When looking for ways to reduce workers' compensation claims and lost time (days away from work), most safety and risk management professionals look to the obvious: designing and re-designing the workplace to prevent injuries, injury prevention training, working within OSHA regulations, posting signs and reminders to work safely, addressing injuries as they occur and putting measures in place to prevent other injuries.

Yet, with all the prevention measures, lost time claims still occur and they are costly. Why?

Supervisor's impact

What's often overlooked is the impact that the injured employee's supervisor has on the injury and claim. Do supervisors know that their response to the employee in pain can determine the length of the employee's disability? In “theory,” of course they know it's important to be nice, but in reality, is this what supervisors practice when their employees complain of discomfort, pain or have an injury? Does it matter?

Research shows that it does matter. A National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Innovative Research Award-winning research study by Shaw, et al., “Supervisor Training to Optimize Response to Worker Injuries,” showed that just four hours of supervisor training on communication skills and respect of injured workers, along with ergonomic accommodations for injured workers reduced lost time claims by 47 percent. The study also showed an 18 percent reduction in existing claims and an 80 percent reduction in workers' comp costs.