© Risk & Injury Management Services 2005 Written by: Chris Fitzgerald (RIMS) The RIMS Workplace...

© Risk & Injury Management Services 2005

Written by: Chris Fitzgerald (RIMS)

The RIMS

Workplace Ergonomics, Risk Management,

Rehabilitation & Compensation System

(WERRCS)


Presentation Overview

Background

Overview of the system– Risk Management / Injury Prevention– Incident & Injury Tracking– Injury Management– Claims Management

Current use

Benefits & limitations

Directions & implications


Background (1)

• WERRCS– Workplace Ergonomics, Risk management,

Rehabilitation & Compensation System

• Relational database system developed by RIMS over past 10 years

• Endeavours to integrate OHS, injury / RTW & claim management activities

• Oriented towards the red meat processing industry as this role is often performed by one person


Background (2)

• System is being continually developed & has recently been tested within red meat processing industry with 4 projects

• Focus of these projects has been on:– work redesign to reduce risks (ergonomics), – incident & injury recording– return to work management– active management of claims


Risk Management (1)

Reducing Work Demands• The system can be used to evaluate

current work design & hazards & risks, to then develop improvements to reduce work demands (& injury risks)

• This analysis is conducted without pre -judgement or bias to obtain a true picture of work demands & injury risks


Risk Management (2)

This involves:– a proactive, evidence based analysis of the

work performed by people (ie. what is done)– site wide definition of processes / jobs / tasks

/ task elements (task analysis)– technical assessment of physical work

demands for 16 body locations at each stage of a job (ie. for each task & the component or elements of each task)

– assessment of various hazards by considering these at the job & task level


Risk Management (3)

Assessment of Physical Work Demands• RIMS has developed a “compendium”

assessment tool (based upon other tools used internationally but where RIMS has extended the ability to better use this data for work redesign)

• The assessment collects “raw” data that describes the inherent forces, postures & movements, relative to time for 16 body parts

• This data is then scored & “processed” to set priorities for work redesign & to drive RTW / job selection


Risk Management (4)

Assessment of Physical Work Demands (cont…)

• This assessment provides a map of the forces, postures & movements performed by employees to “do their job”

• This information can isolate the peak demands (forces / posture & movements) to ensure that changes create improvements to these factors, taking the “guesswork” out of work improvements

• Job demand scores are also used to rate work demands per body part. This score can later be matched to a work capacity rating (score) to quickly identify jobs that are suitable for RTW


Risk Management (5)

Assessment of Physical Work Demands (cont…)

• Other hazards are routinely considered during the assessment to identify non manual handling / overuse injury risks, providing a broad risk assessment as the basis & to drive risk reduction

• A “case” tracking system can be used to track the implementation of risk controls to ensure that they are fully implemented & the required change is achieved.


Incident & Injury Tracking(1)

Incident & Injury Recording• Incident & injury details are recorded & tracked (per

NOHSC national data set standards)• Standardising this data recording will enable

organisations, & potentially the industry, to compare performance within the industry & between other industries

• Additional incident & injury information can be recorded according to local requirements

• Information from these data sets are used if an injury progresses to a claim, improving efficiency of the users of the system


Injury Management (1)

Return to Work• For employees with injuries the system enables the rapid

selection of suitable jobs for RTW - literally within minutes after an injury report

• The system provide a matching of rating physical capacity for an individual with the previously assessed physical demands for that body part

• Use of this part of the system requires the physical demands assessment to have been previously conducted

• Additional information, such as standard letters to treating practitioners & the insurer are provided, to improve administrator efficiency


Injury Management (2)

Return to Work (cont...)

• Injury management can be pre claim. This system not only encourages early reporting to overcome the “late” reporting of slow onset injuries, but provides an active system for injury management (ie. assignment to selected duties)

• The case tracking feature enables the RTW & / or claims manager to record file notes & list actions for follow up for each case.


Claims Management (1)

Managing Claims• The system supports the user to progressively

record data that is used for claims management purposes.

• Currently, once details are entered, the employer claim form can be printed & emailed / faxed to the insurer

• While currently not available, this system supports direct data transfer to the insurer. This could be done in real time if needed, but this requirement would need to be balanced against costs & the likely benefits that would be obtained.


Claims Management (2)

Managing Claims

• A range of claims related details can be logged onto the system, again to support the manager in their day to day activities. These include:– wages

– medical & treatment costs

– medical certificate details

– ongoing claims information

• The case tracking system can also be used to make case notes & log & track actions & key events (such future medical appointments)


Current Use (1)

WERRCS has recently been used in:• Red meat processing

– multi plant projects to standardise design improvements

• Ambulance industry – to define work realm for tasks performed in

uncontrolled environments

• Fire fighting industry – to define the demands of operational & training

jobs for RTW & improved disability / limitations management


Current Use (2)

Meat Industry Projects• Have been MLA / AMPC Plant Initiated Projects • The project focus has been on the ergonomic

assessment of work demands, & this has resulted in each participants (2 in NSW & 2 in VIC)

• The plants are at different stages of implementation, but each one is using this information to drive their injury prevention (& injury & claims management programs)


Current Use (3)

Meat Industry Projects (cont...)

• A consistent demand from each processor has been better claims & injury management systems & outcomes, particularly assistance in a more productive relationship with medical practitioners

• With these plants the RIMS system has been used to establish effective relationships with such external providers by highlighting the objective, evidence based nature of the program, & in particular the RTW / job selection part of the system


Benefits (1)

• The system collects “evidence” of work demands & uses this for injury prevention & RTW

• A comprehensive incident, injury & claims management system is provided to support improved management efficiency & outcomes

• If this system is taken up by the industry, then further improvements to standardise data recording & transfer between the workplace & insurer (& beyond, such as direct information to medical specialists) would be introduced

• Improved work design to reduce work demands & injury risks is a focus of the system


Benefits (2)

• Early reporting & early & rapid intervention to manage injuries is an inherent part of the system - a vital feature in an industry where there is a high incidence of slow onset, soft tissue injuries

• All elements of OHS, injury & claims management are integrated rather than treated as separate entities

• Solutions & improvements are not limited to “controlling risks & encompass good usability & where possible efficiency

• A proactive approach to creating work improvements promotes a less defensive approach to creating solutions


Benefits (3)

• The system orients participants in the assessment / measurement process & has been found to improve local knowledge & understanding of work demands

• The job selection part of the system has been found to represent a “fair thing” by employees where job matching is reasonable conservative.

• Rotations within work processes can be established objectively

• Enables the development of generic, standardised work design solutions for a given industry


Limitations (1)

• Effective use of the RIMS system requires a strong commitment by the participating organisation

• Appropriate level of (people) resource is required to maintain data on the system, however productivity gains in general administration & streamlined processes offer some improvement in efficiency (although this can never be guaranteed)

• System users need to be comfortable with using a computer, but RIMS has successfully introduced this system to infrequent computer uses


Directions & Implications(1)

For the NSW Insurance Project / System• Opportunity to utilise an integrated OHS, injury &

claims management system that has been developed through the meat industry

• Further opportunity to refine & extend this system to suit the planned changes for the NSW approach

• The use of this system to benchmark OHS & claims performance & further develop standard OHS, work design, injury & claims management approaches & solutions across the industry


Thank you for your attention


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