costs. Keeping this in mind creates an even greater reason to focus on safety and loss prevention. MOCK OSHA AUDIT Tree care is a targeted industry for OSHA due to the potential for severe injuries and death. Significant fines are levied on those companies that are not OSHA-compliant. We recommend con- ducting a mock OSHA audit to uncover deficiencies in compliance areas that require your attention. RISK AND SAFETY PROGRAM FOR INJURY PREVENTION The components of an effective safe- ty program are twofold – compliance and operational. Compliance is what is required to perform your business operation to satisfy the regulators. In my view, compliance is very import- ant. What is more important is having an operation safety program that is focused on the key areas that cause
INSURANCE-CARRIER WORKERS’ COMPENSATION DEFENSE ATTORNEY One of the areas that are oen over- looked is the relationship with the in- surance company’s defense attorney. My belief is that you should know the attorney who will support you when claims are litigated. For the defense attorney to know you, your company and the background of the claim is very helpful with claims resolution. FIRST-AID AND MEDICAL-ONLY CLAIMS When dealing with first-aid claims, it is critical to know the rules in your state, as they can vary. It is best for a medical professional to determine what is or is not first aid. There are several compa- nies that provide services for first aid claims. The quality of the service de- pends on the availability of personnel in your market. On Site Health & Safety and Amphibious Medics are two com- panies that come to mind.
MODIFIED OR ALTERNATE EMPLOYMENT
Modified employment is a great tool to assist in motivating employees to get back to work. Another tool that many carriers use is a third-party resource called “re-employability.” This allows employers to offer modified employ- ment with various not-for-profits that will accommodate their work restric- tions. If the employee refuses modified or alternate employment, the insurance carrier is not obligated to pay tempo- rary disability benefits, which can re- duce the claim cost. DIRECT COST VERSUS INDIRECT COST The Occupational Safety and Health As- sociation (OSHA) performed a study on the direct costs associated with claims. It now offers a calculator on their web- site to determine the actual cost of claims. Indirect costs can be as much as three times greater than direct
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Family Owned & Operated Since 1990
40 | ArborTIMES Summer 2023 Here at BIK our philosophy is very simple and that is to strive to build lasting relationships with our customers. For over 30 years, we have helped thousands choose and custom build their Knuc L le Boom Truck Package. With over 3,000 booms sold and installed in North America, our wealth of knowledge and experience has advanced BIK to engineer the most stable & compact Boom Truck Packages to service the Tree Care Industry. 888-557-2244 I sales@bik oomtrucks.com I bikboomtrucks.com
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