Reducing Workers’ Compensation Costs

Takeaways from the Briotix Health Webinar

One of our favorite partners, Briotix Health, recently held an online webinar called “The Hidden Costs of Musculoskeletal Injuries: 5 Ways to Reduce Your Workers’ Comp Costs in 2020.” Led by Industrial Sports Medicine Professional Kimberly Hansen, the webinar is part of a monthly educational series offered by Briotix Health.

Preventing musculoskeletal pain and injury is an important topic to us at BodyBilt, so we were excited to listen in and learn from the presentation. While the webinar offered many additional data points and valuable insights, we wanted to highlight two of the presenter’s tips on reducing the costs that result from musculoskeletal injuries.

Instill a Positive Safety Culture

According to Hansen, the success of an injury prevention program is mostly determined by how much support it gets from the immediate supervisors of the affected employees. A culture that encourages safety means those in authority avoid unintentionally discouraging reports of discomfort or injury. Positive safety culture also means that supervisors and managers make it a point to validate and discuss the physical demands of each job.

Create an Early Reporting System

Complex or inaccessible reporting systems significantly influence how long employees wait before reporting risks and injuries encountered in their work. An easy, accessible reporting system further encourages a safe work culture through earlier reporting of possible problems. This reporting system should include potential risks, discomforts associated with specific job tasks, and ergonomic concerns. Supervisors should make a habit to address reports within 24-48 hours, as this responsiveness will ensure employees continue to use it.

Conclusion

Building a positive safety culture and instituting an early reporting system are important steps in minimizing Workers’ Compensation costs. At the same time, these efforts also encourage a more productive and safe work environment. To learn even more about this topic including the rest of the tips, you can download the full Briotix Health webinar. We’re looking forward to gaining new insights from the next installment of this informative webinar series.