hitting a deer in any given year, by far the highest risk in the country. But the state is not taking this problem lying down and is trying to come up with a plan to avoid more deer-related accidents and damage. Right now, the state's Division of Natural Resources relies mainly on hunting to control the deer population in the state, but this plan has met with little success. The state has 1 million deer and just 1.8 million people. And deer are causing $44 million in insured losses every year, according to a recent legislative audit. And it's not just deer-vehicle collisions that are leading to the losses; crops are also being damaged. Other states with a large number of deer-vehicle collisions – such as Michigan, Virginia and Maryland – have come up with plans to counter the problem. West Virginia is trying to emulate these other states, which have focused on deer population management and driver education to try to limit the damage done by deer in these states.
The fiscal year 2010 was a record high for employment discrimination charges, according to new numbers from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Almost 100,000 workplace discrimination charges were filed with the EEOC, a level the commission referred to as “unprecedented.” The increase in discrimination charges led to more than $404 million in losses by employers through EECO enforcement actions. The number of charges was up 7 percent over the 2009 fiscal year and more than 4 percent higher than 2008, previously the highest year on record. And it wasn't just discrimination actions that were on the increase during the fiscal year. The commission reported that there were increases in all major categories of charges against private sector employers. These categories include racial, sex, age and disability discrimination. The rise has largely been attributed to the recession, so it is possible that as the economy begins to improve in the coming year the number of charges filed with the EEOC will begin to drop. However, that doesn't mean businesses should ignore the threat that these charges represent. Just a single charge with the EEOC can be an expensive headache. So, while companies should do all they can to avoid charges being filed in the first place, having proper insurance coverage is crucial. While every employer is different, employment practices liability insurance is a key policy that every employer should consider. Talk to your insurance representative if you have any questions about what coverage is right for your company.
Tort costs in 2009 dropped by almost 3 percent, the first drop in tort costs since 2006, according to an annual report by Towers Watson. Much of this drop was attributed to the decline in economic activity, according to the report. But this good news is unlikely to continue. Towers Watson expects to see a substantial jump in tort costs when 2010 numbers become available. They blame actions associated with the gulf oil spill to be responsible for most of this increase. However, even without the spill, the report predicts a 2 percent rise in tort costs for 2010.
The American Tort Reform Foundation has released its annual list of what it considers the worst court systems in the country for defendants in civil lawsuits. Leading the list of 2010's “Judicial Hellholes” was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which the foundation says has enacted rules that encourage plaintiffs attorneys to file suit in the city. Philadelphia is new to the list, but the other five hellholes are repeat offenders. At number two on the list is California, which has long been known for plaintiff-friendly courts. Rounding out the list are West Virginia, South Florida, Cook County, Illinois, and Clark County, Nevada.
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