In high-risk jobs, like a shipyard, it’s always a good idea to create strategies that reduce the number of claims you will see on the job. Prevention will have the most significant benefit, but when accidents do occur, you want a plan in place to help you and your workers recover quickly. To decrease your claims costs, here are a few things that you can implement right away.
Create an Injury Reporting Process
In the middle of a crisis is not the best time to determine the process. Creating an injury reporting process can help everyone stay on track when an accident does happen. Your process should include knowing where to send the report, who fills out accident reports, and how and where to send your employee for medical treatment. You should also have assigned roles for reporting the accident to your Workers’ Compensation insurance company.
Establish a Return-to-Work Program
Return-to-Work programs save companies money. By getting your employees back up and running as quickly as they are medically able, you can reduce continued claims with insurance. A return to work program should take reduced physical activity into account. Find areas of your shipyard or manufacturing facility where someone can be helpful while they continue to get back to a full work release.
Improve Documentation Strategies
Proper documentation can make all the difference in injury claims. Get every aspect of the situation, from the accident itself to return to work agreements, in writing. Memories are not always reliable, you don’t want to take someone’s word, and you want to prevent any miscommunications that could result in more significant actions in the future.
Focus on Safety Training for Prevention
At all times, your shipyard should be focused on safety training and accident prevention. Every employee who comes in needs to have a safety orientation as a part of their onboarding process. Safety should be regularly reinforced throughout an employee’s tenure at your shipyard. Work with a staffing partner committed to safety to ensure employees are trained in accident prevention or prepared in case of an incident.
Do you want to partner with a recruitment resource that values safety in your workplace? Call Hutco today.
