As a business owner, you want to keep your costs down. Part of how you can accomplish that is to equip your team and prep the workspace with protocols to encourage safety and reduce injuries. For example, you can provide regular safety training and demonstrations for how to perform tasks and use equipment. Additionally, you can partner with a physical therapist through an industrial rehab program, who can provide tailored recommendations and coaching for individual workers and your entire team. Taking these steps can help reduce the number of workers’ comp claims at your facility and decrease the total cost to you when accidents occur.
Lyons Physical Therapy devotes its resources to equipping employers with the tools to educate their workforce about job safety. We also provide on-site training, coaching, and physical therapy to help businesses feel supported. Many companies have trusted our industrial rehab providers to help them develop systems that keep costs and workers’ compensation claims down.
What Is the Total Cost of Workplace Injuries?
According to the National Safety Council, the total cost of workplace injuries in 2022 reached $167 billion nationwide. As the NSC explains, this includes payment for lost wages, medical bills, and decreased productivity due to workers being out on leave. Additionally, this total encompasses the administrative expenses involved in investigating workplace accidents, filling out injury reports, filing insurance paperwork, and handling workers’ comp claims.
Workplace accidents are bound to happen, regardless of how careful people are. But, you can significantly reduce the risk by implementing programs and launching training to help create a supportive, safe, and productive environment.
5 Workplace Safety Tips To Reduce Workers’ Compensation Claims
Workplace injuries are inevitable; however, you and your team can take several steps to help limit the chance of a job-related accident or injury. For example, having high-quality personal protective equipment and knowing how to use it can help keep employees safe. Making sure your team takes regular breaks, understands how to use equipment, and knows the latest safety techniques can also help limit the number of accidents on the job. Finally, an industrial rehab provider can provide personalized guidance and help your injured employees reenter the workforce after being out on leave.
Equip Your Team With Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment (PPE) can go a long way toward keeping your employees safe as they perform hazardous tasks. Make sure that you know what PPE is required for each situation. Moreover, check in with or observe your workers to ensure they’re using PPE at the correct times in the right way.
Additionally, consider having regular inspections of the available PPE to ensure it’s still in good condition and serves your workers effectively. It may be a good idea to have a regular schedule where you touch base with your employees to see what’s been working for them and what they need. Likewise, be sure that you stay on top of regulation changes from organizations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The PPE required for a task years ago may not reflect standard practice currently.
Regularly Provide Safety Training
An informed workforce is less likely to engage in risky practices that jeopardize their well-being. For example, if workers know proper lifting, twisting, and reaching postures, they are less likely to strain joints and muscles by moving them in precarious ways. You can help protect your workers by giving them the knowledge they need to make informed decisions so they can work with rather than against their bodies.
As you add new tasks and workers to your team, it’s a good idea to revisit old safety training so they reflect the latest medical understanding. Additionally, existing employees may need refreshers on best practices. Consider requiring all your employees to renew their safety training on a regular schedule—e.g., quarterly or yearly.
Make Sure Your Team Takes Regular Breaks
Federal and state laws have rules about how frequently workers can and must take breaks. A vast majority of workplace injuries are due to overexertion, exhaustion, repetitive use, and overheating. One way to help limit the number of entries that fall within these categories is to ensure employees take breaks at their scheduled times.
You may also benefit from creating a supportive environment where workers can listen to their bodies. Be mindful of how physically demanding different projects are. It may be helpful to find a way to balance your productivity goals while also allowing recovery days so you don’t push your workers past their limit.
Coach Your Workers on How To Use Equipment and Machinery Correctly
Another way to help curb workplace entries is to ensure your workers know how to correctly use equipment and machinery. You can include this as part of the onboarding process for new hires. It’s also a good idea to have manuals and live training available so that everyone knows what each machine and piece of equipment is for and how to use them properly.
Existing employees may also benefit from a refresher on these features to help them streamline their processes. For instance, they might not know about a new piece of equipment added to the work site or how they can benefit from using it. The equipment may remove some of the safety risks involved in how the worker did things under a previous system.
Partner With an Industrial Rehab Program Provider
Participating in an industrial rehab program is an excellent way to make sure your team has access to supportive techniques and guidance for the long term. With this program, a physical therapy team collaborates with you and your staff. They learn what kinds of tasks are required as part of the job and what areas lead to accidents and workers’ comp claims. The provider can observe your team and give targeted advice and tips so your employees are less likely to do things that increase their chance of getting hurt.
The physical therapist can also provide individual and group training to teach workers supportive postures and techniques. Additionally, the medical professional can guide stretching and other restorative practices, which can help reduce the chance of injuries due to overexertion. The physical therapist is also available to coach injured workers as they try to transition back to their jobs. The provider can perform evaluations to figure out what the person’s limits are and how to best honor those while helping them be productive members of the team.
What Is an Industrial Rehab Program, and How Do I Know if I Need It?
Industrial Rehabilitation Programs are partnerships formed between a business and a physical therapy provider. The medical professional offers a suite of services—such as on-site training and coaching—to individuals and employees at large for a specific agency. For example, the PT for businesses might give a company-wide demonstration on how to properly lift, twist, or bend while performing manual tasks. They also observe staff members to identify potential accident or injury risks and use this information to guide future offerings.
Likewise, industrial rehab providers evaluate injured workers and help them return to the job safely. Employees who return to work too early or too late can have a difficult time transitioning. Scar tissue may build up and make it harder for them to move in the way they did before the accident. Or, the person may push themselves past what their body is able to do at that time. Both scenarios set the worker up for re-injury.
An industrial rehab program gives the employer access to a physical therapist who can help bridge this gap. The work injury PT develops personalized and practical tips so individuals work with rather than against their bodies after an accident. They evaluate the person’s functional limits, assess the physical demands of their old job, and develop treatment recommendations accordingly. They create a regimen that fosters individual healing while also aligning with the business’s productivity goals. This can help reduce the amount of time someone is away from work and the number of workers’ comp claims they need to file overall.
Lyons Physical Therapy: Industrial Physical Therapists Serving Nevada Businesses
Owning and running a business is hard, and unexpected costs like workers’ comp claims can significantly strain your company’s productivity and budget. Taking steps like regularly training your employees on safe practices, providing them with effective and compliant personal protective equipment, and encouraging them to take breaks can help limit injuries and accidents. Enlisting the help of industrial physical therapists can fortify your team and help limit the number and costs of workers’ comp claims.
At Lyons Physical Therapy, we empower business owners by equipping them with the tools they need to keep their staff safe and reduce the number of workers’ comp claims. We understand how challenging it can be when job accidents keep you from having the people required to meet your productivity goals. Our team includes David Tatlock, PT, who provided physical therapy services to the Auburn University football, basketball, and baseball teams. He also provided care to Cirque du Soleil acrobats and performers. Contact us today by calling 702-728-4260 to find out how our industrial rehab program can serve you, too.
