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Proper Lifting

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:41:00 -0400

Proper lifting is the key to injury prevention. The first step is planning the lift. Every time something is to be moved, you should always make a conscious decision to see yourself safely moving the object before you begin the task. This can prevent an injury from occurring by making a concerted mental effort before any physical force is exerted.

Today, we had an individual in our office who was performing an employment test. I was monitoring this individual who was being tested to return to work post injury. This type of test in our office is called a ‘Fit for Duty’. It is what it says, it is a test designed to ensure employees are ‘fit’ to return to full duty and assume all physical job tasks. This individual was preparing to lift a NIOSH box to demonstrate their ability to handle their physical job demands by demonstrating capacity to handle the lifting force requirements prior to job specific testing. This individual was more confident in handling lifting tasks after proper education. I decided to share that information here on today’s blog post.

A solid foundation is a must. Be sure to have your feet shoulder width apart. Also, be as close to the object as possible. This prevents an extended reach, an OSHA hazard. This also enables an individual the ability to bend with their knees and use their legs to lift. Never bend at the waist, always lower your butt to the floor when bending at the knees. The wide base allows this to movement to be fluid and prevent low back injuries. This also enables you to utilize the strongest muscles in your body; your leg muscles.

When you plan each lift with proper body mechanics, success in inevitable. Remember, to always plan each and every lift. Continuous planning throughout your day creates habits. Habitual planning of proper body mechanics before each lift is the pathway to preventing injuries during any lift.

I'm back

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:40:36 -0400

Most of you know, I got married on September 25, 2010. Now that the wedding is over and the pre-planning process is out of the way, I am back in the saddle…

First new account in SoCal

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:22:00 -0400

Today, I closed my first account in California. They are an industrial business with truck drivers, mechanics, and various forms of labor. Like every corporation in America, they have workers’ comp claims. This company hired an employee and after three months on the job, a back claim was filed. We KNOW this was either a preexisting condition or the employee was not physically capable to safely perform the physical demands of the job. Since this candidate wasn’t tested, there was no way to know. This claim cost the employer over $250,000!

Now, today, this employer can operate a safer work place and in the end provide better services to their customers. Additionally, this employer can become even more competitive in the market place by redirecting previous expenses on health costs (non income producing costs) and pass those saving to their customers. In the end, employers who are proactive have capacity to gain more market share due to increases in their contribution margin. They will employ a healthier workforce, the costs for their workers’ comp insurance premium will diminish, and they will see reductions in the personal health insurance because they are employing a healthier more capable work force.

Marketing to the hard headed

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:08:34 -0400

People still don’t get it. I was talking to a friend of mine. He’s a huge supporter of my new blog, me moving to SoCal to build this product, and just me in general. He works for a big state funded institution & I asked him, “Why doesn’t (your institution) do pre-employment testing?” His reply, “I don’t think it’s a huge issue, plus the state has all kinds of resources.”

This is where the thinking is WRONG. Statistically, 7-12% of all employees across the US are not capable to handle the essential functions of their job. Injuries occur in every industry. False claims are reported in every industry. State funded institutions should lead the way on preventative measures to reduce claims cost so they can use their “huge resources” on expense items that are more productive.

I guess that’s why, for now, I get paid the big bucks (I laugh as I type this) because I will find a way to show business owners they can take proactive measures & put thousands, if not millions back in their profit margin every year.

Sell Sell SELL!

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:49:50 -0400

I talk to people everyday that tell me, “You have a great product. You can prevent a company from having workers’ comp claims as a standard budgeted line item.” (they might not say it in those exact terms, but that’s what the mean). But it’s not the easiest product in the world to sell and it’s not a quick close. You see, this type of product takes time. Time to develop trust and develop a relationship. For most people, functional employment testing is outside of their paradigm; they have no context for it.

Some people think, ‘This guy is just another salesman trying to get my business card so I can end up on his worthless mailing list in hopes that one day I’ll change my mind.’

Look, I HATE being referred to as a salesman. That’s not what I do. Salespeople (IMO) are representatives for products that don’t possess the solvency to sell by themselves, therefore, representation is needed to supply the market with this product or service that must be explained so its features can be viewed to have benefit to the consumer. Functional employment testing just makes sense; it’s solvent. You want to reduce the number of lost days you have during a year? You are having a lot of high incidence claims? If you are experiencing set backs in production due to an aging workforce, you, like all the other issues need functional employment testing. I am merely attempting to show you how you can benefit by taking a proactive approach to workers’ comp claims management.

The benefits of functional employment testing speak for themselves. I’ve seen employees be able to remain healthy and stay in a working environment they love for years way past the norm for their age and job. All this occurred while the employer limited its risk by alerting the individual he/she would eventually have an injury and remove them from their current working environment. These employers handle these situations by relocating that employee to another department until they could regain the strength to handle essential job functions. I’ve seen corporations save MILLIONS of dollars in claims workers’ comp insurance premiums and MILLIONS in claim costs. These are win-wins for everyone.

The problem is it takes time to educate the marketplace since there is not proper branding for functional employment testing. Education takes time. Today I met with the biggest fish I’ve ever met in my life. This entity is a major employer and needs help managing workers’ comp costs. For a new marketing director (me) in an unfamiliar market (Ventura, CA), this is nothing more than a Godsend. I truly hope we are able to close this account (well outside the mean for closing accounts this size) so I can spend my time attempting to cultivate relationships with other business owners and HR managers in the area. My long-term goal is to build a healthier workforce in Ventura County and eventually California. It can only happen with one new account at a time.

Let's Do Carpal Tunnel Talk

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:34:00 -0400

Here are some stats on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

50% of CTS claims are filed within the first year of employment
15% of CTS claims are filed within the first three months of employment
The average CTS claim results in 34 lost work days
In the US there are approximately 260,000 CT operations each year; 47% are work related
Highest number of days lost among all worker’s comp claims
Annual cost of $80 billion to annual employers

Upper quadrant/CT tests are not used to diagnosek CTS. It’s performed only as a baseline test to identify abnormalities that have resulted in strength, motion, or sensory loss that correlate to pain or other symptoms consistent with common upper extremity problems and cumulative traumas like CTS. An employer with a candidate with CTS symptom magnification should engage with these candidates in the interactive process to determine if candidate can perform essential functions with or w/o reasonable accommodation or future medical risk. One alleviator for this is medical release from the candidates physician (that the candidate obtains on their dime). From there the physicians or specialist would determine if the candidate could perform the essential functions of the job without posing a medical risk.

An uncapable workforce conclusion

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:47:00 -0400

Finally, costs per claim in California is on the rise. The average claim cost is $48,603.25 in 2008. The supply of licensed healthcare professionals treating worker’s comp continues to decreases due to constraints on a national level. (These constraints are outlined in my journal publication titled “Goldratt’s Thinking Process Applied to the Problems Associated with: The Texas Worker’s Compensation System” Ethics & Critical Thinking Quarterly Journal, Volume 2008 Issue 1 and applies to CA employers) Additionally, the demand for care will be exponentially inelastic as sociological trends continue to skyrocket toward unhealthy lifestyle patterns. Believe me, the costs per claim will continue to increase as fewer licensed professionals treat worker’s comp claims and the frequency of claims will continue to increase as long as accountability of worker’s comp claims are 100% on employers. The costs of goods & services will continue to increase as corporations attempt to sustain profit margins. Moreover, the ability to remain competitive will reside in corporations ability to manage costs, not in raw materials, but in how it’s human resources are managed. We need accountability!

This spiraling chain can only be prevented with proactive preventative measures achieved in functional employment testing. Functional employment testing transitions liability away from the employer and enables the job candidate to prove capacity to handle the job’s essential functions & essential activities. Employers can also achieve these same preventative measures by annually testing the aging workforce. Look, if an employee struggles or shows inability to handle essential job functions/activities during a functional employment test in a safe clinical environment, they a going to experience the same results on the job site. But here’s the difference: if the candidate fails or struggles during a test, the licensed testing professional will stop the test to prevent injury. If the candidate fails on the job site the stakes are much higher. The stakes when failing on the job site could include but are not limited to: catastrophic injuries, damage to property, injuries to others, and even death. All of these lead to increased costs. This is why functional employment testing is actually an investment rather then an expense.

If a candidate or employee is not capable to handle the essential function/ability the question is NOT ‘if’ an injury will occur it’s ‘when’. Functional employment testing eliminates the guessing game.

An uncapable workforce reason #2

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:45:39 -0400

Another epidemic that will prove troublesome to employers is the increasing number of obese Americans. In 1985, there was not one state in the union with a total obese population greater than 15%. Also, in 1985, healthcare costs were 10% of the total United States GDP. By 1995, obese Americans were between 15-19% of the population in more than 25 states and healthcare costs were 13.3% as a percentage of GDP. By 2005, no state had an obese population less than 15%, 14 states had an obese population of 25-29%, and in 3 states the obese population was GREATER than 30%! In 2005, healthcare costs were 15.7% as a percentage of GDP! By 2008, (most recent data) only 14 states had an obese population of 20-24% and only state, Colorado, had an obese population of 15-19%. An astounding SIX states had an obese population greater than 30%. Not surprisingly, healthcare costs were 17% as a percentage of GDP! The direct correlation between obesity and healthcare cost is evident; claims of mutual exclusivity in these events are preposterous.

An uncapable workforce reason #1

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:44:17 -0400

BLS projects working adults 55-64 years old, will increase by 36% between 2006-2016. The baby boomers, although close to or at retirement age are not ready for retirement. Studies find that less than 30% of Americans in this age bracket have less than $10,000 in savings. With the recent financial crisis, poor money management practices, and lack of strategic financial planning, people are working longer. Industries with heavy labor positions and employers that have a high level of incidents with repetitive motion injuries have increased risk. The sons and daughters of the greatest generation might end up being the generation of greatest frustration for employers. The solution is not as simple as “escorting the elderly out the door”. Due to EEOC guidelines and FEHA (in California) employees over 40 are a protected class, however, employers who turn a blind eye to the aging workforce are likely to get knocked out by worker’s comp claims.

An uncapable workforce

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:32:00 -0400

The BLS reports California had 4.8 cases of injuries per 100 full time workers; the US average is 4.4. Musculoskeletal disorders & injuries are the country’s most costly form of worker’s comp claim. Musculoskeletal worker’s comp claims are $20 billion in direct costs and $100 billion on lost productivity. These costs can cripple a corporations ability to be competitive in a global marketplace. American employers are faced with sociological issues pertaining to: an aging epidemic, an obesity epidemic, and increasing medical costs. It’s getting more & more expensive as we get older & fatter.

Job Analysis

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:45:37 -0400

Job Analysis

The Problem with Worker's Compensation Claims

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:47:00 -0400

Worker’s Comp assumes:

People are perfect when they are hired.

They never get old, nor do their bodies deteriorate.

If there’s an injury, the employer is 100% liable.