2011 - Quarter 4 - California State Compensation Insurance Fund

2011 - Quarter 4 - California State Compensation Insurance Fund

Safety News
Making California Workplaces Safer
N e w s
A b o u t
O c c u p a t i o n a l
S a f e t y
a n d
H e a l t h
i n
National 3D Month is Here!
A
ccording to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, approximately 30 people
die every day in motor vehicle accidents
that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This
amounts to one death every 48 minutes. The
annual cost of alcohol-related crashes exceeds
$51 billion. Despite the continued efforts of
public and private organizations, businesses,
and individuals to curb these troubling statistics,
impaired-driver accidents continue to occur.
Since 1981, December has been designated as
National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention
month. In support of the 3D Month campaign,
we would like to encourage insured employers
and their employees to avoid driving while under
the influence of alcohol or drugs, to stop others
from driving impaired, and to increase community
awareness about impaired-driver issues
December is a month of seasonal celebrations for
many people; it is also a month when impaireddriver incidents increase. It is important to
remember that drug and alcohol-related vehicle
incidents cost employers in many ways – from
the loss of an employee as a result of an injury or
death, to an increase in medical and or/workers’
compensation costs, and the disruption of work
or the work process. Impaired drivers hurt not
only themselves but also their families, if they are
injured, injure others or lose their job as a result
of their careless actions.
Employers have an important role to play in
preventing their workers from driving drunk
TRADES & SERVICES
Return to Work,
Return to
Productivity
One of the most effective methods in controlling your worker’s compensation costs
is to implement a return to work program.
Many studies have shown that injured employees recover faster when they return to
work. An early return to work can also help
to cut claims expenses, reduce downtime,
and eliminate the need for additional staff.
and drugged. Businesses and communities must
implement and enforce strategies that are known
to be effective – such as ongoing substance abuse
education programs, drug testing programs, and
adopting “zero tolerance” policies. Employers
should also work on educating their employees
about the dangers of driving under the influence of controlled substances, training them to
stop others from getting behind the wheel when
impaired, and encouraging employees to report
impaired drivers to the proper authority.
We all have an obligation to drive free of drugs
and alcohol and to insist that co-workers, friends,
and family members do the same. State Fund offers a selection of products and materials to assist
its insured employers in their safe driving educational efforts. Call your local State Fund office for
details or visit the website of the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.nhtsa.
gov/Impaired for information and materials relating to 3D Month. q
The essential component of a return to
work program is learning to promote an
early return. Research has shown that the
longer an injured employee is off work,
the more likely the employee is to become
permanently disabled. Returning your
employees to work as early as possible
will help you to:
• Gain more control over your workers’
compensation claims.
• Reduce compensation premiums and
claims costs.
• Regain productivity from recovering
employees.
• Avoid replacement and training costs.
• Avoid expensive litigation and discourage fraudulent claims.
• Improve employee morale and foster
teamwork.
• Increase awareness of safe work
practices.
Continued on next page
ISSUE FOUR, 2011
Feature Articles
National 3D Month is Here!
Return to Work, Return to Productivity
From Our Expert – Integrating Employee
Health and Wellness
Safety Topic – Irritated?
Listeria Outbreak in the United States
In Each Issue
Employer Education Series
Reporting Injuries
S a f e t y
N e w s S t a t e
C o m p e n s a t i o n
I n s u r a n c e
F u n d I s s u e
F o u r ,
2 0 1 1
FROM OUR EXPERT
Integrating Employee Health and Wellness
T
he National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends integrating wellness with safety
to protect, preserve, and improve the health
and well-being of workers. This approach
has been shown to reduce healthcare insurance costs, lower workers’ compensation
premiums by reducing injuries, and increase
productivity for businesses, while improving
quality of life for workers.
Wellness programs are necessary to educate
and engage the workforce. Rates of obesity,
arthritis, stress, and other chronic health
conditions are at all time highs in the working population. While these conditions may
result from factors outside of the workplace,
they have a detrimental effect on business
outcomes. Since employees spend a significant portion of their lives in the workplace,
it seems like the optimal place to introduce
wellness and lifestyle topics. The workplace
provides opportunities for education on a
variety of topics including healthy eating,
the importance of physical activity, and the
benefits of smoking cessation, as well as
a built-in peer support structure from
possibly integrate nutrition is to peform a
“walkability” audit of the area surrounding
a business. While the main focus is to identify safe and attractive walking routes around
the worksite and surrounding neighborhood to introduce physical activity during
breaks, an additional benefit is the ability
to highlight healthy eating options within
walking distance.
other program participants.
As recently as 1996, obesity rates in the
adult population nationwide were below
20%. In 2010, no state had a prevalence of
obesity less than 20%. In California, 24% of
the adult population is obese. (Data from
Centers for Disease Control – Behavioral
Risk Factor Surveillance System) Individual choices drive this epidemic, but it is
exacerbated by the sedentary nature of the
knowledge-based, service economy. The
introduction of nutritional education and
physical activity through health promotion
programs has been shown to have a positive
effect at individual workplaces.
One way to introduce physical activity and
An intervention at the Koger Center Rhodes
Building in Atlanta including painting, carpeting, framed artwork, motivational signs,
and music, showed increased stairwell use
by building occupants. Information on this
study and implementing a stairwell improvement project can be found at http://www.
cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/toolkits/stairwell/index.htm.
A variety of toolkits and resources for starting a successful health promotion program
can be found online at the NIOSH Total
Worker Health website. http://www.cdc.gov/
niosh/twh/. q
Ryan Horton is an Associate Ergonomics
Professional based in Southern California.
Return to Work, Return to Productivity continued from page 1
• Assess how you currently handle employees
after a job-related injury or illness. Identify
key employees who should be involved in
developing or improving your program.
• Plan your return-to-work program. Once established, distribute the written policy. Teach
your employees and all those involved how
the program will be implemented.
An early return-to-work program may take less
time and effort than you think. In general, there
are four steps to building a successful return-towork program:
• Implement your program proactively. talking
with employees about their injuries and ability to return to work. Make reasonable efforts
to offer meaningful, transitional jobs that
safely bring them back to work as early as
possible. Follow their progress closely until
they return to regular duty.
• Evaluate the success of your program and
make modifications or improvements as
necessary.
The time and effort that is put into implementing
a return to work program is well worth it and
will result in reducing your worker’s compensation costs. If you need additional resources or
assistance call your regional State Fund office.
One of our Return-to-Work Consultants will be
happy to help you create an efficient, effective
program. q
S a f e t y
N e w s
S t a t e
C o m p e n s a t i o n
I n s u r a n c e
F u n d
Safety Topic / Temas de Seguridad
Irritated?
D
ermatitis is an inflammation of the skin from exposure to an irritant. It is a common condition that
usually is not life threatening or contagious. Inflammation can vary based on the type of skin (pigmentation,
dryness, hairiness), age, sex, season of the year, history of
previous skin disease or allergies, and personal hygiene.
It can take just one exposure to cause a skin reaction,
however workers can become sensitized through prolonged and repeated exposures to a substance. The delay
could range from just one day to several months.
Generally, causes of dermatitis are chemical,
mechanical, physical, or biological.
Chemicals can produce reactions ranging from
chemical burns to mild skin irritation.
Mechanical causes of dermatitis include friction,
pressure, and trauma resulting in abrasions, wounds,
bruises, or foreign bodies (like glass fiber) getting
into the skin.
Physical agents that lead to dermatitis are excessive
heat, cold, sunlight, ultraviolet light, X-rays or other
ionizing radiation.
A veces una sola exposición puede causar una reacción
cutánea, sin embargo los trabajadores pueden volverse
sensibles debido a las exposiciones prolongadas y repetidas a la sustancia. Esto podría demorar de un día hasta
varios meses.
Biological agents such as bacteria, viruses,
fungi, poisonous plants, and insects can cause or
complicate dermatitis.
Topic Review/
Revisión del Tema
Date / Fecha_______________________
Location / Ubicación_________________
Attended by / Asistente(s)
• Wash your hands often with a mild, non-abrasive soap
solution, and wash any skin area immediately that has
been exposed to an irritating substance.
__________________________________
• Implement and put into effect engineering controls,
such as enclosures, guards or mechanical handling
devices which can help minimize worker contact with
hazardous substances.
The most important thing is for workers, who may be
exposed to skin irritants, to be informed about the hazards,
understand the precautions to take, and know what
processes and equipment to use to avoid or minimize
exposure. q
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Los agentes biológicos incluyen bacterias, virus,
hongos, plantas venenosas e insectos que pueden causar o
Safety Recommendations /
Recomendaciones de seguridad
complicar la dermatitis.
__________________________________
• Protéjase usted contra la exposición. Use ropa protectora y equipo apropiado incluso delantales, protectores
oculares y máscaras, protectores de dedos, guantes,
y ropa resistente a sustancias químicas, siempre que
éstas se mantengan limpias y en buen estado. Asegúrese
de eliminar los materiales irritantes de toda la ropa de
trabajo para no llevárselos a casa.
__________________________________
Generalmente, las causas de la dermatitis son de origen
químico, mecánico, físico o biológico.
Las sustancias químicas pueden producir reacciones
que van desde quemaduras químicas hasta irritación leve
de la piel.
• Implemente y ponga en efecto controles de ingeniería,
tales como cerramientos, guardas o dispositivos mecánicos de manejo que puedan ayudar a minimizar el
Los agentes físicos que causan dermatitis son el calor
excesivo, el frío, la luz solar, la luz ultravioleta, los rayos X
u otro tipo de radiación ionizante.
2 0 1 1
• Guard yourself from exposure. Utilize protective
clothing and equipment including aprons, eye and face
shields, finger cots, gloves, and chemical-resistant clothing, provided they are kept clean and in good repair.
Make sure irritating materials are removed from all
work clothing so they are not transported home.
• Lávese las manos a menudo con una solución jabonosa
suave no abrasiva, y lávese inmediatamente cualquier
área de la piel que haya sido expuesta a una sustancia
irritante.
Las causas mecánicas de la dermatitis incluyen
fricción, presión, y trauma que resultan en abrasiones,
heridas, magulladuras u objetos extraños (como fibra de
vidrio) introducidos en la piel.
F o u r ,
Instructor _________________________
¿Tiene irritación de la piel?
La dermatitis es una inflamación de la piel que se debe a
la exposición a un irritante. Es una afección común que
usualmente no pone en riesgo la vida ni es contagiosa. La
inflamación puede variar según el tipo de piel (pigmentación, resequedad, vellosidad) edad, género, estación del
año, antecedentes de enfermedades o alergias cutáneas e
higiene personal.
I s s u e
__________________________________
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__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
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contacto del trabajador con las sustancias peligrosas.
__________________________________
Lo más importante para los trabajadores que puedan
exponerse a irritantes de la piel, es estar informados sobre
los riesgos, entender las precauciones a tomar y saber
qué procesos y equipos utilizar para evitar o minimizar la
exposición. q
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Safety News
News About Occupational Safety and Health in
ISSUE FOUR
2011
TRADES & SERVICES
Prsrt Std
US Postage Paid
Permit 803
Zip Code 92887
Loss Control Services
P.O. BOX 420807
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94142-0807
Please forward to the person responsible for your safety program
Listeria Outbreak in
the United States
The United States has been experiencing an outbreak of
Listeriosis, an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria
monocytogenes. Sources of the contamination have been traced
to contaminated melons originating in Colorado, and bags of romaine lettuce originating in California. At the time of this writing,
the infection has been linked to 28 deaths and 133 infections.
We would like to remind our policyholders that prevention
is always the best defense against infection. Wash your hands
thoroughly with soap and warm water when cooking and before
consumption of food. Wash raw vegetables, cook raw food
thoroughly, and avoid unpasteurized foods.
Symptoms start as flu-like – diarrhea, cramping pain, headaches
and fever in children, the elderly, and anyone suffering from an
immune-compromising illness. Pregnant women are especially
at risk as the infection could lead to premature delivery, stillbirth, or miscarriage.
If you suspect that you may be infected, visit your healthcare
provider who will determine if further testing is necessary based
on symptoms. Testing is done with stool and blood cultures.
Treatment is given through aggressive antibiotics.
Health officials recommend disposing of any produce suspected
of carrying the bacterium.
For further information, refer to: http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/ q
Employer Education Series
We at State Fund take pride in our mission to help make California workplaces safer. Our Employer
Education Series seminars are just one of the ways that we partner with employers and the public
to help businesses reduce the frequency and severity of workplace injuries, and facilitate regulatory
compliance.
Our seminar program is designed to provide information and ideas to help employers comply with
regulations, maintain safe worksites, and protect employees. Our convenient half-day seminars are
located in State Fund regional offices, and your workplace safety questions will be answered by
industry experts.
We offer more than 100 workers’ compensation and health and safety seminars to employers and the
public throughout California every year, and these seminars are provided at no cost to you.
Visit http://www.statefundca.com/safety/SafetyAndSeminars.asp to see what new seminar topics are
being offered in your area. Seating is limited so, register early! q
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Reporting Work-Related Injuries
State Fund’s Claims Reporting Center (1-888-222-3211) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
for policyholders to report injuries as soon as they occur. Agents will do the necessary paperwork to
get the claim started and refer the injured to the designated physician or provider.
Within 8 hours of any serious illness or injury (requiring hospitalization over 24 hours, other than for
medical observation or where there is permanent employee disfiguration) or death occurring in the
workplace or in connection with employment, employers must report the incident to the Division of
Occupational Safety and Health. q
This Trades & Services Safety News is produced by the Corporate Communications Department of State Fund to assist clients in their loss control
efforts. Information or recommendations contained in this publication were obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the date of publication.
Information is only advisory and does not presume to be exhaustive or inclusive of all workplace hazards or situations. Permission to reprint articles
subject to approval by State Compensation Insurance Fund.
Published by State Compensation Insurance Fund’s Corporate Communications Department.
Editor: Sunil Sharma; Managing Editor: Gennenia Gordon. © State Compensation Insurance Fund 2011