The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

August 12, 2011

BOE: Workers’ comp fell last school year

By Sarah Plummer Register-Herald Reporter

Since Jennifer Colvin came on board during the 2010-2011 school year in the newly created Raleigh County Schools safety director position, she has been crunching the numbers and charting the trends to target issues of safety that can be addressed to lower the expenditure of workers’ compensation claims.

When Colvin reported to the board Tuesday, her numbers showed her attempts at raising safety awareness, education and training have paid off — literally.

Last year, she said, the total incurred cost of workers’ comp was more than $685,000. This year, the number has dropped to just over $515,000. The number of employee indemnity claims dropped from 25 to 19, medical only claims decreased from 99 to 68, and temporary total disability claims (TTD) went from 1,260 to 1,010, Colvin reported.

Most accidents were slip, trip, falls and sprains, she said, and most occurred in the cafeteria, kitchen and hallways leading into the cafeteria. Strains were most of the incurred cost at $197,000.

The number of accidents and incidents involving students also declined, but the most common accidents were what Colvin calls “struck by and caught in,” including pinched fingers.

Most student accidents occurred during physical education, in bathrooms and the cafeteria, she said.

Colvin breaks down accident reports by departments and individual schools to better address safety needs and concerns.

The board praised the Academy of Careers and Technology for having only one employee incident and no claims all year long.

The Raleigh County Board of Education placed two more safety-related policies on 30-day comment.

The “Workers’ Compensation Benefits Policy” mirrors the state code and places in writing what paperwork must be completed by the injured employee and explains their options, she said.

The “Return to Work Policy” expands the current return to work program to help the employee come back to work faster, Colvin said.

Raleigh County BOE Vice President Larry Ford commented, “The numbers are continuing to go in the right direction.”

Board Member Richard Jarrell added that Treasurer and Chief School Business official Darrin Butcher “was passionate about bringing in someone as a safety director, and we see the benefit after only one year.”

— E-mail: splummer@register-herald.com

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