Things you should know

New indoor heat stress app from AIHA

Following the success of AIHA's original heat stress app for outdoor heat, the organization has launched the free, Heat Stress App 2.0. The app measures heat risk factors that can pose considerable health risks for workers in an indoor space: indoor temperature, relative humidity, non-solar heat irradiance from equipment or material, wind speed, workload intensity, and clothing worn.

CMS to host an Introduction to WCMSAs webinar

On June 17, the webinar will include the purpose, submission guidelines, and administration and offer some WCMSA best practices. Those involved in the submission and administration of WCMSA are encouraged to attend. More information.

National Safety Council offering free resources to celebrate National Safety Month

June is National Safety Month, and the National Safety Council (NSC) is offering several free resources to help prevent leading causes of injury and death, including posters, safety talks, videos, articles, facts and figures, and more.

2024 Loss cost trends report for the restaurant industry

Restaurant Loss Cost Trends, a biennial collaboration of Marsh and Oliver Wyman, includes valuable insights and data about the loss experiences of restaurant companies. Key findings revealed a 4 percent year-over-year increase in workers compensation claim severity, alongside growing litigation rates. Slip, trip, and fall incidents are about 50 to 55 percent higher than the average workers comp claim.

According to the report, "holding location managers accountable for the impact of workers compensation and general liability claims through a formal cost allocation system contributes to lower losses," with benefits including incentivizing loss control, reducing claim cost and severity, and transforming safety culture.

CPWR bulletin on construction deaths, suicides, and opioid addiction

Researchers from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) identified 982 at-work fatalities among construction workers ages 16-64 in 2023, about 15,900 opioid-related overdoses, and 5,100 suicides. According to the bulletin, these totals are slightly lower than the previous year. Structures, surfaces, and vehicles were the primary causes of fatal injuries in 2023.

Long-delayed FDA study shows long-acting opioids lead to addiction in one year

The FDA study shows that 22.5 percent of pain patients who started on extended-release, long-acting drugs developed opioid use disorder or addiction within a year. The FDA is currently holding hearings to discuss the findings and advocates push to change the drugs' labels, which guide how doctors prescribe them.

English now a requirement for commercial truck drivers

A June 2016 guidance document from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that didn't include federal requirements for truck drivers to be proficient in English has been rescinded. Under the new guidance, FMCSA inspectors will gauge English proficiency through a driver interview and an assessment of highway traffic sign recognition. Drivers will be placed out of service for failing the test.

State News

California

• The Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) released its Quarterly Experience Report revealing the highest combined ratio in 14 years - 123 percent. Higher average medical costs, average allocated loss adjustment expense costs, and indemnity claim frequency drove the increase. The rising costs have prompted the Bureau to propose an 11.2 percent rate increase.

Connecticut

• State lawmakers added a provision in a supplementary budget measure that effectively negated a state Supreme Court ruling that gave administrative law judges discretion to award temporary partial incapacity benefits and was projected to dramatically increase comp costs.

Massachusetts

• Insurance Commissioner Michael Caljouw rejected the Workers Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau's (WCRIB) recommended 7.1 percent increase in rates. Existing rates will remain in effect for policies incepting on and after July 1, 2025.

Minnesota

• The Wage and Hour Bulletin for May addresses the rules for hiring teens during the summer.
• The May Campus Connect newsletter features videos for claims adjusters and TPAs, including the process for submitting an annual claim for reimbursement of supplementary benefits and for submitting annual claims for reimbursement from the second-injury fund.
• There is a new process for filing an R-3 Rehabilitation Plan Amendment in Work Comp Campus.
• The WCRI study on total claim costs shows that from 2021 to 2023 there was a 10 percent annual growth in claim costs, led by rising wages, longer disability durations, and higher medical payments.

New York

• The New York Retail Worker Safety Act became effective on June 2. Covered employers will now have to comply with the act's workplace violence prevention policy, training program, and notice requirements. The State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) released guidance on some key issues under the law as well a model policy and training program. The NYSDOL also provided an online complaint form for employees.

Virginia

• The Workers Compensation Commission preliminary approved the 2026 Medical Fee Schedule.
• The WCRI study on total claim costs shows that from 2021 to 2023, there was a 7.4 percent average growth in claim costs, driven by higher indemnity and delivery costs, partly offset by lower medical payments.