Executive Summary : Kansas Building Industry Workers Compensation Fund

To help us process your claims more efficiently, we are providing you with a copy of our Workers’ Compensation intake sheet similar to the sheets we use for our PIP Arbitration matters. Please submit this cover sheet completed with your file when you provide our office with the initial files. Please put this sheet first in any PDF that you send to our office. All intakes for Workers Compensation should be forwarded to “Attention: Penelope Rodriquez” at wcfile@massoodlaw.com.

Working as a loss control consultant for XYZ manufacturing company, various aspects of information need to be acquired prior to visiting. Assessing procedures for safety awareness and loss prevention practices, while reporting outcomes, and then deliberating with the underwriters. Within XYZ manufacturing company these areas include the following topics: record logs, the number of workers, ergonomics, the hazard level, training and orientation plans, and previous work recovery programs. Developing a new policy for XYZ manufacturing company will be produced through evaluation and modification of these areas.

What document mandates the integration of composite risk management into the unit safety and occupational health program?

A.B 458 was presented by Jason Mills, representing the Nevada Justice Association. The purpose of this bill is to provide additional protections to injured individuals receiving workers compensation. For example, section 3 of the bill states that an individual is entitled to an independent medical examination for a workers compensation claim “that is open or when the closure of a claim is under dispute”. Additionally, Mills stated that section 3 of the bill would provide a second opinion to the injured employee in the form of an independent medical examination on a workers compensation case. Mills added that after speaking with insurers and the industry, he is willing to agree on an amendment in subsection 6 of section 3 of the bill. Since the insurer will have to pay for costs associated with an independent medical examination, Mills agreed with the insurers that they should have the right to see the results of the examination report. Furthermore, the bill would require insurers to provide at least three vocational rehabilitation counselors to the “injured employee or personal or legal representative of the injured employee.” This would give these individuals choices since they currently do not have

If you are suffering from physical or mental disorders, and are looking for the effective treatment, then visit a clinic offering acupuncture care. This natural technique does not involve the use of drugs and surgical instruments. It is safe, effective, and can deliver long lasting results.

City management requires all departments to have a safety committee to investigate safety issues and accidents occurring in the workplace. During the last eighteen months, two of our engine companies were involved in collisions; one while responding to an incident and the other while operating at an incident on the interstate. Determining fault is tasked with law enforcement, we must determine if our personnel operated safely. Recommendations for safer department practices is within the scope of the committee. Changes that we have made recently include: having a blocking apparatus on all highway incidents to shield the working engine. A written recommendation was sent to the chief of the department requesting the city traffic light department work with the Texas Department of Transportation to install optic-coms at intersections that are regulated by that agency. Looking for trends in accidents and injuries to improve safety and reduce time loss and costs for the department. Back injuries are responsible many workers compensation claims for the Waco Fire Department. Some of the injuries involved responses regarding bariatric patients. Attempting to reverse the trend by recommending the department purchase titan tarps to move these patients in lieu of

Worker’s Compensation programs first appeared a century ago in the U.S., introduced on a voluntary basis. At a time when few employers provided insurance or benefits for workers injured on the job it provided workers with insurance regardless of negligence at the cost of forfeiting one’s right to sue.

It is alarming to know that each year there are over 4,500 scaffold injuries and 65 deaths (Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA], 2016). In addition, there is a high risk for construction workers to be struck from objects falling off scaffolds. With these facts in mind, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission’s (OSHRC) 2013 case of the Secretary of Labor v Performance Contracting, Inc. (PCI) raises questions as to why violations of OSHA’s scaffold standards are sometimes considered “other-than serious.” Understanding that OSHA gives the Secretary of Labor the tasks of rulemaking and enforcement of its rules, it also gives the task of carrying out the legal process to the commission which both parties accepted, as well as PCI “engaging as a business affecting interstate commerce” (Secretary of Labor v. PCI, 2013, pp. 2-3). Knowledge of the case’s background, parties involved, arguments presented, cases used to reach a verdict, and final ruling provide insight to the penalties assessed, significance, and personal opinion.

Washington State’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) operates the state’s K-12 capital grant programs through the School Facilities and Organization (SF&O). The state’s largest grant is the School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP), which provides funding aid for facility planning, updates and new construction. Finley School District is currently utilizing the SCAP funding in the building construction and modernization in order to house a wood shop, a metal shop, two carrier and technical education (CTE) classrooms and two greenhouses.

In addition, OWCP made a decision to limit access to copies of correspondence sent to a claimant. The USPS and OWCP recently reached a compromise and the data suspension was lifted; however OWCP’s decision to terminate the agreement to jointly pursue third party cases remains in effect. The USPS programmers are currently working to update systems with the backlog of two years data. The suspension limits the ability of the agency to present current statistical data. The USPS employs a workers’ compensation model using actuarial methodologies to estimate our liability for the future payments. The model explicitly estimates the future payments for the most recent 15 injury years and relies on external independent actuaries for estimates of the older injury years and the development beyond 15 years. The USPS accrues a liability to reflect the present value of estimated future claim payments and records the costs as an operating expense. For the quarter ending March 31, 2015, USPS Workers’ liability is as follows: Compensation claims liability - $12.5 billion Medical liability $6 billion, for a future liability projection of $19.x

My view of the HAPI medical professional liability program (program) administrated by CAP remains favorable. My review of the selected claim files revealed no deficiencies in either their reserving or in the management of the claims. The HAPI claim files continue to be solely managed by CAP’s Sr. Claims Specialist, Steve Weitzer who has been overseeing this program for the past 19 years. Mr. Weitzer reports directly to HAPI’s Executive Vice President, Norm Slaustas. Both Mr. Weitzer and Mr. Slautas are highly engaged with one another working in partnership to produce a quality claims product on behalf of HAPI and their insured members. Based on the results of my review, we can expect HAPI along with CAP to have a positive impact on the overall

conduct and publish research relating to OHS and workers’ compensation in order to inform the development or evaluation of policies in relation to those matters

Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) identifies and accomplice with organizations and worksites that go beyond the occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) compliances. VPP organizations focus on compelling worker assurance past the necessities of OSHA norms. VPP members create and apply systematic outlines to adequately recognize, assess, counteract, and control work related dangers and fatal injuries (Bennett & Deitch, 2007). Subsequently, the normal VPP worksite has a lost workday rate no less than 50 percent underneath the normal of its industry (Bennett & Deitch, 2007).

According to the Bureau of Labor, statistics indicate that more than 4.1 million people were hurt or injured on-the-job in 2006 and 5,488 were killed in 2007 (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010, p. 511). Laws and regulatory requirements are currently in place to standardize and promote workplace safety. Organizations with extensive safety programs have reduced number of accidents, decreased workers’ compensation claims and lawsuits and lesser accident-related expenditures (Gomez-Mejia, et al, 2010, p. 511). This paper discusses the effects of legal, safety and regulatory requirements in

In the United States, construction has always been one of the most dangerous industries to work in. The number of fatalities that occur in this industry year after year demonstrate this. In 2014, 19.6% of worker fatalities, in private industry, were in construction (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015) despite the industry comprising only 6.8% of the total work force. This epidemic is not unique to the United States. Essentially every country faces similar problems regarding construction safety. For example, in 2004 the Australian construction industry employed approximately 8% of the countries workforce. However, workers compensation statistics indicated that the industry’s incidence rate was 28.6 per 1000 employees,