Early Incident Reporting Saves Money and Headaches
A strong focus and commitment to injury prevention is the most surefire way to improve your safety metrics and reduce your workers’ comp costs. When prevention activities fail, and an injury occurs, it is equally important to have strong claims handling procedures in place. In fact, our data supports that claims reported within a week are 44% less expensive than those reported at four weeks! Here are some other benefits of early claim reporting:
- Decreases attorney involvement – 31% of claims reported after four weeks have attorney involvement.
- Claims close faster – 71% of claims reported after four weeks are still open at 18 months.
- Allows immediate incident investigation, which can help your safety team identify cause and avoid similar injuries in the future.
- Promotes a caring and helpful atmosphere. When you know an incident occurred, you can help your worker navigate the confusing L&I system and overcome barriers with medical treatment.
- Provides critical information for early claims management.
- Provides a level of accountability and helps you avoid fraudulent claims.
Our team of dedicated claim managers is here to help you navigate the claims process, and the sooner we know about a claim, the sooner we can help. Please report claims to us immediately by calling your ERNwest Claim Manager, reporting claims via email at claimsreporting@ernwest.com, or report claims securely online in our ERNwest Reporting Portal.
Return to Work (RTW)
The single most powerful tool an employer has in controlling its workers’ compensation costs is immediately providing meaningful work.
OCTOBER TIP: Don’t forget L&I reimburses up to half of the modified-duty wages you pay your employee. This savings makes immediate return-to-work even more cost-effective for you as an employee.
Focus on Safety (FOS)
SLIPS, TRIPS or FALLS (STOF)
Each month we will focus on these types of incidents which cause the most injuries in the food industry.
When it Comes to Wet Surfaces, Don’t Slip Up
Wet weather can be a nuisance, meaning a lull in retail business and wet messes tracked in by customers and employees. Moreover, the wet walking surfaces present a serious slipping hazard for you, your customers and your vendors. Download the Retail Safety: Be Aware of Slip Hazards PDF.
ERNwest FOS Webinar Series – October Training
Each month ERNwest offers topical discussions about safety strategies unique to your industry. Check out our presenters in October.
10/26/2021 | 10:00 AM
Get It Together: Transforming Safety Culture and Performance Through Increased Safety Participation
Presented by: Julie Hile and Jonathan Seiden, The Hile Group
REGISTER
This session will feature case studies from Hile Group’s diverse client portfolio, illustrating how safety pros, ops managers, executive leaders, and front-line workers can work together to turn a vision of proactive safety into daily practice. Participants will take away an overview of how mixed teams build sustainable safety cultures within their companies and the ways to start collectively changing mindsets and behavior.
Other October Webinar Training
Download the 2021 Calendar of FOS Webinars as part of our available training and refer back to ERNwest.com/training for updates and additions.
10/12/2021 | 10:00 AM | Mentoring for Safety – Coaching vs Discipline
10/21/2021 | 10:00 AM | Mentoring for Safety – Coaching vs Discipline
Presented by: ERNwest
Mentoring, coaching and discipline are powerful tools when used appropriately. This class will walk managers, supervisors and leaders through the differences between the three. Through discussion and examples, attendees will learn what each is best suited for and when to apply them.
L&I Announces 2022 Rates
L&I Proposes a 3.1% Rate Increase
Labor and Industries recently published proposed base rates for 2022. When considering all risk classes in the state, the proposal amounts to an average 3.1% increase, although specific risk classes may see rates move higher or lower than the 3.1% average. The proposed 2022 rates for the most popular risk classes in WFIA are:
L&I is attributing much of the increase to an increase in the Supplemental Pension Fund (SPF) portion of your rates, which pays for cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) on lifetime pension claims. Pension COLAs are indexed to the state’s average wage, and Washington experienced a 10.1% increase in the state average wage last year. Click here for L&I’s full announcement, and your opportunity to provide public comments on this year’s proposed rates.
ERNwest has obtained your company’s specific 2022 experience modification factor (EMF) and rates and will be sending those to you shortly. If you have any questions about your rates and to talk about strategies for lowering your rates in the future, please contact ERNwest at josterberg@ernwest.com.
Upcoming Training
ERNwest presents topics such as Understanding Industrial Insurance Rates, What is Retro? and Using Kept on Salary and Modified Duty Effectively on a monthly basis. Select a topic for more information and to register.
10/05/2021 | 10:00 AM | Understanding Industrial Insurance
10/07/2021 | 2:00 PM | What is Retro?
10/19/2021 | 10:00 AM | Fundamentals of Claims Management
10/26/2021 | 10:00 AM | Using Kept on Salary and Modified Duty Effectively
Find more training online at ernwest.com/training.
Latest COVID-19 Updates
Additional Retro Resources
WFIA Safety Resources
Access WFIA and general safety resources. Learn more.
Workplace incident or injury?
Contact ERNwest first.
Report incidents immediately so that your claims manager is aware and can help guide you through the process. ERNwest.com/report-an-incident
Contacts
WFIA Retro Questions?
Julie Osterberg, WFIA Group Manager (253) 881-5669 | JOsterberg@ernwest.com
WFIA Safety Questions?
Brent Olson CSP, CIH, WFIA Safety Manager (253) 237-0803 | BOlson@ernwest.com