September Resources from Sedgwick - OABA Member Service Partner

OABA is pleased to partner with Sedgwick to offer members quality service and stability through the complex workers’ compensation environment. Check out this update from Sedgwick regarding Noise Monitoring and Claim Impact Reduction Program.

Noise Monitoring

Monitoring noise levels in the workplace is essential to protecting employees' hearing and ensuring a conducive working environment. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has estimated that nearly 22 million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year. Damaging noise levels can occur in many industries, including manufacturing, construction, agriculture, maintenance, landscaping & lawncare and even at sports venues.

High noise exposure can be damaging to the nerve endings of the inner ear. Continuous exposure to high levels may result in the nerve endings dying. Once the nerve endings have died, there is no way to reverse it, resulting in permanent hearing loss. In addition to potential hearing loss, excessive noise can also cause physical and mental stress. This stress can result in employees being tired and irritable. All this can affect productivity, efficiency, morale, as well as safety. This is why taking care of your employees’ hearing is critical.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration created the Hearing Conservation Standard to protect employees from high noise levels. 29 CFR 1910.95 outlines the requirements that employers must follow to protect employees. The basic requirement of the standard states, if noise monitoring identifies employee exposure equal to or exceeding an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 85 decibels, then a Hearing Conservation Program must be implemented. Therefore, employers must evaluate the workplace to determine if there are elevated noise levels present.

In order to approximate or get an idea of what operations, activities, equipment or machinery may be contributing to elevated sound levels, a sound level meter or even certain noise measuring smartphone apps can be used. Both of these tools are designed to obtain real-time noise levels that employees are exposed to while work is being performed. Sound level meters can be purchased or rented from industrial equipment suppliers. The IOS sound level meter app, created by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), can be downloaded here. For android, there are a number of sound level meter apps that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. The apps may not be as accurate as a sound level meter, but whichever device you use, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for proper operation and calibration.  

These methods can be used to estimate whether noise levels are elevated, but only noise dosimeters should be used to obtain an 8-hour TWA, which is what OSHA uses as a basis for determining whether workers may be overexposed. Using dosimeters should be completed by a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), an outside consulting firm or the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation. To obtain a good representation for testing employees, pick a day that would reflect a normal workday.

If the results are at or above the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 90 decibels, employers must implement a Hearing Conservation Program, require employees to wear hearing protection and investigate ways to lower decibel levels to below 90. If results are above the OSHA Action Level of 85 decibels, but below the 90 decibel PEL, employers must implement a Hearing Conservation Program and offer hearing protection to employees. If the results are below OSHA’s Action Level of 85 decibels nothing is required from the employer. Keep in mind though, if new equipment is installed or changes to equipment occur, it may increase the noise levels in the area.

Using the Hierarchy of Controls, is the preferred order of actions to best control hazardous noise exposure to below 90 decibels. The actions are arranged in order of the most effective to the least effective ways to prevent exposure: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.

If the resulting noise levels in the facility cannot be reduced to below the Action Level using the first controls, then a Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) must be implemented. Most HCP’s will include the following:

1. Employee Notification
2. Observations of monitoring
3. Audiometric testing program
4. Baseline/Annual Audiograms
5. Evaluation of Audiograms
6. Standard Threshold Shift
7. Hearing Protectors
8. Training
9. Recordkeeping

An explanation of each part can be found in the OSHA Hearing Conservation Standard and there are brochures and documents issued by OSHA that will help implement a compliant program.

There are many benefits to investigating the need for noise monitoring. Employee safety should be at the forefront, but other reasons include increased employee morale, production, efficiency, lower claim costs and an overall sense of a safe workplace. Remember, once an employee’s hearing is lost, there is no way of getting it back.

If you need help identifying potential hazards in your workplace, please contact Andy Sawan, Risk Services Specialist at Sedgwick at andrew.sawan@sedgwick.com or 330-819-4728.

 

Claim Impact Reduction Program

Formerly One Claim Program

The Claim Impact Reduction Program (CIRP) is a voluntary program that employers may participate in to limit the impact of a single significant claim for the duration the claim remains in their experience.

To participate in CIRP, you must have a single significant claim entering your experience for the first time. A significant claim is one whose total cost exceeds the total limited losses for an employer based on size and industry calculated for that policy year. You may only designate one significant claim every four years.

Eligibility Requirements

• Be enrolled in a group-rating program.
• Have a single significant claim entering into the experience for the first time that prevents the TPA from renewing the policy in group experience rating the following year.
• Not have more than three minor claims, in addition to the significant claim, during the experience period.
• Be current (no more than 45 days past due) on any and all payments due to BWC as of the application deadline.
• Be current on the payment schedule of any part-pay agreement entered into for the payment of premiums or assessments.
• Not have cumulative lapses in workers’ compensation coverage in excess of 40 days within the 12 months preceding the application deadline.
• Report actual payroll for the preceding policy year, and pay any premium due upon reconciliation of estimated premium and actual premium for that policy year no later than the application deadline.

How it Works

An employer who meets all the eligibility requirements will receive the following upfront discount off the base rate:

• 20% during the first year in the program
• 15% in the second year
• 10% in the third year
• 5% in the fourth year

Application Deadline and Additional Program Requirements

Private employers - Applications due by the last business day in January preceding the policy year that starts July 1.

Public employers - Applications due by the last business day in July preceding the policy year that starts Jan. 1.

To maintain eligibility in CIRP, employers must:

• Not allow the total cost of the three minor claims to exceed their total limited losses calculated for that policy year.
• Attend a half-day class or a three-hour online class offered by our Division of Safety & Hygiene each year.
• Complete training by the deadline, for private employers the last business day of March, for public employers the last business day of September.
• Remain current on any premiums, assessments or other monies due to BWC.

You must submit an application by the application deadline for your first year in the program. BWC will determine initial and ongoing eligibility based on claims activity during the experience period. Eligible employers will be enrolled in the program automatically in years 2 through 4. BWC maintains the right to remove an employer from the program if it does not meet eligibility requirements.

If you have any questions, contact our Sedgwick program manager, David Deyo, at 614-318-5516 or david.deyo@sedgwick.com.

 

Learn more about Sedgwick!

Did you know that many alternative discounts are available to help reduce your annual Ohio workers’ compensation costs? Through the OABA workers’ compensation program, your organization can significantly reduce your workers’ compensation costs through a variety of alternative rating programs. Our program, administered by Sedgwick, offers you quality service and stability through the complex workers’ compensation environment.

For over 50 years, Sedgwick has been helping employers navigate Ohio’s workers’ compensation system, providing services to help them control claim-related costs and reduce premiums. Our team includes the experienced colleagues from CompManagement and CareWorks Comp.

Learn more about how Sedgwick can help your company save significantly on your workers’ compensation premium by visiting www.oaba.net/services_workers_comp.