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Agricultural Safety Program
Reducing the risks in the agricultural workplace!
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Handling the Injured Worker: Maximizing Results,
Minimizing Costs
(Summary of Safety Breakfast Meeting held Wednesday, March 11, 1998)
THE BEST TIME TO ADDRESS WORKER INJURIES
Consider the question: "When do you begin handling the injured
worker?" If your answer was: "Before he or she is injured,"
your business has the right approach to Worker's Compensation and loss
prevention, according to Martin Acree, a risk management and Worker's
Compensation claims consultant who spoke at California State University,
Fresno recently.
Acree was the featured speaker at the March Safety Breakfast Meeting
hosted by the university's Center for Agricultural Business. Safety
breakfast meetings are held monthly and address current safety issues
faced by employers in the agricultural and agribusiness arenas. Theme for
the March meeting was "Handling the Injured Worker: Maximizing
Results, Minimizing Costs."
With more than 10 years experience in the worker's comp industry, Acree
stressed the importance of communication with employees before and
after injuries take place. Worker safety should be emphasized at all
phases of the employee's job, including during hiring, orientation,
training, and production. "Most people like their jobs" and want
to do well, including avoiding injuries. But they must be made aware and
trained in the importance of job safety, Acree said.
ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE LOSS PREVENTION
Reducing injuries and financial losses due to injuries requires careful
planning and vigilance on the part of an agricultural employer. The
following are elements of a safety and loss prevention program that should
be addressed:
- Leadership by Top Management Top level management must maintain enthusiasm
for a program in order for it to succeed.
- Engineering Controls Hazardous procedures must be avoided and/or
corrected.
- Medical & Health Controls Physicians involved need to have a
complete understanding of the Worker's Compensation system.
- Emergency Preparedness Must have a plan in place.
- Human Resource Procedures Safety issues should be addressed
during recruiting, hiring, training, etc.
- Employee and Supervisor Training Do safety meetings; and do them
right!
- Task Observation, analysis and modification Be ready to make
changes for safety's sake.
- Accident/Incident Investigation and Analysis Investigation plan
should be in place.
- Communication Lines should be open at all times.
- Personal Protective Equipment (human engineering) Keep up to date
on the latest.
- Program Evaluation System Should be able to show whether our
program is having an impact.
- Purchasing Coordination Keep account of costs.
ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE CLAIMS MANAGEMENT
Injuries will result in claims, and it will pay off to have a
comprehensive program and experienced personnel able to efficiently
address the issues. Following are the elements that should be considered
when compiling an effective claims management program:
- Leadership by top management
- Hiring & orientation
- In-house coordinator
- Paperwork a necessary evil?
- Selection of medical provider
- On-site first aid
- Coordination with health insurance
- Accident/incident investigation and analysis
- Return to work
- Post-injury follow-up
- Accident review
- Carrier relations
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For additional help in handling the injured worker, see a qualified
loss control consultant. Workshop speaker Martin Acree may be contacted
through Acree Business Services, 4023 North Tollhouse Road, Fresno, CA
93726, or at (559) 227-2570
UPCOMING SAFETY BREAKFAST MEETING
The next Safety Breakfast Meeting hosted by the Center for Agricultural
Business will be Wednesday, April 8, 1998, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the
CATI Conference Room at the California Agricultural Technology Institute,
2910 E. Barstow Ave., Fresno.
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