Actevate

NSW Workers Compensation cost blow out requires urgent action!

Thu, 24 May 2012 06:30:00 GMT

The NSW Workers Compensation scheme has quickly deteriorated and urgent reform to the scheme is essential to reduce its massive $4 Billion deficit. The State Government has until June 2012 to reform the scheme or employers could face a 28% increase in premiums from 1 July 2012.

That means there is a real threat of a 28% increase in workers' comp premiums from 1 July!
I know this increase would have a terrible impact on your business in NSW and will result in shock, collapses and absolute bewilderment. Actevate wants you to be shielded from the definite increase in premiums. Actevate can help protect you from escalating premiums, workers compensation claims and OH&S issues. If you want to know more about this you can visit the link below.

NSW Workers Compensation Scheme (Inquiry)

Please don't hesitate to contact us should you require further information on
1300 669 552 or send us an email.

The Importance of a Safety Management System - A Case Study

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:30:00 GMT

2012 has begun with the introduction of new workplace health and safety legislation. In light of this I thought it was opportune for Actevate to present a recent case study that we have been asked to support the employer with forensic analysis of their risk management strategies.

A 34 year old female injured herself in 2009 in a well known hotel in Sydney. The woman was dancing with a friend on the bottom level of the hotel dance floor at midnight on a Saturday evening when she lost balance and sat down abruptly on the adjacent stage step. As a result of losing her balance she landed on what appeared to be broken glass and suffered a severe laceration to the vaginal and perineal region. The woman was taken immediately to hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. Since then she has had a range of surgical procedures conducted with the view to the removal of inbedded glass fragments in the vaginal and perineal region. Consequently, she has been unable to resume a normal life.

Actevate were asked to establish whether there was a; foreseeable risk of injury that was not insignificant and if precautions could have been taken to avoid the risk of harm for this individual. In identifying the foreseeable risk of injury, Actevate obtained Occupational Health and Safety records pertaining to the development and maintenance of a safety management system for the hotel.

As the result of conducting an Australian Standard 4801 safety management system audit, Actevate have determined that the hotel did not have the appropriate procedures in place in order to preclude the advent of the injury sustained to the woman.

In the case example above the employer believed that they did have the appropriate strategies in place to mitigate risk of injury. Unfortunately our review was not able to determine that the appropriate measures were in place to mitigate such risks and accordingly the woman is currently pursuing action against the hotel in the order of $750,000 damages. This case example serves us a salient reminder of how an unfortunate incident and the lack of appropriate risk mitigation measures can lead to common law litigation, WorkCover inspections and the requirement to establish defensive actions requiring retrospective forensic analysis.

Actevate does have a range of services available to assist you in identifying the appropriate protection mechanisms in place to prevent common law and negligence actions. We encourage you to talk with us, with the view to giving you the satisfaction that you are appropriately protected.

By Robert Migliore - Director

SPECIAL: Free Onsite Task Analysis for Manual Handling Training

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:10:00 GMT

New OH&S Legislation Laws as of January 1 2012, employers now have the duty of care to ensure that each employee is working within a safe environment.

Actevate’s Manual Handling Training is a program that is specifically designed to mitigate the risk of workplace injury. The program is designed to educate your staff in the areas of work place injuries, specific work fitness exercises, postural recommendations, manual handling training & safe lifting.

It is essential that Manual Handling risks are considered as part of the overall management of OH&S within the workplace. As part of this new OH&S Legislation Actevate has designed a special offer to ensure you create a safe working environment.

FREE Onsite Task Analysis (normally valued at $1000) for any Manual Handling Training book in March.

The Program:

Part A: Workplace Task Analysis

Actevate Pty Ltd will conduct a FREE Manual Handling & Workplace Task Analysis at your worksite incorporating digital photography. This will identify high risk manual handling hazards and will allow the WorkCover Accredited Exercise Physiologists to tailor the training to mitigating your company’s risks. The task analysis will include consultation with employees, to gain their input on designing and modifying specific tasks that present as high injury risk.

Part B: Manual Handling Training

The Manual Handling Training will be conducted in the form of a specially tailored interactive workshop comprising both workplace specific and practical training. The 60 minute session will include:

40 minutes – concepts and guidelines. WorkCover approved Training.
20 minutes – Onsite practical demonstration

Investment:

Call Rachel Lord our Account Manager – New Business on 9222 7400 for a written quote before the 31^st of March to take advantage of this special offer.

Michael Baveas - Actevate's New Recruit

Thu, 24 May 2012 06:27:00 GMT

Michael started his career with Actevate in November 2011 as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. Michael has completed a degree in Exercise and Sports Science and has 4 years experience in the Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention field.

Michael’s previous roles included a Senior Health Coach, where he was working on private health and state government health programs, and an Exercise Specialist for a studio gym, predominantly dealing with elderly clients and their associated injury management. Michael’s previous experience has developed his skills in exercise treatment/prescription, rapport building with clients, and has provided him with a good understanding and utilisation of cognitive behavioural techniques when dealing with clients.

Michael contributes to the Health Team by performing Work Related Activity Programs, Ergonomic Assessments, Manual Handling Seminars, Injury Prevention Training/Seminars and Pre Employment Assessments. He is a highly valued addition to the Actevate team and has continually performed brilliantly with our clients. Michael has received many compliments and great feedback from our external clients.

Michael enjoys the challenge of developing clients’ intrinsic motivation and self management techniques. He believes witnessing an individual becoming empowered to self-manage their health effectively is a great reward and one of the many benefits of his role.

By Rachel Lord and Michael Baveas

The New OH&S Legislation and Manual Handling Training

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:13:00 GMT

Manual Handling is a constant risk that arises in most workplaces. It occurs in numerous activites and is identified as a problem across most industry sectors. Manual handling means any activity that involves lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing, pulling, holding or restraining. It may also include stretching and bending, sustained and awkward postures, and repetitive movements. Manual handling can result in musculoskeletal injuries to workers at any time of the day.

Manual Handling risks now need to be considered as part of the overall management of OH&S in the workplace. Due to the induction of the new OH&S Legislation on January 1 2012, employers now have the duty of care to ensure that each employee is working within a safe environment. Actevate have designed a job specific Manual Handling Training program which captures the physical requirements of each role through a risk analysis. This allows us to understand exactly what risks each employee is exposed to at work which we then incorporate into our training.

Recently Actevate completed a Risk Assessment Manual Handling Training Program for Corinthian Doors where Alan Townsend said: "I sat in on sessions from both Nicola MacCue and Michael Baveas (Actevate Exercise Physiologists) and their presentations were excellent. They were knowledgeable in relation to the topic and handled questions with ease. The practical sessions evoked a good response with many questions being asked and employees given correct lifting instruction. Both Nicola and Michael assisted us by also talking to many employees regarding stretching exercises and were helpful through visiting several work locations where MH problems occur to discuss correct methods/techniques with the employees involved in the work.

The use of photos of our employees doing Manual Handling tasks was very favourably received with many of our staff commenting on the relevance of the training to the work that they undertake. I congratulated both Nicola and Michael when they were leaving but wanted to put on record our appreciation for the work they did."

Alan Townsend, Personal Officer, Corinthian Industries Pty Ltd; www.corinthian.com.au

By Rachel Lord - Account Manager - New Business

Ergonomic Education Training and Analysis

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:55:00 GMT

Increase the productivity in you workplace by being apart of our OH&S Awareness Month

For the month of December and January book in an Ergonomic Educational Training and Analysis and take advantage of our special offer.

Benefits of Ergonomic Educational Training and Analysis:

Self directed awareness training specifically designed to improve posture, health & productivity;
Prevention of potential workplace injuries and therefore reduced number of Workers Compensation claims;
Reduced cost of replacing office furniture;

What the Ergonomic Educational Training and Analysis involves:

One of our accredited Exercise Physiologists or Occupational Therapists will attend your premises to conduct 30 minute presentations, with a maximum of 15 staff per group. We will provide a detailed description about the science of ergonomics, what is involved, equipment set up, posture techniques, and preventative measures and stretches to all employees.
They will then make themselves available to each employee to provide assistance with their workstation set up. The Therapist will spend additional time with any staff member who reports pain or discomfort throughout their work day.
The Exercise Physiologists or Therapists will answer any questions regarding correct set-up, posture and recommend pause exercises and stretches.
Handouts on all areas covered will be provided
A report with summary recommendations, equipment prescription or any individual risk for employees will be provided at the completion of the service

Investment

USUALLY PRICED AT NOW AT A REDUCED RATE OF

$45+GST per person $35+GST per person

To BOOK please contact Rachel Lord directly on 9222 7400, get in quickly so you don’t miss out!

Actevate also completes detailed one on one ergonomic assessments. If you feel that certain individuals need a further in depth assessment please don’t hesitate to contact Rachel Lord on 9222 7400

Actevate's Christmas Season Hours

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:33:00 GMT

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Actevate’s Offices will be closing over the Christmas and New Year period from the 23^rd of December 2011 to the 3^rd of January 2012. We hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing holiday break, stay safe and we look forward to working with you in the New Year.

We would like to thank you all for the support and generosity you have given us over the past year. Actevate has enjoyed working through the ups and downs of the past year and can’t wait to see what challenges and surprises 2012 will bring to us all.

If you require any urgent assistance during our closing period, please don’t hesitate to contact our General Manager Daniel Willoughby on 0415 415 105

Catherine Walker - Business Relationships and Rehabilitation Manager

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:23:00 GMT

Catherine began with Actevate on the 31^st of October 2011 as our Business Relationships and Rehabilitation Manager. She has a degree in Biochemistry and Physiology, a Bachelor in Occupational Therapy, as well as 11 years experience in the Injury Prevention and Management industry, both with Rehabilitation providers and WorkCover licensed insurers. Her experience has been across all Workers Compensation Schemes in Australia including Comcare, the Military and Defence Force Rehabilitation Schemes and sherecently held the position of Provider Services Manager in the CTP Scheme in NSW with an insurer.

She has brought to Actevate extensive managerial experience through roles including a National Service Delivery role for a provider which included the relationship management of small and large employer and insurer return to work accounts. Her experience has enabled her to understand the challenges employers, insurers and providers face in the development of best practice return to work. Catherine is passionate about ensuring evidence based and proactive service delivery which focuses on engaging all stakeholders in the return to work process.

Catherine believes her greatest achievement to date has been to build valuable relationships through a collaborative approach with our customers by building a partnership and responding to their needs immediately.

A Cure for Worklessness

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:04:00 GMT

"…long term worklessness is one of the greatest risks to health in our society. It is more dangerous than the most dangerous jobs in the construction industry, or the North Sea, and too often we not only fail to protect our patients from worklessness, we sometimes actually push them into it, inadvertently…"

Professor Gordon Waddell, commenting on the health effects of being off work, from the report "Is work good for your health and well being?"

Actevate was engaged to provide return to work assistance to Joseph a 35 year old Truck Driver, who had sustained a severe leg and knee injury following a motorbike accident on his way to work in January 2010. Actevate assisted him with the upgrading of his work capacity; he continued to have ongoing difficulties and was not able to return to his usual duties.

Due to his ongoing limitations, Joseph continued to have significant pain and despite a straight forward recovery process the combination of family stressors meant he became highly withdrawn and consequently felt he would never be able to work again. Joseph’s psychological health had deteriorated to the extent that it was necessary for him to commence treatment with a Psychologist to assist him with chronic depression and anxiety. Actevate facilitated this specialised treatment by providing ongoing assistance with job seeking, reinstalling feelings of self confidence, self efficacy and reminding him of the positive role model he once was for his children.

During our involvement with Joseph he purported to have a family member who worked at a service station within his local community. Establishing contact and putting forward the great incentive of JobCover Placement led to the employer being able to access a highly motivated worker who had an extensive support network to assist him with the employment training and up skilling of his new staff member.

Actevate were able to demonstrate access to a wide range of supports including the Job Cover Placement Program, funding for training and implementation of resources to ensure durable employment was available. Joseph is now reporting significant improvements with his health both physically and psychologically along with benefits with the increased responsibilities and monetary support that his new role provides. Actevate recognises that a physical return to work is the most significant contributing factor in influencing a workers health.

Loss of work has devastating effects on the individual, the family, and the community. While the economic consequences are well recognised, the adverse health effects of being out of work for extended periods are less well recognised and addressed. Research shows that being out of work for extended periods of time is bad for a person’s health. The longer someone spends away from work, the less likely they will ever return.

Actevate are excited that the NSW Government has introduced these wonderful incentives and accordingly we invite you to consider these incentives. The JobCover placement program provides incentives of up to $27,400 to employ an injured worker for the worker’s first year of employment.

The wage subsidy increases according to the length of time the injured worker remains employed with the new employer:

Up to $400 per week for first 12 weeks ($4,800)
Up to $500 per week for next 14 weeks ($7,000)
Up to $600 per week for next 26 weeks ($15,600).

In addition:

The injured worker’s wages are not included in the calculation of the new employer's workers compensation premium for two years, and
The new employer is protected against further costs associated with the existing injury for up to two years.

Completed by Nastaran Dianati and Jeremy Bastow

Please note that the Injured Workers name was changed for the purpose of this article.

Occupational Health and Safety Legisltation Changes

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:36:00 GMT

With the advent of new legislation in Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) we have been working closely with employers who have been addressing the changes in the legislation and the impact it will have in their businesses. Accordingly we have put together a summary of the changes to the OH&S legislation to help guide you through the process of making the relevant changes in your workplace. Feel free to make contact with us if you require assistance with OH&S compliance auditing.

We can assist with conducting Manual Handling Risk Assessments which have been beneficial in reducing workers compensation claims in high risk industries.

To view a summary of the changes please view the document via our Education tab, RTW Co-ordinator Toolbox and select the Changes to the OH&S Legislation

Special Offer

FREE OH&S walkthrough in the month of September

IME Vs IMC

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:36:00 GMT

Prior to 1998 only IME’s (Independent Medical Examination) were available. At that time there was increasing involvement of rehabilitation providers and new obligations had been legislated for the Nominated Treating Doctor’s (NTD) participation in rehabilitation. IME’s were seen as too adversarial for this rehabilitative orientation. IME’s can determine liability that is work related, fitness for work and reasonable and necessary treatments.

IMC’s were introduced to be less adversarial to enable a doctor to be familiar with the workplace and workplace injuries as well as speaking directly to the NTD. The aim of IMC’s is to principally assist with the return to work process and to negotiate with the NTD, the Employer, treating Health Professionals and Rehabilitation Providers who achieve an agreed outcome for return to work, regarding appropriate suitable duties.

For a full description of this topic please view Dr Prices Presentation via our Education tab, RTW Co-ordinator Toolbox and select the link IME Vs IMC – Dr Eddie Price

WorkCover Funded Vocational Rehabilitation Programs

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:35:00 GMT

As you may or may not be aware, WorkCover funds a number of programs to help injured workers who need additional assistance with return to work. Recently, these programs have undergone a review and changes effective as of Friday, 1 July 2011 now mean greater incentives for employers.

The programs can be tailored to suit a worker's particular needs, and therefore address individual barriers to return to work. Actevate are excited about the opportunities for injured workers under the following programs;

JobCover Placement Program
The JobCover Placement Program provides an employer with incentives to employ an injured worker. The benefits of this program include:

A wage subsidy for up to 12 months
Exclusion of the injured workers wages from the employer's workers compensation premium calculation for up to two years
Protection against further costs associated with the existing injury for up to two years.

The wage subsidy includes:

$400 per week for the first 12 weeks up to $4800
$500 per week for the next 14 weeks up to $7000
$600 per weeks for the next 26 weeks up to $15,600.
the maximum payable will be $27,400 for the worker’s first year of employment with the new employer

Equipment and workplace modifications
Special equipment and workplace modifications required to help an injured worker achieve a safe and durable return to work may be covered under this program.

Retraining programs
Retraining programs assist injured workers to develop new skills and qualifications to keep their job, or get a new job. This may involve formal study with TAFE, a university or registered training organisation. Course fees and associated costs such as stationery, textbooks, travel and accommodation may be covered under this program.

Transition to work program
The transition to work program can provide up to $5000 to address immediate or short-term costs (such as travel, transitional child care arrangements, relocation and clothing) that may prevent an injured worker from accepting employment. The payment can be used more than once provided the cumulative costs do not exceed $5000.

Work trials
Work trials can be used to place a worker with a host employer for a short time if the worker's employer is unable to provide suitable duties. The work trial provides the worker with an opportunity to develop new skills and enhance their physical and psychological capacity for work. The host employer does not pay the workers wages as payments continue through the Workers Compensation System.

Please Note: Costs associated with these initiatives will continue to be funded by the Scheme under Section 53 and are not a claims cost.

Claims Management and Premiums

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:34:00 GMT

With the 30 June renewal season now over many of our clients have had an opportunity to reflect on the performance of their claims management over the course of the year. Upon reflection, many employers have recognised that unbeknownst to them they were caught out with escalating premiums. Forensic review determined that this is a result of injured workers being certified unfit for work, partially unfit for work and in one case where there was a reported deficit in work hours when this wasn’t actually the case.

As a result of this we are urging you to review your workers compensation claims estimates current and past to establish whether there are any anomalies with respect to your claims management performance. Actevate would like to assist you in doing this so that you don’t find yourself caught up in a battle with your workers compensation insurer at the time of your workers compensation renewal. In a more recent example one of our employer clients was lumped with a $45,000 increase in premiums they were unaware of due to a claims estimate for a claim they believe was closed months before.

Actevate Achieves 98% Compliance in WorkCover Audit

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:34:00 GMT

Actevate is excited and honored to report that in our more recent WorkCover Workplace Injury Management Branch audit we achieved 98% compliance. Following a rigorous review of Actevate’s Service Provision principles and files randomly selected by WorkCover, Actevate were able to score a compliance rating of 98%. This outstanding achievement is seen as a result of the untiring approach to continuous improvement that has evolved our case management practices over many years following several self evaluations and the more recent WorkCover Audit.

Actevate would like to pay tribute to the three managers who worked tirelessly to implement the service provision principles and adopt the compliance measures which led to this momentous result. Sarah Bollom our RTW Team Leader, Kathryn Traverse our Rehabilitation Management Consultant and Daniel Willoughby our General Manager have all played major roles in the continued development of our practices. We would also like to congratulate our Return to Work Team for adhering to the service provision principles and for working diligently over the course of the last 18 months to revolutionise our case management approach. Finally, Actevate would also like to make special mention of the Workplace Injury Management Branch at WorkCover who provided such great advice, support and guidance that has been crucial in assisting us achieve this outstanding result.

Incorporating Treatment into In House Managed Claims

Mon, 30 May 2011 06:33:00 GMT

There is a growing trend in NSW Workers Compensation for larger employers to manage injury portfolios and the return to work process in house. There is however one component of the return to work process which can not be managed in house and that is treatment. Not only is treatment not able to be managed in house but it can be difficult to follow what treatment an injured worker is receiving and whether or not this treatment is specific to rehabilitating them back to their work duties.

Exercise Physiologists are university qualified injury treatment providers who specialise in the sub acute to chronic phase of injury. Exercise Physiologists or EPs as they are commonly known, develop workplace specific rehabilitation programs which take into consideration the Return to Work (RTW) program developed by the RTW Coordinator, workplace demands, work environment, personal injury and personal coping strategies. Upgrades in capacity are communicated directly to the in house RTW coordinator or claims manager as well as the doctor to encourage timely upgrades in line with the proposed plan.

The following evidence was recently collated by NSW Workers Compensation in support of completing treatment within the workplace. From Broker et al., “in the subacute phase where intervention was tied to the workplace and an evaluation of the workers job was an integral part of intervention, very significant reductions in time off work were demonstrated. Clinical interventions that include a workplace connection or goal appear more successful than clinical intervention on its own”. From the Cochrane review, “workplace interventions reduce time off work for MSK (musculoskeletal) injury compared with usual care”. Further arguments towards conducting treatment within the workplace include:

Clinic treatment tends to reinforce the ‘sick’ or injured role by introducing the worker to a new environment because of their injury, whereas being in the workplace reinforces messages such as ‘early return to work as rehab’ and ‘you can return to suitable work despite pain’
Clinics tend to reinforce reliance on the treatment provider, gym instructor, or particular equipment rather than supporting progression towards self management and the practice of suitable work tasks as rehab

If you currently manage your claims in house and would like to learn more about how Actevate can support you in providing treatment to support your services please contact Leone Doyle on 9222 7414 or leone@actevate.com.au