In today’s fast-paced work environments, preventing injuries isn’t just a safety obligation, it can be a strategic or competitive advantage. At ABILITY GROUP, we believe proactive injury prevention and early intervention are key to building resilient teams, reducing downtime, costs and supporting long-term wellbeing. Understanding how to identify risks early and respond effectively can transform workplace culture.
Lower Costs and Reduced Premiums
Workers’ compensation claims can have a significant impact on businesses. From income support and medical expenses to lost productivity and additional administrative burden are some business costs. Workers compensation claims costs (based on your state/territory) can result in increased premiums. Identifying and addressing potential risks before they become serious injuries can drastically reduce these expenses.
By proactively managing the work health and safety of employees, businesses can:
- Provide a supportive workplace for employees
- Minimise the number of injuries
- Reduce the ongoing claim costs
- Lower workers compensation premiums over time
- Avoid costly legal and compliance issues
Injury Prevention
Workplace injuries can have lasting impacts on both the employees and businesses. Injury prevention is a proactive strategy that keeps workers safe, improves workplace culture, and meets compliance requirements will reduce insurance premiums.
An environment where risks are proactively identified, managed, and eliminated before they impact employees is key.
Strategies for injury prevention may include:
- Regular risk assessments and safety audits
- Application of a workplace induction program
- Employee access to up-to-date policies and procedures
- Training programs on manual handling, posture and equipment use
- Undertaking ergonomic assessments and providing ergonomic workstations and tools
- Promoting a culture of safety and wellbeing
- Engaging with a physiotherapist for regular on-site visits
- Regularly checking in with employees to encourage them to speak out about possible risks
Why Is Preventing Injuries Important?
- Legal – compliant with providing a safe work environment
- Moral – injuries can have a significant impact on a person’s health, livelihood and quality of life
- Operational – injuries disrupt productivity, costs and impact team morale
Early Intervention
Early intervention can reduce recovery times and improve return to work outcomes for injured workers. Businesses need to have procedures in place early for early reporting, first aid and offering suitable duties for a smooth recovery at work process, which encourages employees to want to come back to work and feel safe.
This approach includes:
- Prompt reporting and assessment of incidents and injuries, however minor
- Immediate access to treatment or ergonomic adjustments
- Open communication between employees, managers and health professionals
- Positively supporting employees returning to the workplace, performing suitable duties
When employees feel supported and encouraged to speak up early, recovery times are shorter and return to work outcomes are significantly improved
Business Benefits
- Reduced workers’ compensation premiums: Fewer workplace injuries, which in turn reduces the number of claims
- Increased productivity: A healthy and positive workplace where employees are not sidelined due to injuries
- Cost savings: Investing in intervention and prevention reduces expenses for medical expenses, lost productivity and training replacements
Taking Actions
Businesses can strengthen their injury prevention and early intervention procedures by:
- Having policies and procedures in place
- Encouraging early reporting of discomfort or symptoms
- Provide access to on-site or virtual health professionals
- Conduct regular training and refreshers
- Review and improve workplace ergonomics
- Foster open communication and psychological safety
Safer Workplaces
Having a safe and supportive workplace is incredibly important for business success. Building the right processes and culture is important for this to happen. By prioritising injury prevention and early intervention, employees and businesses can both benefit.
Need help? Contact our team to discuss your circumstances.