Programs and Events

Controlling Workers Compensation Claims and Expenses

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

9:00am - 11:00am
$79.00 Members, $129.00 Nonmembers
AGC Conference Center, Wellesley

Controlling Workers’ Compensation Claims and Expenses 

What You Need to Know to Stay in the Game                          

A Special Program at AGC Conference Center

How does your company handle a work-related injury from the time it occurs to the time it is resolved?  Ask yourself these ten questions and determine how many you can safely determine are under control.

• What type of incident report form do you use for a work-related accident? 
• Is there a section where a supervisor or safety personnel can provide specific information on:
  • How the accident occurred?
  • Who witnessed the accident?
  • What action has been taken to prevent recurrence?
  • A statement from the injured worker as to what occurred? 
• Who reviews these reports?  Who is responsible for correcting the exposure? 
• What is the time requirement to submit a Report of Injury/Illness to your agent or carrier? 
• If the accident involves lost time for the worker, how does the company maintain its line of communications with:  (a) the injured worker? (b) the insurance agent/carrier? 
• What is your drug testing policy for (a) pre-employment (b) post-accident (c) random? 
• What is your return-to-work/light duty program? 
• What is the company’s internal policy on communications between its management staff and the injured worker(s)? 
• What is the current Experience Modification Factor for your company?  How can it impact your ability to get work? 
• Has it increased or decreased over the past five years?  What is your plan to reduce it?

Although premium costs on workers’ compensation have significantly declined over the years, every work-related incident – no matter how minor – adds up to your frequency of accidents. 

Your experience modification factor is determined by the number of accidents your employees experience. The rationale that insurance rating bureaus use is that accidents recur with companies that have no effective plan or procedure for the correction of accident-related exposures.  At some point in the future a circumstance or exposure that had resulted in a minor injury will turn into a major lost-time incident.

Why should you know this?  Because owners want to hire companies that have their potential exposures under control.  Because general contractors and construction management firms want to hire subcontractors that have their potential exposures under control as well.  Many – if not all – ask for your EMF or EMR.  If you address only your lost-time accidents, maybe you are treating the results but not determining the cause. 

With our current economy, there is often less time devoted to safety and claims management.  In this morning program at AGC, find out what your firm should be doing now and what information is critical to a low-maintenance, cost-effective program.  Identify and control your risk and minimize the exposure.

MCAP Contributors All MCAP-contributing firms will receive 75% reimbursement of their registration fees - up to a maximum of $2000 per program, after full registration is paid to AGC.