Something I think we all need to see

[CRABBY]

Tuffy Wrote:Yes that session also hit home for me, In other words, don't grow older and get hurt at work, because it is all due to the ageing process, and you as an older IW will have no rights. what a bunch of BS.

and What do they think they are? not growing older too? what will they do when it happens to them?

[CRABBY]

I can't even get Osha to investigate my previous employer...just the mere fact that the building was built in 1934, they have never properly maintained or fixed in a relatively quick fashion....the metra boxes that I hurt my eyes at, were so rusted (I have pictures), I would write them up almost weekly and it took them a year to replace them...(I couldn't get the boxes open to retrieve the monies) they were frozen shut and I stood out there in the cold for over 1/2 hour scraping all four sides to no avail, I finally went to station to get deicer, which sprayed back into my eyes and burned the cornea in my right eye...Oh yes they paid me a salary, but I had to pay for all medical treatment...my squad car was a seized vehicle ( 1991 chevy pickp) every time I would go around a corner the drivers door would fly open, I wrote that vehicle up daily...alll they ever did was bandaide the squads...and now the last injury on the stairs (dimly lit)dark and tiled stairs...but it wasn't their fault....they don't care (employers) it's a lets wait and see what happens, if nothing happens well then, we're OK...they should be made accountable for all safety issues and classes, etc. and they shouldn't have the right to pick and choose who they will let get treated and such....I just feel this seminar is a way for them to continue to screw the IW...their actions are criminal in my book and appears to me they are the fraudelant ones...I just want to know if adjusters and their supervisors are educated with degrees to make the decisions they are afforded to make? anyone know? is Kate still on the forum....

Kate I don't want you to feel I'm attacking you personally...I am curious about the educational level of adjusters/etc...now that you have been through this, what is your opinion....

I don't know why we (the I.W.'s) can't have some type of conference?
I know I would be willing to scrape money together to get there.....no matter what!!!!

[vickinat]

Sithie:
Thanks for the site. I'm the Safety Committee Chairperson at my work, and I know first hand that the company only has our committee to receive a 5% discount on their Worker's Compensation Insurance rates. We had our certification training done by our W/C ins risk management person. I have included many of his recommendations in my reports that were turned into management.

The trainer noticed how employees were having to work with parts on skids on the floor, and asked me if we have any elevating carts to raise the skids to a more comfortable position. He even stated that doing it this way can cause back injuries. I told him that I was aware of that and that is how I injured my back, and I told him that I had already done the research and turned in a Memo with prices from various models and vendors, but management decides what will be purchased.

Management in alot of companies are more worried about saving money on insurance premiums, or spending money on equipment to increase profits, than pay for items to help the workers do their jobs safer. Please realize we work with mostly steel, some aluminum. We have had a good many injuries in the last two years, since I've been there. I'm not the only one.

My committee gets frustrated, because we document everything, hold our monthly meetings, turn in recommendations with cost and vendors info, and the bare miminum is done. We have no safety orientation for employees, we as the workers or the supervisors are left to train new hires in the job they are going to do, and to point out safety issues.

I think all employers, large or small, should be required to have a safety education training and orientation in place for all employees, in order to do business.

Sorry for ranting.
Vickie

[red1030]

vickinat...I completely agree. There should be ongoing training about safety in every organization. Additionally as you mentioned which I believe is very important is that an organization is at risk for injuries if they do not provide the appropriate and safe tools to the employees to do the job. This is a must. Red

[admin]

Sorry Jayne, we are a sponsor of the event, not the producer of it. We have no control over the sessions or who speaks.

Red, in response to your question "So what happens to a man or women who is over 40 years old, is injured, unable to work and it is not W/C due to his or her risk becasue of increasing age":
An on the job injury will still most likely be covered by workers' comp, even if there was an underlying health reason due to aging (liabilities vary by state). Workers' comp is generally a no fault system, and the employer indeed ends up owning issues that occur because of this. I remember a few years back a poster (who indicated they were significantly overweight and in their 50's) injured their back "bending over for a Kleenex" they had dropped on the floor. Pretty clearly this was not a direct function of their job, and could have as easily happened at home, but it didn't, and the employer owned it. WC is far from perfect, but you'll find feelings like that on both sides.

The graying of the workforce is a huge problem for employers. Every year, employers in this country pay $100 Billion (that is $100,000,000,000.00) in WC premiums, benefit payments, replacement costs, medical and the like. Employers need to better learn prevention and safety, as their older workforce can become more easily injured, take longer to heal, and often possess skillsets that may be difficult to replace. Quite often there is a disconnect between what a company wants or directs, and what a supervisor in the field does. That is a major problem that can lead to some of the issues noted in this thread.

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

ADMIN, thanks for the reply.

I was always told, if ever injured at work, Illinois would be one of the better States to then be injured. Having it in Illinois is ok with me, for I live 10 minutes from it also. I did read through the conference agenda, and hopefully as Admin stated, the Boss will soon learn what the employer wants, and also share items of safety and all with their employee's. Plus share the facts of what to do when one does become injured on the job. Having safety meetings, and getting those first injury reports done right away, can also help all with-in the circle of an on the job injury. it's been a known fact, that many injured on the job, are mostly between the age 40 and 55, then after 55 it seems to lesson, and those younger, heal much better and faster. if one knew that, they can see the conference, is mostly reviewing facts made from years ago. Like relearning or retraining, for those at 40 to 45 years of age seem to absorb 35% to 45% of what is said and taught to them. Having a refresher helps them remember. I know it helps me. Also, not only this issue here, but this is also a good reason on why employee's should read up and learn their State Laws and Rules as they apply to ones life and life style. Meaning don't stop just at the WC Laws and Rules, learn all you can. When employee's and employer's start working together, there will be less problems in many areas of employment. But too, as many know, there will always be employer's that won't, and employee's that won't neither.

[red1030]

Admin, I don't disagree at all with what you are saying. I am one who feels that the employer is just as much a victim of this entire mess as the IW. My husband's family owns the largest roofing company in Oregon. They have 100's of roofers who work for them located in several different cities within Oregon. Every year there are several injuries as roofing is high risk and every year the premiums go up tremoudously to the point, that the question comes up about what would be most cost effective..paying the high cost of premiums or insuring your people yourself. They have battled this very question many times over the past several years. I don't believe that an organization should have to do this. I do however, believe and am more than willing to stand up for the rights of an IW reguardless of his or her age. I am at a lost with this whole mess, becasue I hear and see what is happening on this board and then I know what my history has been with my husbands family. Now my husband has a claim, and yet he doesn't feel good about it at all. I believe if not for me and this board he would have let it drop a long time ago. He was hurt at work. However, he was an at risk person because he did have DJD in his neck. I understand that, but even though he has DJD in his neck as most people will have over the age of 40, or at least the start of it, what happens to a person who due to an accident that triggers the risk creating an injury. Should they be left out in the cold without any healthcare coverage or without a job that they can now do? How do we as a country support this?

Sometimes I feel so guilty because when I was diagnosed with MS I was in the Navy and they have done nothing but give me the best of life as a result. Not quit the same life I had when I could work, but a good life. They treat me very well. The country treats me very well. I am a disabled Vet. There is not shame in that. At first, I kept saying to the board, how can I be a disabled vet, MS is not from a war? At the time, my doctors kept saying that mostly MS would never have been triggered inside of me if not for my time in the golf or that fact that I was living in a very humid and hot enviroment so stop feeling guilty. I don't know if that is true or not, I only know that I am well taken care of. If I even began to explain some of my benefits to everyone here they would think wow... she is very lucky and why wasn't I treated this way? For me you see, I believe they should be treated the way I was treated. Who pays for my care, taxes do. I know this. A lot of people complain all the time about VA care, and I say, stop complaining, it is free and it is a benfit and a blessing to have. Oh how I wish that each of the IW's on this forum could say that.

So if the country can do that for its military, why not its IW's. Why are they so different? Without them, military would not have the supplies that they need to do their job. Without them working and paying taxes there would be no money to support military and their families. It all works together. Now I am not saying that military do not take risk and have to do things that most civilians would not do, such as getting a call on Christmas Eve without warning and be in an airplaine (no first class hehehe) and on their way to a war whether they were ready or not..the world was ready, but to be treated as if you are a criminal. There is a problem. I so wish I had the answer. This is one of those many times, I wish I was a witch like on "bewitch" and could just wrinkle my nose and say "world treat IW with respect, care , and compassion." But alas, I am not, and I can't do that... this is just so heart breaking sometimes...

[Bummer Knees]

I am sitting here reading this thread and one thing I am reading is that safety training or lack of it is a big issue.

It seems many employers do not see the values in it and as Jayne mentioned an organization may have safety policies in place but if they are not followed what good are they?

I was employed as a teacher for 10 years; I was injured lifting a student from the floor. Workplace safety issues were never addressed by my employer and I did try to convince my employer to provide staff training on correct lifting techniques and my request was denied. (An early childhood teacher works from the floor and lifts children constantly throughout the day)

Yes, safety in an emotional subject for me, I feel if safety training had been provided to staff in my employment then I would have known the proper lifting techniques to use at work and would not have been injured on the job.

[jayne]

safety is not number one $$$$$ are......if a IW's right to sue the employer was reinstated over known safety issues safety would be number one.....I know I know no fault in the IW world and thats BS cuz we have to prove in most cases it happened on the job and give 20-30 percent to a lawyer to help us prove it.....
I just feel if its a known safety violation where the company put $$$$$ ahead of workers safety then the IW should be able to sue.....

[Spring]

Thank you Sithie for posting the information.

Admin: Question for you...you stated the following

"In the interest of fair and full disclosure, we are a major sponsor of this conference (we have been for 8 years), and I have been a presenter at this event in the past. It is an excellent conference."

could you get us (on the forum) as much information about the conference... (reading material). I would think that if you sponsor this huge conference....they would be willing to send you all the info. Bet you already have it. I would be willing to pay for the coping and mailing costs for the information. Then I could copy it for others here that would be interested in having it to read. I understand that it may be alot of papers. Have attended several healthcare conventions and conferences in my time. But I would love to have this reading material. Thank you.