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Then think about ergonomics.
Creating a safe and productive work environment is critical for any business endeavor. Employees represent an organization’s most important, and typically most expensive, asset.
Whether it is in an office setting or on a production floor, companies are facing challenging ergonomic risks that impact productivity and contribute to rising workers’ compensation claims. In fact, musculoskeletal disorders account for more than one-third of all lost workday cases in most industries and all regions of the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Poor workstation design and inefficient workflow create safety and operational issues, i.e., productivity and production bottlenecks, quality variances, employee absenteeism, and turnover.
What Will You Say When They Ask What Happened?
Executives seeking to improve employee safety and productivity should ask themselves the following questions:
- Are ergonomic-related injuries contributing to rising workers’ compensation costs?
- Have I created a safe environment for employees?
- What ergonomic exposures are my employees facing?
- Is there a way to improve productivity by changing the work environment?
Who's Looking Out for You?
Marsh clients have experienced solid results:
- A regional bank reduced workers’ compensation costs by $2.65 million over a three-year period.
- A construction tool manufacturer increased productivity by more than 20 percent in one year.
- A motor manufacturer reduced workers’ compensation premiums by $1.6 million over a three-year period.
- A technology company saw a 32 percent reduction in the number of cumulative trauma disorders, and a 69 percent reduction in related costs.
- A meatpacking company reduced workers’ compensation costs per employee by 59 percent.
Marsh’s Workplace Productivity & Ergonomics practice can help you lower workers’ compensation costs while improving workplace productivity and quality. Our services include:
Ergonomics Exposure Mapping: This process identifies various workplace risks by analyzing different exposures and reviewing the musculoskeletal loss history. The goal is to prioritize ergonomic exposures, focus ergonomic activities on high-risk areas, and build a business case for the ergonomic program.
Ergonomics Gap Analysis: This analysis begins with a thorough review of your safety and ergonomic policies and procedures, followed by interviews with a range of staff members, including executives, mid-level managers, and hourly employees. Marsh consultants then review loss data and spend time on the plant floor to validate interview findings. Marsh consultants will compare your organizations’ ergonomic practices and loss data with best practices and industry peer data to draft a road map for future improvements.
Ergonomics Job Analysis: Marsh consultants complete an in-depth analysis of specific jobs or tasks that are driving your workers’ compensation claim costs and production inefficiencies. Our analysis includes task observations, video taping, interviewing employees and other stakeholders, workstation measurement, and exposure documentation. Action plans are developed with recommendations for workstation design alternatives, work methods/flow changes, and administrative controls. In addition, functional job descriptions can be developed during the analysis to assist with employee placements in transitional duty work, a critical element of an organization’s return-to-work policy.
Ergonomics Training: Your training program should focus on educating senior management, supervisors, and employees on their significant ergonomic exposures and the corresponding safe behaviors to improve the work environment. Your engineering staff can also be trained to enable these key staff members to incorporate ergonomic design concepts in future workstations and production lines. Consulting services may include curriculum design and training materials.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact us.
If you are seeking information about insurance and related services, please visit marsh.com.
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