The effectiveness of insurer-supported safety and health engineering controls in reducing workers' compensation claims and costs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a program in which a workers' compensation (WC) insurer provided matching funds to insured employers to implement safety/health engineering controls.

Methods

Pre- and post-intervention WC metrics were compiled for the employees designated as affected by the interventions within 468 employers for interventions occurring from 2003 to 2009. Poisson, two-part, and linear regression models with repeated measures were used to evaluate differences in pre- and post-data, controlling for time trends independent of the interventions.

Results

For affected employees, total WC claim frequency rates (both medical-only and lost-time claims) decreased 66%, lost-time WC claim frequency rates decreased 78%, WC paid cost per employee decreased 81%, and WC geometric mean paid claim cost decreased 30% post-intervention. Reductions varied by employer size, specific industry, and intervention type.

Conclusions

The insurer-supported safety/health engineering control program was effective in reducing WC claims and costs for affected employees.

SUBMITTER: Wurzelbacher SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4504420 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature