“Help me, help you….” – Jerry McGuire
As we continue to meet with and assist ABC members, we notice trends when it comes to Worker’s Compensation Claims and overall Safety Culture. Incident Reporting, OSHA 300 Recording, and Hiring Practices are three miscues that continually arise.
Incident Reporting
This is your OSHA 301 Form/ABC Incident Report and is required by OSHA to be filled out within 7 calendar days. ABC requires this be filled out within 5 days; we recommend this be filled out within 24 hours. Be sure and capture this information before the details fade. The sooner you report an incident to your account manager, the quicker they are working on the claim - ultimately saving you money. Incident Reporting should not only be used for true accidents due to work-related activities, but also for near Hits/Misses, which can help decrease future risks.
OSHA 300 Recording
If you have more than 10 employees at any time during the previous calendar year, you are required to record workplace injuries and illnesses according to the General Recording Criteria on an OSHA 300 log. Remember not every Worker’s Compensation Claim is an OSHA 300 recordable (….and not every OSHA 300 recordable is a Worker’s Compensation Claim). Determining whether an incident is a recordable event can be tricky. Please contact us to help you navigate this process.
Subsequently, you must post your OSHA 300A Summary from the previous year (not the log) in a common area visible for all employees by February 1st and keep it posted until April 30th.
Hiring practices
One of the key elements of a safe working environment is understanding how proper staffing and hiring practices can affect your risk to potential workers’ compensation claims.
This starts with the job posting and application. Put together a detailed job posting and thorough application with specific requirements for what you need. Once you receive applications or resumes, call previous employers and make a few inquiries – ask if the applicant would be considered for re-hire. Ask for an entire work history - do they have a stable work pattern, or do they have new jobs every 6-8 months? Are there any significant gaps within the work history? This could indicate a previous injury, letting you know that the candidate may not be physically suited for the position they are applying for.
Putting together an effective program using these tools during busy times can be challenging. We offer free trainings on these practices for Retro Members and would be happy to meet at a time and place that is convenient for you. If you’d like to discuss these concepts further or set up an appointment, please call David Boehm at (206) 579-5749 or email dboehm@aspireconsultllc.com.