Health and Safety Program Management
Case Management
Occupational health case management seeks to obtain the best care for injured employees from qualified providers to improve health outcomes and shorten disability time. This benefits the injured employee and the company. Effective case management depends on early intervention and establishing a partnership with the injured employee.
Improvements in days lost and restricted time measure program success. "Days lost" refers to the number of days lost due to work-related injuries and illnesses. "Restricted days" refers to the period during which an injured employee returns to work in a different capacity until a healthcare professional determines he or she may resume previous duties. Baxter's 2006 days lost rate improved 2 percent compared to 2005. Baxter's combined 2006 restricted days and days lost rate improved 21 percent compared to 2005.
A focus on prevention and case management helps Baxter manage the medical treatment costs of work-related injuries. The company estimates that incident avoidance and case management saved Baxter $5.4 million in 2006.
Baxter uses 10 criteria to measure the percentage of company facilities with case-management and return-to-work programs and program penetration at each facility. Facilities must have implemented at least eight of these criteria to qualify as having a program.
| CASE MANAGEMENT AND RETURN-TO-WORK PROGRAM CRITERIA | |
| ELEMENT | |
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1.
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Have documented return-to-work (RTW) program. |
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2.
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Have identified RTW coordinator. |
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3.
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Have established relationship with a qualified clinic or licensed healthcare professional. |
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4.
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Have system to refer injured workers for company medical evaluation within 48 hours or before the start of the next shift. |
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5.
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Have system to return employees to active duty including a transitional duty program. |
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6.
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Have system for assigning professional case management services or referral to regional occupational health professionals as needed. |
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7.
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Have documented physical demands for jobs that are provided to healthcare professionals treating work injuries and illnesses. |
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8.
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Actively communicate RTW process to employees. |
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9.
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Have RTW coordinator who communicates with the treating healthcare professional. |
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10.
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Have supervisor and RTW coordinator who communicate with off-work employees. |
View detail regarding Baxter's Risk-Based Approach to Occupational Health Case Management.
Ergonomics
Since approximately half of Baxter's work-related injuries and illnesses relate to ergonomics, the company has targeted this as a focus area for improvement. In 2006, the ergonomics team deployed new self-assessment tools to help facilities determine areas of greatest ergonomic risk, including a simple 10-Point Ergonomic Program Self-Test. The test helps determine the strength of a facility's ergonomics program and provides focus for future strategies.
Leading Indicators
Health and safety performance is traditionally measured by "lagging indicators" that track injuries and illnesses after they occur, such as cases with days lost, days lost and recordable cases (see Health and Safety Performance Detail). Baxter uses those standard metrics and also is increasingly implementing "leading indicators" that measure factors that could prevent accidents or illnesses. Examples include the number of ergonomic improvements completed or the percent of employees participating in at least one health-promotion activity.
Baxter’s 2010 goal is to implement at least one health and one safety leading indicator in 90 percent of facilities with 100 employees or more. In 2006, Baxter exceeded its interim target of 60 percent of facilities, achieving 76 percent. The interim goal for 2007 is 80 percent of facilities with 100 employees or more.
