Experts See Computers, Obesity, Adding To Comp Risk

Obesity, an aging workforce and injuries caused by new technologies are among emerging risks faced by workers’ compensation insurers and businesses, said experts at an industry conference here.

Their comments were made during the Florida Workers’ Compensation Institute’s Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference (WCEC).

In a National Trends program session, organized by National Underwriter, a presentation prepared by Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) President Robert Hartwig showed trends such as obesity and an aging workforce leading to more frequent and more expensive claims going forward.

Most obese workers, according to the presentation, miss 13 times more work days than healthy weight workers, and indemnity costs for time away from the job are 11 times higher for the most obese workers than for healthy weight workers.

For older workers, who are make up an increasing part of the workforce, the presentation cited a fatality rate for workers 65 and older that is triple that of workers age 35-44. Median lost time is also 50 percent greater for 65 and older workers compared to 35-44 workers.

While employers may be under the impression that older workers will have claims handled by Medicare, the presentation explained that if workers’ comp coverage is available to an individual, then Medicare does not cover an injury. Additionally, if Medicare does cover the injury, it will seek subrogation.

Mr. Hartwig’s presentation also cited rising medical severity costs for returning injured war veterans and non-English speaking workers as emerging and continuing risks.

With respect to non-English speaking workers, and in particular for Latino workers, the presentation noted that as their workforce percentage increases, they will eventually shift to lower-risk jobs, and that will cut the injury rate. In the meantime, though, making sure that workers who do not speak English understand safety manuals and procedures remains a challenge.

Jennifer Tomilin, senior vice president, Zurich North America, also gave a presentation on emerging risks, and noted risks associated with technology as a growing problem. For example, workers who are always using laptops face the challenge of proper positioning while typing. Because these workers are often forced to work on planes or other cramped conditions, she said injuries are occurring in greater numbers.

Other risks Ms. Tomilin cited include high incidents of stress-related problems, due in part to technology that keeps people working well beyond normal business hours, and injuries such as “Travelers Thrombosis,” which are clots that form due to long periods of sitting, in particular on long plane flights.