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Risk Central
Digital EditionBreaking the Silence: 3 Keys to Improved Injury Reporting in Workers’ Comp
Michelle Kerr is Workers’ Compensation Editor and National Conference Chair for Risk & Insurance. She can be reached at [email protected].
A few weeks ago I was at a restaurant with family.
A group of friends or work colleagues were seated next to us, having a boisterous meal. At some point along the way, their conversation turned to workplace injuries, so I might have accidentally started eavesdropping.
These things happen.
The common thread they were sharing was unreported injuries. Quite a lot of them in fact. “I was moving a drum, and I felt a pop in my shoulder …” and other tales of that ilk, mostly involving manual materials handling.
There were knots in my stomach hearing that each of these incidents was unreported. But why?
These gents didn’t look like inexperienced workers. They shared a bit of that as well, albeit at a noticeably lower volume. There was a patchwork of reasons. Supervisors played a significant role. As did the safety cultures of the employers involved.
One had been scared that filing a workers’ comp claim would have led to backlash from his supervisor — or even termination. Another had slipped up on safety procedures at the time of the incident. So, he figured he’d be blamed for it and written up, and his claim would be denied anyway. Another said he was certain he’d probably need surgery to fix the problem, and he couldn’t afford to be off work for a surgery.
You see the pattern?
At the time of injury, each of these workers had based their reporting decisions upon assumption and fear. Perhaps some of those assumptions were correct. Perhaps not. But because of those assumptions, some of these men are still unnecessarily working through pain on a daily basis, making it likely they’re not performing their jobs up to their pre-injury standards.
Worse, for both the workers and their employers, any subsequent work injuries these employees sustain are likely to be far worse, and far more expensive.
And let’s not forget … every one of those unreported incidents potentially robbed an employer of the chance to correct a hazard and keep other employees — their friends and teammates — safe.
So, what is the solution? Getting anyone to release a deeply held assumption is no small task. But there are some points to focus on to improve outcomes and reduce the risk of unreported injuries and incidents:
1) Trust.
Building a company culture of trust is essential. When workers feel respected and valued — in a real way— it helps reduce the element of fear. Ensure that employees know that the company’s first priority is protecting people, not punishing them.
2) Communication.
It’s essential that an injured worker isn’t learning about workers’ comp for the first time AFTER an injury. Ensure that all workers understand what workers’ comp is all about and what to expect in the event of an injury. Having accurate information available and regularly communicated can help dispel harmful assumptions.
3) Connect the Dots.
Help workers to understand that it’s not just about them; it’s about the whole team. No one wants to be responsible for contributing to a teammate’s injury. Get the message across that not reporting injuries and near-misses can put themselves AND their coworkers at serious risk. &
