COURSE

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COURSE 15Creating a Nexus Between Workers
Compensation and Safety Presented byNormandie
Peterson, Program Manager, Architect of the
Capitol
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4th Annual Federal Workers Compensation
Conference Cooperation - Care -
Coordination Architect of the CapitolHuman
Resources Management DivisionRoom 280, Ford
House Office Building2nd and D Sts.,
SWWashington, DC 20515Phone (202)
226-2544Fax [phone]E-Mail
npeterso_at_aoc.gov
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Nexus is.Nexus is defined as a connected group
----Synergy is defined as working together
-combined action. It describes more accurately
the relationship that should develop between
workers compensation and safetyToday we are
going to talk about building those bridges ----
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Objectives.

• Describe various ways on how to support your
  agencys safety programs
• Establish an employee safety and workers
  compensation council in order to make joint
  recommendations on actions to reduce workplace
  injuries and illnesses and
• Identify ways to evaluate illness and injury
  trends to be shared collaboratively with the
  safety office.

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A Commitment to ZERO Is a belief many
companies follow It is being adopted by
many Federal agenciesWhat is it?A commitment
to ZERO means that management is fulfilling its
responsibility of providing an environment where
all employees and contractors can work without
illness or injury. It means that all incidents
are preventable. It is an approach where a
strong value for people is felt. And rewarded.
It is taking the right action and realizing a
greater success.
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WORKERS COMPENSATION AND SAFETY - SAME GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES

• To maintain safe and healthy work environments
  for our employees
• Implement effective accident prevention programs
• Administer safety and health programs that are
  consistent with best practices described in OSHA
  guidelines
• Timely care for injured employees and expeditious
  return to duty of partially disabled employees
• Reduction of unnecessary costs
• Swift action for fraudulent claims
• Support from Senior Management to administer
  programs

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• Investigate causes of accidents and identify why
  they occur
• Maintain comprehensive and reliable injury data
  to set goals and to track program improvements
• Develop written guidelines for employees,
  supervisors and managers
• Train employees and supervisors on proper
  processes and procedures (FECA, OSHA, etc.)
• Develop performance measurements, monitor and
  evaluate systems for continued improvements
• Implement best practices to improve performance

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If you are a safety specialist you can learn
more about workers compensation by ---

• Reviewing Federal Regulations and guidelines
  Title 5, FECA Procedural Manual, Code of Federal
  Regulations 20, Part 1 to 25, U.S. Dept. of Labor
  Web Site, ECABs, etc.
• Reading your agencys workers compensation
  policies and procedures

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• Securing examples of the written materials and
  guidance your agencys workers compensation
  office provides to employees, supervisors and
  managers
• Attending supervisory training sessions provided
  by your workers compensation program offices
• Inviting workers compensation specialists to do
  presentations at your safety committee meetings
  (learn what they do and how they do it)
• Securing statistical injury data from your
  workers compensation office -- HOW ABOUT
  STRATEGIC PLANS! ARE THEY BEING SUCCESSFUL AND
  CAN YOU HELP?

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If you are a workers compensation specialist you
can learn more about safety by --Learning about
OSHA and how it can impacts your program!What
is OSHA?It stands for Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, U.S. Dept. of Labor
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- It sole responsibility is workers safety and
health protectionHow and when was OSHA
created?-- U.S. Congress created OSHA under
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH
Act)-- Before OSHA job-related injuries
accountedfor 14,000 deathsOSHA - Is it only
Federal?No. All employee and employers in 50
states and all territories under Federal
authority are covered.
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OSHA focuses on covering Federal Workers- Makes
Federal agency heads responsible for providing
safe and healthy work environments- OSHA
conducts workplace inspections in response to
employee requests of hazardsAll Federal
agencies are required to comply- Operate
comprehensive safety and health programs- Record
and analyze injury and illness data- Provide
training to all levels of personnel- Conduct
inspections to ensure compliance
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Review OSHA Regulations - Part 1960 - Basic
Program Elements for Federal Employee
Occupational Safety and Health Programs and
Related MattersSome of the subchapters are
Subpart A - General - 1960.1 and 1960.2 Purpose
and scope and definitions Subpart B-
Administration -- 1960.6 -Designation of agency
safety and health officials 1960.8 Agency
responsibilities 1960.9 Supervisory
Responsibilities 1960.10 Employees
Responsibilities
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Subpart C - Standards -- 1960.16 Compliance
with OSHA Standards Subpart D - Inspection
and Abatement Subpart F - Occupational Safety
and Health Committees Subpart H - Training
Subpart I - Record Keeping and Reporting
Requirements Subpart J - Evaluation of
Federal Occupational Safety and Health Programs
Subpart K - Field Federal Safety and Health
Councils
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Understand the Core Components of an Effective
Safety and Health Program

• Ways to Demonstrate
• Establish goals for program, collect reliable
  data, evaluate results
• Establish program responsibilities for managers,
  employees in the workplace, hold accountable

• Component 1.Management Commitment

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(Continued)

• Component
• 2. Employee Involvement

• Ways to Demonstrate
• Establish mechanisms to get employees involved in
  the program, create committees, teams
• Establish procedures for employees to report
  job-related injuries, incidents, hazards and
  ensure not discouraged to report unsafe
  conditions
• Establish good communication with employees

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(Continued)

• Ways to Demonstrate
• Follow up on employee reports of injuries,
  symptoms or hazards
• Review injury logs or other data and identify
  problem areas
• Conduct inspections to identify hazards causing
  injuries, illnesses, or fatalities

• Component
• 3. Identification of Problem Jobs

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(Continued)

• Ways to Demonstrate
• Through investigation or other analysis, identify
  hazards in problem jobs
• Develop controls for problem jobs by
  brainstorming with employees or other methods
• Follow up to ensure hazards are abated and
  controlled

• Component 4.Analysis and Development of Controls
  for Problem Jobs

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(Continued)

• Ways to Demonstrate
• Through investigation or other analysis, identify
  hazards in problem jobs
• Develop controls for problem jobs by
  brainstorming with employees or other methods
• Follow up to ensure hazards are abated and
  controlled

• Component 5.Analysis and Development of Controls
  for Problem Jobs

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(Continued)

• Ways to Demonstrate
• Encourage early reporting of symptoms and ensure
  that employees do not fear reprisal or
  discrimination
• Ensure a prompt evaluation by a medical provider
• Provide employees who have work-related medical
  conditions with restricted or light duty
  employment.

• Component 6.Medical Management

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Building bridges in your agency requires shifting
from status quo---

• 1 Challenge - Securing managements support and
  commitment to change (and providing the needed
  resources)
• At the Office of the Architect of the Capitol,
  developing a synergy between Safety and Workers
  Compensation Programs has been an on-going
  process
• Catalyst for change!

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Working together as a Team to reduce work
injuries/illnesses in the AOC we focused on -

• Securing managements supports to address
  specific areas of improvement to reduce
  work-related injuries and illnesses
• Expanded Safety Program and increased staff
• Developed and implemented a Strategic Plan which
  included new safety and health policies and
  procedures

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• Human Resources, Workers Compensation provided
  consulting support to Safety Office in securing
  statistical data for drafting OSHA reports,
  integration of our Workers Compensation Tracking
  System for safety use
• Hands on meetings with safety specialist to
  educate them about our program and the FECA
• Developed tools to be shared with safety - 1)
  Flowcharts on injury process 2) Fact Sheets 3)
  Injury data 4) Reports on costs, etc.
• Assisted Safety in addressing injury trends and
  developing solutions

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(Continued)

• Secured Safetys support in investigating
  questionable and fraudulent claims
• Implemented enhancements to our computer system
  to track injury/illness trends more effectively
• Workers Compensation Manager attended Safety
  Committee Meetings
• Both offices worked together in reviewing injury
  claims and requested input from each other in
  addressing important issues ---- As a result
  of our collaborative efforts - AOC saw largest
  reduction in our injury rate in past 30 years

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SAFETY COUNCILS AS PRESCRIBED BY OSHA

• PART 1960 of the OSH Act, Executive Order 12196 -
  states purpose of safety councils -- facilitates
  the exchange of ideas and information throughout
  the Government about occupational safety and
  health

• Currently Chair of the Metropolitan Washington
  Federal Safety and Health Council in Washington,
  DC
• Participated in that Council almost 10 years

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Purpose of our Safety Council

• Acts as a clearinghouse for information and data
  regarding occupational accidents, injuries,
  illnesses and their prevention
• Promote the improvement of safety, occupational
  health and workers compensation Federal programs
  

• Promote coordination, cooperation and sharing of
  resources and expertise to aid agencies with
  inadequate or limited resources
• Evaluate safety and health issues impacting
  locations, conditions and facilitate solutions to
  programs

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REMEMBERWhether workers compensation or safety --

• 1. Numbers represent people
• 2. Tracking accidents helps prevent them
• 3. Saving dollars makes sense

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When holding your meetings remember to make them
productive--

• Realize the need and establish objectives
• Set-up meetings with formal agendas
• Coordinate meetings in an business environment
• Set goals for each event
• Focus on building one-on-one relationships.
• Use hands on programming to facilitate exchange
  of ideas.

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One who has mastered the art of living simply
pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he
does, leaving others to decide whether he is
working or playing.
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WORKING AS A TEAM PRODUCES

• People working together generates more ideas on
  how to solve problems.
• Working together produces synergy -- the
  multiplication of the talents and the resources
  of the group to increase team productivity. High
  performance teams find strengths from differences
  rather than solely form similarities.

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(Continued)

• When we have support of a group, we are willing
  to take risks, knowing that if our attempts to
  try a new approach fails that the group will
  still be behind us.
• With teamwork we improve quality, service, and
  productivity.
• We receive greater job satisfaction in a climate
  of mutual support.

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All Objectives should be SMART, that is

• S - SPECIFIC
• M- MEASURABLE
• A - ATTAINABLE
• R - REALISTIC
• T - TIME BOUND

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REMEMBER

• Make your programs win-win situations for
  everyone. Plan for success. Good communication
  is one of the keys to a programs success.
• Thank you very much and have a safe trip back
  home.