Issue link: https://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1460718
GRIP —MBAKS' workers' compensation program—doesn't just provide members with refunds on workers' compensation premiums; it offers knowledge and resources to help keep your employees safe, rates down, and refunds coming. Here are a few tips for taking full advantage of GRIP. Increase Safety Falls are a leading cause of serious injury and death in homebuilding. Pre-job hazard analysis is vital at all jobsites to identify workplace hazards, followed by the completion of a site-specific fall protection plan. All employees working on roofs should receive site-specific fall protection training onsite by a competent instructor, communicated in a language they understand. Upcoming Events Getting Your GRIP on Claims, Comp & Safety April 7 | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. May 5 | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. June 2 | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Visit mbaks.com/events to register for these and other upcoming GRIP webinars on topics like supervising for safety, asbestos, and fall awareness. If you have a specific fall protection question or need additional safety resources or a new member safety orientation, please contact Ann Kershul at akershul@ernwest.com. Lower Your Rates It is not too late to lower your L&I rates for 2023 and beyond. Now is a great time to learn from our experts how to reduce the amount of insurance you pay year after year. FYI: L&I will be calculating your 2023 rates soon! Every year on June 1, L&I takes a snapshot of your workers' compensation claim expenses and hours to establish your company-specific experience modification factor (EMF) and workers' comp rates for the following year. Avoid Time Loss Time-loss benefits add unnecessary expenses to claims and prevent their closing. There are two ways to avoid these expenses. With Return to Work (RTW), the employer offers modified or light-duty work to an employee restricted by a workplace injury, while Kept on Salary (KOS) enables an employer to pay a worker injured on the job their full wages while they are out. Close Claims When L&I is calculating rates, open claims will include additional estimated future expenses. Closed claims do not include those expenses. Get Wages Reimbursed GRIP can match the L&I Stay at Work (SAW) reimbursement, reimbursing your company 50% of the base wages for modified-duty workers. When paired with the 50% the SAW program already offers, you can get reimbursed 100% of the base wages for 66 days or $20,000 per claim. For more information on rates or how to implement RTW, KOS, or the GRIP + SAW match, please contact Ashlee Day at aday@ernwest.com. When the GRIP match is paired with the 50% the SAW program already offers, you can get reimbursed 100% of the base wages for 66 days or $20,000 per claim. Getting More With GRIP BY KIM MURPHEY ERNWEST 53 SPRING 2022 | master BUILDER MEMBERSHIP VALUE