Incorrect audits drive up rates for printing company Insured Located in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the printing company employs 85-90 people, with revenues estimated at $15 million. Situation The employer was witnessing an increase in its Experience Mod and annual premiums. Assessment The employer became increasingly dissatisfied with their current carrier because they felt their audits were incorrect. Recognizing the need to have an expert review of the audit, the employer turned to Certified WorkComp Advisors (CWCAs) from Keystone CompControl, a Pennsylvania-based chain of agencies specializing in Workers’ Comp, and their Advanced Safety Team – East Coast Risk Management. The CWCAs discovered that not only were employees misclassified, but also the business as a whole was misclassified. They also had a higher than average number of injuries despite a formal safety program that even met state certification and insurance policy credits. This combination resulted in unnecessarily high premiums. Solution Keystone CompControl and the Advanced Safety Team of East Coast Risk Management toured the facility, interviewed employees as to where they worked and what their duties were, and upon confirming their belief that many employees were incorrectly classified, set up a new audit. Furthermore, by taking the time to understand the nature of the operation, they determined that the company itself was being misclassified as a printing operation, when in fact the operation was sheet-fed, which has a lower employee injury factor. To tackle the number of injuries, Keystone CompControl and their Advanced Safety Team of East Coast Risk Management implemented their Behavior Based Risk & Safety Improvement Program that resulted in a reduction of the number of injuries by 63% in the first year and 94% in two years. Result The CWCAs at Keystone CompControl were able to lower the employer’s annual premium from $85,000 to $43,000. They also got back an additional 15% of the $80,000 annual premium ($12,000) by correcting their classification, and saw their Experience Mod drop from 1.30 to .90, with an anticipated drop to .70 in year three due to the establishment of their unique Behavior Based Risk & Safety Improvement Program.