A revised version of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013 passed the U.S. Senate last week and was sent back to the House of Representatives for another vote. The House passed an earlier draft. The legislation supports medical and public health preparedness and response efforts, and it would require the Department of […]
Covered employers are required to post OSHA Form 300A, a summary of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2012, in a prominent workplace location by April 30. The summary must include the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that were logged on OSHA Form 300, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. Information about […]
A study released this week by the Center for Safety and Health Sustainability (CSHS) reveals troublesome gaps and a lack of transparency in sustainability reporting. The study, Current Practices in Occupational Health and Safety Sustainability Reporting, also raises concerns about ranking methodology. Some highly rated corporations reported more than 10 work‐related fatalities in a year […]
The Healthier Lifestyles and Prevention America Act (HeLP America) introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-IA, includes wellness provisions in a broad range of areas including tax incentives for companies that offer comprehensive workplace wellness programs to their employees. As proposed, it would allow employers to deduct the cost of athletic facility memberships for their employees […]
CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 13th Edition, a newly released set of studies, examines medical care cost drivers in 16 state workers’ compensation systems, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced today. The annual report compares medical prices, payments and utilization for similar work-related injuries by provider and service type. States in the study – Arkansas, California, […]
Many Americans face potential physical and emotional health challenges because they are not getting the support they need to manage their stress, according to findings from Stress in America™: Missing the Health Care Connection, a report released Feb. 7 by the American Psychological Association (APA). If untreated, consistently high stress contributes to chronic medical conditions […]
The California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation “strongly recommends that the state move toward developing an overall culture of safety in the workplace.” In its newly released 2012 annual report, commissioners say injury and illness prevention is the best way to preserve workers’ earnings and limit increases in employers’ workers’ compensation costs. […]
Preventing Falls in Hospitals: A Toolkit for Improving Quality of Care from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) focuses on reducing falls that occur during a patient’s hospital stay. Nearly one million patients fall in U.S. hospitals each year. The toolkit features six major categories: hospital readiness, program management, choosing fall prevention practices, […]
The Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is requesting proposals from healthcare organizations interested in sponsoring Centers of Occupational Health and Education (COHEs). The centers work with medical providers, employers and injured workers to improve treatment for work-related injuries and illnesses. Four centers already provide education and financial incentives to more than 2,000 healthcare […]
As I travel and speak on injury-reduction and cost-containment measures in corporate and industrial settings, the conversation often turns to return on investment (ROI).