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Case Study: Standens - Winter 2003
Company: Standens is a manufacturer
of suspension parts for the agricultural industry, including leaf springs
and vehicle suspension parts. With a 250,000 square foot manufacturing
facility situated on 11 acres in Calgary, Standens employs 580 people,
with 300 in the manufacturing facility.
Background: With a comprehensive
injury prevention and disability management in place, Standens needed
a communications tool to assist with claims management and to eliminate
the need for costly WCB site visits. "We were looking for a tool
to complement our current disability management system," says Standens
Safety Manager, Peter Hollett.
The problem with traditional physical demands analysis
documentation is it fails to communicate the subtle details of the job.
According to Hollett, Standens had to contend with doctors who lacked
specific knowledge of job functions reverting to the default 'take a week
off' position. Over the year, giving each injured employee a week off
added up to significant unnecessary lost time.
At a cost of $500 to $700 per site visit, Standens needed
a tool to eliminate site visits to reduce its total claims costs. Not
to mention the costs associated with managing the injury claim paper trail.
Solution: Starting with a comprehensive
physical demands analysis for the appropriately 120 positions, Video PDA®
was implemented in the fall of 2003. EARA documented their existing modified
work positions and developed additional modified duties to incorporate
a wider range of restrictions.
"Standens already had a comprehensive program in
place, including workplace hazard assessments, safe work practices and
team leader training as well as their Certificate of Recognition through
the Partners in Injury Reduction program," says EARA Business Development
Manager Erin Lee. "What Standens needed was a communication vehicle
to bring all their programs together."
Results: Standens realized
the benefits of integrating Video PDA® immediately recording their
first ever quarter with no lost time claims. The key: giving external
decision makers access to critical job function information and modified
work. Four months after implementation, despite a similar incident rate,
Standens experienced a reduction from an average of 2.2 lost time claims
per month to 0 lost time claims per month as well as reducing its actual
claims costs by 59%.
"After we implemented Video PDA®, I let our rehabilitation
center know that we had modified work available for an employee that had
been off work for five months. They asked about the types of modified
positions available," says Hollett. "After I emailed them a
link to the website and they reviewed the available modified positions,
that same day they called back and said the employee could return to work."
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