Employers reduce workers comp costs by encouraging employee fitness - Capstone Brokerage
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Employers reduce workers comp costs by encouraging employee fitness

By On January 8, 2014

Fitness reduces Workers Comp

By:Joanne Wojcik (Business Insurance) January 2014

Employers that treat their employees like professional athletes can reduce their workers compensation costs.

That doesn’t mean paying them exorbitant salaries for working only a few months of the year, but rather encouraging them to be in “playing” shape year-round, experts say.

“There are similarities between professional athletes and everyday workers,” said Alan K. Sokoloff, director of education, TIPS (Toward Injury Prevention in Sports) for the Carmichael, Calif.-based Foundation for Chiropractic Progress and the official team chiropractor for the Baltimore Ravens football team. “There is a season and an off season. During the off season, athletes do things to prepare to play the game, while during the season they do things that enable them to play the game.”

Similarly, everyday workers “can’t just come to work and expect their bodies to perform,” he said.

Employees need to learn “biomechanics” so they don’t injure themselves on the job. That means learning proper lifting techniques, proper sitting posture, even how to safely get in and out of vehicles, Mr. Sokoloff said.

“Lifting is an art, not a random task,” he said.