WHAT IS THE ANNUAL “HOME SAFE FOR THE HOLIDAYS” CAMPAIGN? Every October through the end of December, our RAMP (Risk, Assessment, Management, and Prevention) Team launches a safety initiative to help our customers. This campaign aims to ensure that our customer’s employees make it home safe for the holidays. The initiative focuses on three key areas each month in this consecutive order: Wheels, Gravity, and Complacency.
WHEELS, GRAVITY, AND COMPLACENCY PRESENT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURES IN WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INJURIES: Motor Vehicle Crashes (Wheels) account for forty percent of all work-related injuries over the past few years, and Falls (Gravity) account for almost a quarter of a million injuries each year, that result in time away from work. According to OSHA, nearly a third of fatalities in the construction industry were due to falls. Complacency is a tough category to get statistics from, but some research has suggested that four hundred and forty-two preventable deaths occur each day. On average, only one percent of injuries are categorized by OSHA as willful, which suggests that ninety-nine percent of safety violations were not committed willfully. People get complacent when they are on autopilot and let their guard down. The other factor is that they may cut corners to improve productivity, but “shortcuts kill.” By highlighting these three key areas and working with our customers, the goal is to reduce risks and prevent injuries from occurring. The best claim is “one that didn’t occur.”
OUR RAMP TEAM CONSISTS OF SENIOR RISK MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS: While many insurance companies have a risk control department, many do not have senior risk management consultants with extensive prior experience in Safety, Construction, Trade Shows, and Health Care Facility Remediation. The RAMP Team will meet with customers and see their current needs. The RAMP Team does not go around with a clipboard and a checklist and poke away at a customer’s operations. Those actions only breed anxiety and distrust from customers. The goal is to build trust and relationships with our customers. The RAMP Team provides our customers tailor-made services, such as helping them develop their safety program and finding out where they can be helpful. The motto is “we get in where we fit in.”
HOW CAN COMPANIES IMPROVE THEIR SAFETY PROGRAM? One of the most crucial elements is to have a safety program and enforce it. It is important to have safety meetings, inspections and to hold people accountable. Set expectations with employees, and follow through with them. If your company employs drivers, have a written policy on distracted driving, and require a driver safety pledge. This pledge can include that drivers wear their seatbelts, not text, and drive, obeying traffic laws and without impairment. If your employees are exposed to heights, ensure they have fall protection equipment and that the equipment is used. If your employers are working around machinery, ensure they have training on the equipment and that lock-out/tag-out procedures are enforced. Each piece of equipment is different, so ensure that the training is specifically for the equipment they use. If there are “near misses,” have an after-action review to see how that injury almost occurred. Safety is a constant job; there will always be work that needs to be done and improvements that can be made.
THE RAMP TEAM HAS RESOURCES FOR OUR CLIENTS AND FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC:
The RAMP Team regularly posts safety meeting topics, safety videos, and other free resources on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. They have “Toolbox Talks” regularly posted, focusing on specific safety issues. They strive to make a difference, build trust with our customers, and most importantly, get people home safely to their families each and every day. For more information, please visit www.berkindcomp.com.