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Injury Prevention and Injury Management A
system of processes that targets workplace
physical injury reduction
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Workplace injuries are at least a 50 Billion
dollar annual problem in Australia Work Safe
Australia 2008
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• near ZERO - Master Documentation
• nearZERO - Injury Prevention and Injury
  Management processes build a custom management
  system that lowers the risk of physical injury in
  a work place
• Hence the overall cost to the Employer and
  Insurer is tightly managed and contained

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• The main aim of the nearZERO approach is simply
  to enable workers to sustain their employment
  tasks at maximum physical efficiency
• If an injury does occur or develop then a
  comprehensive management system is already in
  place

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• nearZERO processes produce a system that
• Incorporates existing health, safety and
  wellbeing programs
• Focuses directly on each individual workers
  functional capability
• Matches ability to the inherent requirements of
  tasks

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• Roles to be played
•  
• In a successfully working nearZERO system three
  key roles are well defined and performed
• The nearZERO Workplace Co-ordinator (internal)
• The nearZERO Project Consultant (external)
• The nearZERO Technical Advisor (human movement
  expertise)

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• In a nearZERO system all Jobs
• Have been assessed for risks to a workers body
  (Physical Demand Assessment PDA)
• A functional (screening) test for every job has
  been designed
• Every workers functional results are considered
  against their jobs PDA

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• Every worker for their job will have
• A unique Risk Profile describing their physical
  capacity
• Risk Points assigned according to their
  functional test results
• The opportunity to lower their Total Risk Points
  by improving their physical profile

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• Using the nearZERO points system all workers are
  assigned an overall category of risk for their
  job
•   Lower risk of injury
•   Medium risk of injury
•   Higher risk of injury
•   Remediation required
•   Conditional (new applicants)

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• For Effective Management
• The employers information system stores the
  results
• The personal Risk Rating is discussed with
  workers
• Workers are given assistance to improve their
  rating
• Data exists for regular management reporting of
  company wide and individual risk levels

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• Targeted Interventions
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• Three types of risk lowering interventions are
  delivered
• Global identified needs for a whole section of
  workers
• Sub Group small groups of workers with common
  needs
• Individual the needs are specifically known
  and unique

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• Injury Management
•  
• Minor injury recovery can often be effectively
  guided by the nearZERO Technical Advisor and
  local medical expertise
• Major injury recovery may require external
  rehabilitation expertise in a coordinated return
  to work plan

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• External Rehabilitation
• The nearZERO Project Consultant has access to an
  Expert Rehabilitation Panel drawn from number of
  disciplines and able to work nationally
• The Project Consultant may assist the nearZERO
  Workplace Co-ordinator to ensure progress in
  rehabilitation delivery

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• Maintaining the System
•  
• Once the system is in place (Installation Phase
  complete) the systems integrity must be
  maintained (Maintenance Phase)
• Audit and Training Processes are by this time
  automatically in place
• National and International Standards referenced
  where applicable

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• A final but most important question -
•  
• Who are the winners in this process?

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• The Employer Saves
• Down time - by not having to change work tasks
• Retraining time - by not redeploying good
  workers
• Recruitment time - by not having to replace
  workers
• Management time - lower injury rates require
  less management
• Premiums - by quantifying and lowering risk
• Overall Productivity increases

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• The worker - Their livelihoods and health are
  more protected as they know their bodys
  strengths and limitations. They know how to
  improve their physical health and how to safely
  perform their specific work tasks
• Any union - The duty of care of their members
  increases. The facts and not just conjecture are
  on the table at any time

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• Any Insurer - has very accurate information,
  including the nearZERO risk points system and
  PDAs, giving more control over all aspects of
  insuring and claims management
• Any Medical Provider has their job made easier as
  they have access to a workers Risk Profile and
  workplace PDA

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• In Summary
• The Employer has cost effective and active
  management of
• workers physical performance of their jobs.
• Bottom Line
• Productivity and Profitability Improved

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• Cost Benefit
•  
• typically 6 to 10 times initial outlay
• Dependent on level of internal expertise
• nearZERO builds on existing internal capacity