LET S TALK SAFETY A MESSAGE ABOUT SAFETY FROM KEMI S CEO

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1 LET S TALK SAFETY A MESSAGE ABOUT SAFETY FROM KEMI S CEO Welcome to the KEMI family. All our resources are dedicated to providing our policyholders and their employees with the best possible workers compensation services available. If any workers comp program is successful, workplace safety must be at its very core. Safety is a part of every job: yours, mine and all of our co-workers. Safety is an investment, not an expense. Cost savings are a wonderful byproduct of good workplace safety, but first think of it as an investment in our workers and their families. We have a Loss Education Department which has been assigned the task of providing services to our policyholders by assisting in development of plans to reduce accidents and insurance costs. The operative word is service. We want to help you. This section of kemi.com contains information about workplace safety which will give you an idea of our philosophy and may be a starting point for a successful safety program. If we all work together, we can: make workers compensation work. Yours very truly, Roger J. Fries President & CEO

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Mission Statement Benefits of a Safety Program Introduction to Safety Major Components of a Safety Program Model Safety Program KEMI Loss Education Department 7 Step Program Check-Off Sheet Final Thoughts About Safety

3 MISSION STATEMENT KEMI established as its motto and primary goal: making workers compensation work. A key element to that goal is a loss education strategy whose foundation is a safety program for all members of KEMI s family. The Loss Education Department of KEMI has dedicated itself to providing assistance by every means possible to reduce the frequency and severity of injuries to the employees and to lower the cost of workers compensation for the employer. BENEFITS OF A SAFETY PROGRAM The total benefit of an effective safety program can never be measured in objective terms. No matter the size of a business or its product or service, the safety of its employees must be paramount. A business has responsibility not only for its employees, but for the families of those employees and the community in which they operate as well. The employee has an obligation to his family, his coworkers, his employer and himself to consistently perform his appointed duties in the safest manner possible. The most effective businesses will be those with a spirit of cooperation between management and employees in providing a safe workplace. A BUSINESS WITH A GOOD SAFETY PROGRAM WILL BENEFIT FROM: Better employee morale And thus Increased productivity Fewer accidents And thus Lower insurance costs Businesses that meet all the standards set forth by OSHA and MSHA are on the right path for a successful safety program. The extraordinary business is the one that surpasses those standards and makes safety a part of its very existence.

4 INTRODUCTION TO SAFETY KEMI uses a very common-sense approach to loss education and safety. While no program is specifically suited for every business, several key components can be utilized by virtually every business. First of all, look for the obvious. Focus on the basics: Where are the majority of employees subjected to a risk? What areas have produced prior injuries? Look within for solutions: Who best knows your business? You and your employees. Utilize any resources you have available, including KEMI. MAJOR COMPONENTS OF A SAFETY PROGRAM Management and Leadership Commitment Assignment of Responsibility Hazard Identification and Control Employee and Supervisor Training Employee Awareness Medical and Emergency Assistance Accident and Incident Investigation Record-keeping Activities

5 MODEL SAFETY PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT Prepare and sign a policy statement regarding management s position on employee safety and post it where everyone can read it. KEMI offers a sample that can be used in the development of a specific safety policy for your company. Call a meeting with all employees to discuss safety and health matters. Establish company and department safety goals. Review statutory requirements that apply to the specific type of business and, if necessary, request assistance from the KEMI Loss Education Department. Prepare a list of appropriate safety rules to govern work within the company. If the company owns or operates vehicles, implement a mandatory seat belt program. Require regular safety committee meetings with supervisors and employees. This committee should set it owns mission statement, set goals, and have regular involvement in the accident investigation process. Members of senior management should attend periodically. Respond to employee suggestions in a timely manner. Develop and implement a drug free workplace policy that may include drug testing. Review hiring practices. Evaluate prospective employee s safety attitude and knowledge as well as job qualifications. Consider safety when evaluating an employee s or supervisor s overall job performance. Include job safety and health issues in meetings with employees. Publicize accidents and near misses so other employees will be aware of the potential for injury. After initial safety efforts have begun to succeed, implement a program for safety incentives and employee recognition. Develop and implement policies for responding to emergencies resulting from job-related injuries, chronic medical conditions, and natural disasters. Discipline safety violations the same as any other breach of company policy.

6 ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY Assign a KEY member of management to be responsible for the company safety program. Make certain the authority to do the job is equal to the responsibility. Provide the necessary training and resources in order to ensure success. Assign first line supervisors the responsibility for safety in their regular work areas. Supervisors should have the responsibility and authority to develop safe work practices, correct physical hazards, train employees and enforce safety rules. Develop claims management system for the department or person responsible for submitting and monitoring claims activities (e.g. human resources department). This system should include a close working relationship with KEMI s managed care provider. All employees must accept the responsibility for their own, and their co-workers, safety on the job. Employees must recognize their responsibility to follow the employer s safety and health policies and to identify and help control hazards in their immediate work area. HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL Require documented safety inspections of work areas on a regular basis. Use Job Analysis to identify job or task hazards and to define low risk jobs for light duty and early return to work programs. Establish a method for employees to report, without fear of retaliation, specific workplace hazards that exist or could likely develop. Respond to reports in a timely manner. Develop a formal follow-up procedure to ensure identified hazards have been corrected. EMPLOYEE AND SUPERVISOR TRAINING Develop programs required by State and Federal Law for your business such as Hazard Communications, Hearing Conservation, Respiratory Protection, Lock Out/ Tag Out, Confined Space Entry, Blood Born Pathogens, Motor Vehicle Restraints and Forklift Operation. Conduct the required training and repeat as necessary. As permitted by ADA guidelines, assess new and current employees to ensure their abilities meet the job requirements so that any unnecessary risk of stress/ fatigue injuries is minimized.

7 Train employees about the materials they use and equipment they operate. Define hazards and demonstrate how the company is working to control or eliminate those hazards in the workplace. Supervisors may need additional training in determining safe work practices, detecting hazardous exposures and conditions, recognizing and correcting unsafe behavior, and performing job safety analyses. Ensure this training is available to them. EMPLOYEE AWARENESS The goal is to create a constant awareness of potential hazards in the employee s work area. Employees should be required to immediately report all unsafe conditions to their supervisor. Employees should receive proper workplace safety instructions before performing task or job. Employees should not be forced to undertake a job that appears in their judgment to be unsafe. Employees should be required to ensure all equipment and machinery safeguards, including protective devices, are in place and operating properly before using equipment. MEDICAL & EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE All companies should have emergency medical procedures for handling injury accidents. Procedures to be followed should be developed and implemented before the need arises. Develop procedures for all employees to follow in the event of a disaster, such as fire, earthquake, flood, severe snowstorm or high winds. Regular drills should be practiced to ensure the safety of employees in the event of an emergency. Provisions should be made to deal with medical emergencies arising from an employee s personal medical problem such as a heart condition, diabetic shock or prescription drug reaction or overdose. Maintain a well supplied First Aid kit for treating minor injuries or controlling severe bleeding until competent aid arrives. ACCIDENT AND INCIDENT INVESTIGATION Employees should be required to immediately report all injuries, no matter how slight, to their supervisor. The employer should provide to an injured employee an accident investigation form that includes a fraud disclaimer. Click here to see a sample of this form.

8 Establish procedures for the key safety person to immediately investigate all near-miss, property damage, and injury accidents or incidents. This is fact-finding, not fault-finding. The investigation should determine the who, what, where, when, how and why of the incident. Document findings and communicate the pertinent details of the incident or accident to all employees. Specific recommendations should be made to prevent a recurrence. A follow-up review should be conducted to ensure recommendations have been implemented. RECORD-KEEPING ACTIVITIES Promptly complete and transmit accident report forms to the Kentucky Employers Mutual Insurance within 3 days. Maintain up-to-date reports of all accidents and incidents including follow-up and closeout information. Maintain required OSHA 300 Log report of injuries. Maintain safety inspection and maintenance logs required by regulatory agencies for your specific industry. Review safety inspections to ensure deficiencies are being corrected. Keep a record of safety meetings, topics covered and employees in attendance. Document and keep on file all required training records and certifications.

9 KEMI LOSS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT KEMI s Loss Education Department is dedicated to helping you make your workplace safer and more efficient. Click here to learn more about training and resources that are available free from KEMI.

10 7-STEP SAFETY PROGRAM CHECK-OFF SHEET Date Completed Next Review Date Management Leadership Assignment of Responsibility Employee & Supervisor Training Employee Awareness Medical & Emergency Assistance Accident & Incident Investigation Record-keeping Activities

11 FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT SAFETY Employee safety is based on: Knowledge Awareness Judgment Performance As preparations begin, safety program suggestions should come from every department in the company including the supervisors, the company doctor, and particularly the employees. The individual who is given the responsibility for writing the company program must be objective and open to recommendations from everyone. The attitude of the business owner or manager toward safety is reflected by his or her actions. Employees will understand management s true feelings by their example, regardless of what is written in the policy. Be committed! Believe in safety! Believe that an effective safety program can help prevent injuries, reduce costs and make a positive contribution to the bottom line! Remember: Safety is an investment, not an expense. For personal assistance with the design and implementation of a safety program tailored to your company s needs, contact KEMI s Loss Education Department at KEMI (5364).