Q&A with Ryan Overly, Risk Control Consultant with Murray, an AssuredPartners company
By Jenn DeWalt, Business Development Specialist, Murray
This is the fifth and final part of a series on safety considerations for manufacturing companies:
The first part of the series covered specific loss control considerations manufacturing companies need to consider regarding workers’ compensation and keeping their employees safe.
The second part covered information on the top causes of loss in the manufacturing industry.
The third part of the series covered valuable tips on keeping drivers and fleets safe.
The fourth part covered details on both the virtual and online safety techniques that Murray offers for their clients.
The fifth part of the series addresses specific risk management and loss control services that a manufacturer can and should expect from their insurance broker.
Almost $1.2 billion is paid out every week in our country for workers’ compensation claims. Manufacturers in particular may be experiencing what often seem like small incidents, but those small claims are certainly adding up.
Ryland Overly, GSP, Risk Control Consultant from Murray’s Risk Management team, offers information that can help those businesses in the manufacturing industry develop a better safety culture.
Q: What kind of specific risk management and loss control services should a manufacturer expect from their insurance agent or broker?
A: Ultimately this is based on the client’s needs and wants. All companies are distinct and will need and want services based on their unique exposures. As the relationship between the agent, risk control consultant, and client matures, the specific services will change and potentially increase.
However, most new clients can expect similar risk control services at the beginning of their tenure with an agency / broker. When a client starts with an agency / broker, a risk control consultant will have an introductory meeting to review the new client’s losses, discuss their operation, and talk about what services they want. Early in the initial engagement, the consultant will conduct a risk assessment of the new client and will likely do a Gap analysis.
Q: What is a Gap analysis?
A: A Gap analysis is a risk assessment that helps the safety consultant and the client identify gaps in the company’s risk management programs and policies. It also helps the consultant gain a deeper understanding of the client’s needs. From that point, the client and consultant will develop a game plan for the risk management and loss control services. Depending on the size of the client, the consultant will write up a service plan outlining the expectations for improvement.
Q: What other programs or services are available to manufacturers for safety?
A: On-site, on-call, and hotline medical services are available and work very well for large manufacturing clients. One manufacturer even has a few EMTs on staff, and they utilize a corporate physical therapy company that keeps a PT on-site during the first shift and offers a 24 / 7 hotline the company and its employees can reach out to for both work and non-work-related issues.
Q: What are the benefits of having these services available on-site:
Having an employee receive prompt first-aid treatment for a workplace injury can go a long way to prevent it from worsening. Early intervention does a handful of things. “On-site” fast response time can very well mean the difference between life and death for an employee with a life-threatening injury. Also, an employee with more than just basic first aid can help prevent unnecessary trips to the hospital, which can be very costly. Individuals with a working knowledge of medical treatments on-site means they can help discern the recordability of an injury, reducing the likelihood of an injury being mislabeled and recorded on a company’s OSHA logs.
Apart from the immediate repose incidents, the physical therapy company can also support employee’s post-accident and aid in accident prevention. The physical therapy company can assist in the employees’ rehabilitation through wellness check-ins, therapy sessions, and prescribed exercises. When an employee is on modified duty, the on-site PT will assist the company in finding a task that meets the employee’s work restrictions.
A benefit of having an on-site PT or a hotline is when an employee is experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort. The employee can get their issue checked out by the PT or reach out to the hotline to get guidance on how to manage that issue before it worsens. The physical therapy company will track and trend these events to identify problem workstations or jobs, then perform an ergonomic assessment of the culprit to reveal the origin of the trend. Once they have narrowed down what needs to be corrected, they will develop suggestions to prevent reoccurrence.
Q: To wrap up this series, do you have any final suggestions for ways that manufacturers can be better prepared to avoid common causes of loss?
A: We discussed ways to potentially reduce workers’ compensation losses with manufacturers by focusing on loss history and exposures, however, there is one other crucial source of information that can help prevent injuries – getting out there and discussing safety issues with employees. Talk to them about their safety concerns and hear them out about how to fix them. This is an easy way to identify potential exposures and gain insight into how to control them for the folks that work with them the most. Also, it can help build a safety culture.
One final thought – don’t be afraid to reach out for help! Most safety and loss control professionals are happy to help. If you reach out to one, they will likely be able to give you an answer; if not, they will either find it for you or point you in the right direction.
For more information or to be connected to our dedicated Manufacturing experts and extensive Risk Management team, contact our Business Development Specialist here at Murray, an AssuredPartners company, or call (717) 397-9600.
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