Prevention through Job Analysis

Sometimes you just don’t know what will hurt you until it actually does. In the case of a worker performing a job, there are processes by which employers can measure each job function and determine an injury probability.

This helps in a few ways:
Identifies job hazards. You can’t avoid what you don’t see. If your workers are suffering repeated back, shoulder, or joint injuries, a job analysis could determine exactly why that is.

Allows for modification. Suppose your workers are filing workers’ compensation claims for back injuries rather frequently. An analysis of the job uncovers some improper lifting techniques. You are then able to put training in place that helps modify those habits, thus reducing the number of workers’ compensation claims.

Helps with establishing modified duties. If you know exactly what physical requirements each job entails, you can build a modified return-to-work plan that more effectively protects the worker’s recovery while returning him or her to work sooner.

Can help determine if the injury is work-related. Not all workers’ compensation claims are a result of an actual work injury. When adjudicating a claim, a workers’ compensation adjuster can use a job analysis to determine what job functions may have caused the injury, and what may not seem likely given the physical demands of the position.

Allows for better training. Not only can you train your current employees more effectively, but you can further reduce the instance of improper work habits by training new employees on the modifications needed to bring down those workers’ comp claims.

Reveals need for protective/different equipment. For example, your data entry department has an unusually high number of carpal tunnel claims. A job analysis reveals that the desks you’ve provided do not have adjustable keyboard trays, thus creating a strain risk.

Helps with establishing safety guidelines. Probably the primary benefit of a comprehensive job analysis is gaining the knowledge needed to build a stronger safety program. By knowing how much and how often your employees are lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, or how they’re sitting and moving, you can then create workflow processes that reduce the repetitive movements, lower the maximum weight lifted, and give employees breaks in order to relieve the stress on the joints.

Some state workers’ compensation boards offer job analysis templates to help you get started with your job analyses. Still, for a more comprehensive study of the physical demands and strain present in each position, a vocational management team trained in job analysis can uncover those hidden areas of concern and offer solutions and modifications that can significantly reduce your company’s workers’ comp risks.

Acute Injury Management: Reducing Indemnity Costs

When Carl slipped and fell in the coffee room Friday afternoon, his employer Gary insisted he see the company’s workers’ compensation provider. Carl balked, saying it was just a slip and he was fine. Gary allowed him to return to work.

However, over the weekend Carl was experiencing headaches and nausea. An emergency room visit later, he was diagnosed with a concussion. Gary, thinking it was minor, didn’t follow up. A week later, Carl was released from the hospital. Having had no word from Gary or the company, Carl began to feel unappreciated. Three weeks later, he filed suit against his company for negligence.

Despite our best efforts at safety and wellness, employees have injuries. Whenever an employee is injured, the goal of your health care and cost containment plan shifts from injury prevention to reduction in lost time. That begs the question – how do we get the injured worker treated properly and back to work in a reasonable amount of time?

By managing the injury throughout the injury lifecycle. We’ve found that medical case management is the most effective method of reducing indemnity costs. By getting the injured worker into treatment quickly and by managing treatments and appointments, employers can greatly reduce their indemnity costs and get workers back on the job sooner.

At SRS Group, we employ early treatment methodologies to get the injured worker into therapy immediately after an injury:
- Care coordination: by managing treatments, appointments, and all necessary communication, a care coordinator can ensure that injured workers are receiving all prescribed therapies and treatments.
- Clear communication with the injured worker, provider, and employer: this in turn assures a worker who feels cared for, which can reduce the potential for legal action.
- Priority appointment scheduling: by using a preferred provider network, employers can be assured that workers are seeing a physician early in the injury phase, which can lower any instance of an exacerbated condition.
- Status updates: employers should receive regular updates after each physician visit. This can help employers make informed decisions on how to assist in getting the injured worker back on the job, or what interim arrangements need to be made to accommodate the absence.
- Immediate, 24/7 access and easy reporting: A key component of SRS Group’s Acute Injury Management Program is the availability of a RN case manager 24/7, the immediate access of Medical Provider panel along with the 1-800 number to report an injury 24/7. Employers direct their injured employees to call the 800 number to report ALL injuries and receive medical direction. Triage services are available with immediate reporting to the employers designated contact personnel. If additional services are needed to coordinate treatment then telephonic management of the case ensues until the injured worker returns to work – 95% of the time within 2-4 weeks.

The goal of any acute management program is to apply proactive, aggressive cost containment solutions that aid in the management of injured workers. By managing the injury from the outset through to recovery, employers can contain medical, legal, and operational costs and help restore good health to the employee while ensuring a healthy employer/employee relationship.