As discussed in previous posts, one area of the working world that seems especially susceptible to serious work injuries among its employees/personnel is the health care sector. In particular, long-term care facilities are prone to high injury rates and a corresponding level of high work comp costs due to the many rigorous duties - lifting, pushing, pulling, etc. - that must be performed by employees.

To illustrate, consider some of the recent findings by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) regarding the prevalence of work injuries at long-term care facilities.

  • Long-term care facilities have the highest injury rates of any type of institution in the health care/medical field
  • The average injury rate at long-term care facilities is 8.4 per 100 full-time workers; more than double the rate for all private industries

Interestingly, a group of researchers comprised of personnel from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) and the University of Maryland School of Medicine came together to study one of the more common types of work injuries afflicting employees at long-term care facilities - neck, back and spine injuries suffered from the manual lifting of patients.

Specifically, they sought to determine whether safe lifting programs implemented by long-term care facilities are proving effective in reducing work comp costs and these types of injuries.

To accomplish this, the researchers surveyed the directors of nursing at over 200 long-term care facilities and correlated their responses to existing NCII data on work injuries and work comp costs. The purpose of this task was to determine whether those long-term care facilities that implemented safe-lifting programs were actually successful in cutting costs/preventing injuries.

The results?

The researchers determined that merely having mechanical safety lifts was not enough to reduce work injuries/work comp costs. Specifically, facilities that implemented comprehensive policies and procedures structured around the mandatory use of safety lifts enjoyed lower costs and rates of injuries.

"The institution's commitment to effectively implementing a safe lift program appears to be the key to success," read the report.

Stay tuned for further developments from our San Diego workers' compensation blog ...

You should strongly consider seeking the necessary medical treatment if you have suffered any type of neck, back and spine injury - regardless of your employment setting.

This post was for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Related Resources:

NCCI study examines safe lift programs in long-term care industry (Risk & Insurance)