Helping Injured Workers Get Back on the Job Faster
(ARA) - Getting hurt on the job is the last thing most people think of when they head into work each morning, but it happens more often than you think. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there were 4.7 million workplace injuries and illnesses reported in 2002. If you break the numbers down to the simplest terms, that accounts for 12,877 people getting hurt each day or 537 people per hour.
Workplace injuries range from cuts and scrapes which require little if any downtime to broken or lost limbs which can take workers out of the game for weeks, months or even years at a time. Those who are seriously injured usually end up collecting worker's compensation benefits which only cover a portion of their regular wages. This creates an immediate deficit, and if possible, they want to get back to work full-time as quickly as possible.
"Their employers want the same thing because every time they have to file a claim, their insurance premiums and the cost of doing business go up," says Dr. Anita Rothard, president of Return to Work America (RTWA), a company dedicated to helping injured employees get back on the job in a timely manner.
"Not only is a person's livelihood at stake when they're injured on the job, their mental well being is compromised. People who are forced to sit on the sidelines for a long time often suffer from low self esteem which doesn't do anyone any good," says Gary Hogan of Personnel Services Incorporated in St. Paul, Minn. Hogan is a job placement specialist who for the past 20 years has helped hundreds of injured and disabled workers return to the workforce. "Just because someone has been injured doesn't mean they can't return to work in some capacity."
"That way of thinking is the core of our business model," says Dr. Rothard. Based on the knowledge that "written job descriptions don't tell the whole story", RTWA offers video- based job analysis, an internet based risk management service that streamlines the process for everyone involved. Doctors, lawyers and judges can see for themselves, directly online, what a particular job entails, and make an informed decision about whether the person is ready to return to work.
"Why should employers pay permanent total claims when jobs exist that the injured worker can do?" asks Dr. Rothard. For example, someone who lost their arm while working on a production line may not be able to return to that job, but by logging onto the Universal Job Bank on RTWA's Web site, their doctor will learn about the myriad of alternative jobs that exist, such as scanning orders into a computer, or providing customer service and utility dispatching.
"We looked at a number of solutions regarding how best to manage our workers comp costs and time loss issues here at Mud Weasel Products and found the Return To Work America video system to be the most innovative one available," says Andy Richardson, vice president of the golf equipment manufacturer. "The system they have in place should be an outstanding benefit to our employees and their physicians, who have never actually seen any of the jobs performed here. We believe this will have significant bottom line impact in the coming fiscal months."
For more information about Return To Work America, visit http://www.rtwamerica.com. RTWA's parent company, WorkersCompensation.com, is the nation's leading source of information and services dedicated to employers, employees and the workers' compensation community. Both companies are based in Sarasota, FL.
Courtesy of ARA Content
