Tag Archives: Department of Labor and Industries

Workers' Compensation

WA DLI Begins Employer First Contact Call Pilot

As part of the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee (JLARC) implementation L&I received approval from the Legislature to hire additional account managers to increase capacity for first calls to employers and to provide loss control support. The Employer Services Early Contact Team was formed in October 2016. This team is currently staffed with 4 account managers with the plan to hire 4 additional account managers in February 2017. 

The Early Contact Team began the Employer First Contact Call Pilot on Tuesday, December 27th. As a pilot, they started by calling on a small number of potential time-loss claims and plan to gradually expand over time. 

The Early Contact Team will ask the following questions of the employer: 

  • What was the workers’ last day worked? 
  • Has the worker returned to work? Or, is there a planned returned to work date? 
  • Is light duty available? 
  • Will the worker be kept on salary? 
  • Are the wages and health care benefits the worker listed on the ROA correct? 

The Early Contact Team will educate employers on: 

  • The claim free discount, if the employer has one. 
  • Long-term impacts of time-loss on the firm’s experience factor. 
  • The benefits of light duty jobs and options to obtain cost reimbursements through the Washington Stay at Work Program. 
  • Early return-to-work assistance to develop light duty jobs consistent with the worker’s restrictions. 
  • Risk management services or a safety and health consultation for accident prevention. 

The Early Contact Team will make referrals if indicated for: 

  • Washington Stay at Work Program 
  • Early Return to Work (ERTW) Services 
  • Risk Management Services 
  • Safety and Health Consultation Services 
  • Ergonomic Evaluations 

This means the Early Contact Team will be the first to contact employers, rather than the claim manager, in some instances. As a future phase of implementing the JLARC recommendations, we will improve the speed of claim manager first contacts on claims at risk of long-term disability and equip them with the tools to help partner with employers to reduce this risk. 

 

Photo credit: KayVee.INC via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Workers' Compensation

Washington Forklift Rodeos – Competitors Needed!

Being a safe forklift driver requires skill and knowledge. Professional forklift drivers have an opportunity to demonstrate both in upcoming regional forklift competitions. The winners of the two regional events will go on to a statewide “rodeo” at the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference in the fall.

Eastern Washington drivers are invited to compete June 21 in the regional qualifying forklift rodeo at the Spokane Fire Department Regional Readiness Center at 1618 N. Rebecca St. 

A Western Washington forklift competition will be held Aug. 23 at the Boeing Kent Space Center, 20403 68th Ave. S. The top five individual qualifiers from each of these regional competitions will then proceed to the 17thAnnual Forklift Rodeo at the 63rd Annual Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference held this year in Spokane on Sept. 24.

Employers are encouraged to sponsor in-house competitions. The forklift rodeos typically draw the best forklift drivers from around the state.

To take part, competitors must first successfully pass a written exam and be current on training requirements. During the competition, the forklift drivers are timed as they negotiate a fun and challenging course.

The top eight drivers in these regional competitions earn cash prizes ranging from $50 to $300. In the finals, prizes range from $100 to $500 for the top five drivers. Team awards are also given for the top two teams in each region. Participation is limited to the first 30 drivers who register.

Visit www.wagovconf.org for registration forms or call 206-281-3842 or 1-888‑451-2004 (TDD users: 360-902-5797). The entry fee is $40 for competitors. Spectators are welcome and there is no admission charge.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board and the Department of Labor & Industries.

 

Photo credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)