Calif. Comp Law Safety Section Praised
NU Online News Service, Feb. 15, 4:20 p.m. EST? California Gov. Gray Davis is scheduled to sign a workers' compensation reform bill into law today.
Provisions in the bill make significant strides in improving on-the-job safety awareness and protections, according to an insurance industry trade group.
"Enacting AB 749 makes California the first state to create a new approach to worker safety," said Keith Lessner, vice president of safety and environment for the Downers Grove, Ill.-based Alliance of American Insurers, and a primary crafter of the law's safety provisions.
"The safety reforms in AB 749 yield more worker safety using the same resources as the old program," he said. "These gains come from replacing a poorly functioning and out-of-date 'command and control' model with a program that focuses oversight only on problems."
The upshot, according to the Alliance, is dramatically reduced administrative overhead, better enforcement and new safety awareness and training programs.
"The new law assures employers will get help from their insurers in setting up safety programs and adds new services to help employers support safety for their employees with training and awareness programs," Mr. Lessner said.
The programs are particularly aimed at special groups of employers, such as those in hazardous industries with significant injuries, young workers or non-English speaking employees, Mr. Lessner explained.
"By having the foresight to take a hard look at safety performance the legislature and the governor have enacted a program that will yield results to match their good intentions," he said.
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