Seven arrested in Florida
- Investigators in Florida uncovered a massive workers’ compensation
- Investigators were sent in to address unlicensed contractors who are working without the required contractor license.
- The men were also engaging in construction class work without the required workers’ compensation insurance exemptions.
- When the investigation concluded, seven men were arrested for failure to obtain workers’ compensation coverage and unlicensed contracting.
Duct tape leads to fatality
- Great Lakes Polymer Technologies LLC, a Kansas plastics manufacturer, failed to make sure the required safety procedures were followed, leading to the death of a worker.
- The employee suffered fatal injuries when he became entangled in a rotating part inside a bagging machine while trying to clear a jam, a federal workplace safety investigation found.
- Investigators found that duct tape over the safety interlock prevented the machine from shutting down. The victim was caught by the machine and pulled into its rotating bars.
- OSHA proposed penalties of $292,421 after the agency previously cited the company for similar violations at the facility.
Aging workforce will affect workers’ comp claims
- Workers’ claims are at their lowest levels in more than five years in some places.
- However, an aging workforce is predicted to file more costly claims in the future.
- New claims are being filed for cumulative trauma injuries that are the result of performing repetitive physically and/or mentally demanding tasks over long periods of time.
- As the workforce ages and there are a higher proportion of older individuals, these types of injuries will likely become more prevalent and more expensive.
Ohio public employees to pay less for coverage
- Ohio’s public employers will pay nearly $17 million less in workers’ compensation insurance premiums next year because of the rate cut that went into effect last year.
- This 10% rate reduction was made possible by declining injury claims and relatively low medical inflation costs by Ohio’s counties, cities, public schools, and other public taxing districts.
- This rate reduction marks the 13th rate cut for public employers since 2009. There have also been 11 rate reductions since 2008 for private employers.
- The actual premium change for an individual public entity will differ based on multiple factors, including employer type or classification, payroll levels, and recent claims history.