Things you should know

NSC debuts Fatigue Cost Calculator for employers

A U.S. employer with 1,000 workers could lose about $1.4 million annually because of the effects of sleep deficiency, according to recent research from the National Safety Council (NSC) and the Brigham Health Sleep Matters Initiative. An estimated 40 percent of the workforce suffers from an undiagnosed sleep-related ailment, such as obstructive sleep apnea or insomnia. Sleep disorders can cause employees to miss work and experience performance and productivity issues, as well as increases in their health costs. They also can lead to work-related incidents and injuries.

Organizations now can see their portion of those costs - and their potential savings by implementing sleep health programs - with the new Fatigue Cost Calculator.

NIOSH launches software platform to monitor health of emergency responders

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has launched a software platform called ERHMS Info Manager to monitor the health and safety of emergency responders. ERHMS Info Manager tracks and monitors emergency response and recovery worker activities during all phases of emergency response following a natural disaster or other public health emergency.

EMS workers face higher occupational injury rates: NIOSH

Emergency medical services workers have higher rates of work-related injuries than the general workforce and three times the lost workday rate of all private-industry workers, according to a new fact sheet from NIOSH. The fact sheet identifies the actions that caused the most injuries and provides tips to prevent injuries.

Sharp drill bits decrease hazardous exposures during concrete drilling, researchers say

Workers who frequently drill concrete can reduce their exposure to noise, silica and vibration by regularly replacing dull drill bits with new, sharp ones, according to a recent study from the Center for Construction Research and Training, also known as CPWR. In three experiments the research team showed that a worker's exposure to noise, tool vibration and airborne silica dust increases substantially as a bit wears down from continued use.

NIOSH releases skin-hazard profiles on nine chemicals

NIOSH has published nine new skin notation profiles to "alert workers and employers to the health risks of skin exposures to chemicals in the workplace. The chemicals include:

• Arsenic and inorganic arsenic containing compounds
• Disulfoton
• Heptachlor
• 1-Bromopropane
• 2-Hydroxypropyl acrylate
• Dimethyl sulfate
• Tetraethyl lead
• Tetramethyl lead
• Trichloroethylene

New online toolkit to help keep workers and families safe on the roads

The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety is offering a free online toolkit to help employers keep workers and their families safe on the road.

The toolkit includes an interactive distracted driving self-assessment in which users answer questions about their driving habits. Other resources include fact sheets for employers and employees, pledge cards, a PowerPoint presentation, and graphics for social media and email use.

Coventry 4th and Final Drug Trends Series Report

Coventry has released the fourth and final installment of their 2016 Drug Trends Series, this one focusing on specialty medications and closed formularies. Specialty drugs are not utilized widely in workers' comp, just 1.1 percent, but they do make up just about 5 percent of overall prescription costs. In the managed care world, utilization of specialty medications rose by 19.4 percent in scripts per claim and they saw a 7.9 percent increase in cost.

State News

California

• Over 90% of all utilization review physicians' modifications or denials of treatment that were reviewed by an independent medical review (IMR) doctor in were upheld according to a study by the Oakland-based California Workers' Compensation Institute. About half of the IMR decisions so far this year were related to pharmaceutical requests and a small number of physicians account for a large portion of the claims.
• The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCRIB) released a report showing medical payments per claim dropped nine percent from 2014 to 2016. The researchers attribute that to a drop in utilization, there was a 10 percent decrease in paid transactions, but the average payment per paid transaction actually rose 4 percent, from $129 to $134.

New York

• The Workers' Compensation Board released new impairment guidelines, just meeting the deadline set by the Legislature last spring. The guidelines are used to determine schedule loss of use awards, which are additional cash payments to workers who have permanent or partial loss of the use of limbs, as well as vision and hearing loss.

North Carolina

• Rate Bureau proposes 11.3% loss cost decrease. This filing will affect policies that are effective on and after April 1, 2018, and are applicable to new and renewal policies.
• Employee misclassification complaints are up 644% in first half of 2017, reflecting the state's crackdown on misclassification, which followed a yearlong investigation by the News & Observer in Raleigh and The Charlotte Observer.
• Industrial Commission has stopped accepting motions from adjusters. Determining that the filing of motions constitutes the unauthorized practice of law, the Industrial Commission will no longer accept motions for relief filed by insurance adjusters.

Tennessee

• NCCI recommends 12.2% rate drop. Drops will vary by industry, but most are in double digits.