Industry professionals voice concerns, priorities
- Healthesystems released the results of its 2022-23 Annual Workers’ Comp Industry Insights Survey to understand the priorities and challenges confronting workers’ compensation professionals.
- 51% — reported organizational efficiency is a top priority
- 48% — say claims process automation is the most important technology
- 71% — concerned about changing workforce impact on the industry
- 64% —claims professionals cite difficulty obtaining information from medical providers
Injury rates are high among production employees
- With injury rates among the more than 90,000 food production workers in Illinois and Ohio higher than other manufacturing workers, the U.S. Labor Dept. ramped up efforts to reduce workplace hazards.
- OSHA began the outreach phase of the Local Emphasis Program for more than 1,400 manufacturing plants in Illinois and Ohio where workers manufacture animal, fruit, and vegetable-based products.
- The program empowers the agency to schedule and inspect select food industry employers in Illinois and Ohio whose injury rates exceed the state average among all manufacturers.
- OSHA established a similar program in Wisconsin.
- New York AG Letitia James secured up to $523 million from Teva Pharmaceuticals, its American subsidiary Teva Pharmaceuticals, and its affiliates for their role in the opioid crisis.
- The $523 million settlement is the largest reached with an individual opioid defendant by James.
- The total amount secured from opioid manufacturers and distributors is now more than $2 billion.
- The settlement resolves claims against Teva and concludes the Attorney General’s litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Caterpillar faces fines for safety issues
- OSHA proposed fines of $145,027 against Caterpillar Inc. for not installing a guardrail or travel restraint at a foundry outside Peoria, Ill., where a worker fell into molten iron.
- Steven Dierkes, 39, of Peoria, died instantly after falling into a crucible at the Mapleton foundry.
- The OSHA investigation found “the foundry routinely exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards” while they worked within 4 feet of containers of molten iron.
- Dierkes’ death was the second to occur at the Mapleton foundry in six months.