A tragic SA accident resulting in the death of a 21 y.o is a grim reminder of the need work safety around vehicles. Accidents occur and consequences can regrettably have lifelong effects. Despite the obvious traumatic consequences of serious or fatal accidents, business owners can face severe fines and it is important business owners take steps to protect the safety of their workers.
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Poor health is a key factor in the duration of a workers compensation claim. If an injured worker has other health issues these can impact the cost of the claim and quite often become intertwined with the claim resulting in increased costs and frustration for business owners who often feel they are not liable for external health issues. Raising awareness within the workplace may be the best place to start, start your employees thinking about being healthier and you will reap the benefits. ABILITY GROUP has been working with an Exercise Physiologist to implement health and wellbeing program within our own business and can assist you with practical solutions to help you find the best solution for your business.
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A must read article for all businesses as body stressing claims account for 55% of all claims. With an ageing workforce these types of claims could take longer to resolve leading to increased claim costs that impact premiums. Minimising risk within your organisation and keeping it simple is where ABILITY GROUP can help. We identify practical, realistic and sustainable solutions.
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Workers compensation injuries have personal and financial impacts for the injured employee as well as their employer. At times and depending on the circumstances, it can be difficult for businesses to create suitable duties and effectively manage this process. When such situations become increasingly frustrating for a business to manage, we occasionally get asked about the process of terminating injured employees.
This is a complex area and needs to be treated with a high degree of caution, sensitivity and consideration.
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We are increasingly finding situations where we need to engage the specialist assistance of our preferred investigators, Insight Intelligence, to minimise the business and financial impacts of workers compensation claims.
Inevitably due to circumstances in the workplace, launching an investigation to gather documented evidence from a claimant, witnesses or employer is required to assist in determining appropriate liability or actions required. Investigations can be either factual or surveillance in nature.
Often ABILITY GROUP's claim management process will anticipate such needs and proactively recommend investing in investigations to accelerate outcomes and assist with aspects like determining liability, return to work, functional capability and cost minimisation.
Managing Director, Mario Bekes, and the Insight Intelligence team have specialist experience in all facets of workers' compensation investigations and kindly provide the following information:
Regardless of whether the investigation is internal or external, the purpose of the investigation is not just collecting evidence and reach a conclusion, but to create a better workplace practice, to implement procedures or to review current policies and procedures.
The employer should record in the company logbook (most probably this may be an incident/hazard notification) at the workplace.
Documenting information is vital to reducing time and costs for both the employer and employee. Once engaged, our lead investigator requests the initial recordings of the incident or accident to begin the investigation. This will speed up the process and reduce the investigation costs. These documents are later used as annexures together with the Report.
Interviews are approached with sensitivity and professionalism, recognising that employees may feel stressed, to ensure a thorough and fair outcome.
Collecting evidence on a person of interest requires a clear objective agreed upon by the employer, agency, or insurer. A defined purpose allows the investigator to plan effectively, minimise time and cost, and secure documented evidence. Ability Group ensures every surveillance investigation begins with a clear objective.
From 1 July 2014, significant reforms reshaped the Victorian workers' compensation system. The Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation (WIRC) Act 2013 came into effect, simplifying Workcover laws and introducing new premium arrangements. These changes aimed to provide greater clarity, fairness, and sustainability for both employers and injured workers.
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