Pub. 3 2021 Issue 5
members to help them prevent injuries from occurring. Members who work closely with our Loss Prevention team are the most successful in preventing injuries. Safety Services: • Safety training. Some offerings are: CPR/AED certification, forklift training, hazardous material handling, lift safety and fire safety. • Online OSHA specific training • Biannual safety walk-throughs • Safety committee meetings • Assist with OSHA inspections and visits As we know, despite all our preventative measures, accidents do happen in the workplace. When an injury does occur, our members can take steps to mitigate the costs for the injured worker and the member. Our collective goal must always be to ensure the injured employee receives prompt quality and appropriate medical care so they can get back to their regular life and work as soon as possible. The most critical step in the workers’ compensation process is prompt reporting of all injuries by the employee to their immediate supervisor. Continued on page 10 Neither the employee nor the supervisor should decide what should and shouldn’t be reported; all injuries at the workplace must be reported. How to report an injury: • Call NHADA at 603-224-2369 and speak to the Nurse Case Manager or another member of the WCT Team. Report the injury details, and we will assist with a referral to a network provider if treatment is needed. • Fill out your Employer’s First Report of Injury and submit it to us, either online through our website: https://www.nhada.com/our-solutions/workers-comp/ report-an-injury; faxed to 603-224-8126; or emailed to both Pete Sheffer at psheffer@nhada.com and Marta Silakka at msilakka@nhada.com. • Online claim filing requires a password; click “request a password,” and it will be emailed to you. The NH Department of Labor requires the Employer’s First Report of Injury to be filed within five calendar days of the employer’s knowledge of the injury. We electronically submit data to the NH Department of Labor daily. The Department of Labor has the ability to fine an employer for late reporting. Fines start at $100 and can go as high as $2,500 for repeat offenders. The National Council of Workers’ Compensation Insurance conducted a study on the effect on claims costs due to delayed reporting of injuries. That study revealed that a two-week delay in reporting cost an average of 18% more than those claims reported during week one; weeks three and four averaged 30% more; and after four weeks, claims costs rose over 45% more. Delays in reporting increase costs because: • A delay in referral for the best and most appropriate medical care within the managed care network • Time lost from work before the employer knows the injury is work-related • Time lost from work if there is light duty the employer is not accommodating • Facts and information about the injury may be forgotten • Accident investigation may not be as thorough when conducted late • Video of the incident may be lost • Claims that may have been defensible are now difficult to disprove The best way to avoid delays is to notify your employees that they are required to report all injuries immediately, no matter how minor they are perceived to be on the date the injury occurs. Educating all new and existing employees on the need to report injuries, and informing them that they are part of a managed care program, is crucial to managing costs. Medical costs can be contained when non-life- threatening injuries occur, and a call is made promptly to Marta Silakka, the Nurse Case Manager. Not only will we be made aware of the injury and assistance provided for the referral for medical care, but we can 9 N E W H A M P S H I R E
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