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How Janitorial Services can avoid some (if not all) of the coming storm in Worker’s Comp

There is a coming challenge in Worker’s Comp, one that will affect all industries but has the power to hit us in Janitorial Services particularly hard.   As an industry, we are already above average in our median cost for coverage, and there are some coming storm clouds that we should pay attention to. Specifically, there are many carriers that are simply choosing to not offer the coverage. With a shrinking pool of available coverage, options are few and premiums are rising.

As an insurance agent with a specialty in the subject, I wanted to share a few tips that might help reduce your exposure, and therefore, your costs.

First, let’s understand the risks. From a physical hazards standpoint, we have a lot of potential problems. We have:
• Strains from lifting, bending and repetitive motion that are a part of the tasks.
• Dust and inhalants from the worksite
• Slips and falls from the nature of the work
• Exposure to the chemicals that can cause reactions

Then, we have the issue of the workforce itself. The workforce itself is constantly churning, due to pay levels and the overall short-term employment culture of the segment of society that typically works in the industry. The nature of short term employment makes safety training difficult, and low levels of education make training a challenge.

Additional risks can come from surprising places. For example, if an employee is not able to work, their relatives may report for work in their place to cover their shifts, so there is no income lost to the family. This practice creates multiple exposures of risk for the service firm, and the owner may never be told until there is a claim. This practice appears to be more common in larger firms with several layers of supervision, but can happen anywhere.

In summary, the Janitorial Services industry is facing a “perfect storm” in the Worker’s Comp world. The recipe is there - the mix of challenging work, a workforce that is difficult to train, and a work environment that is difficult to control because the worksites are scattered and diverse. To be helpful, I will be sharing several ideas to help janitorial services become more proactive with the issue of Worker’s Comp and safety.

What is the “silver bullet”? The first and most logical step is to have train supervisors in fair and consistent labor practices. More than in most industries, the outcome of the work and culture has a direct link to the quality of the supervision. Good supervisory training should begin with skill building in communication and listening skills, along with an understanding of how to communicate with all of the differing cultures of people that are commonly employed in the service area.

On a secondary note, each employee should receive a solid understanding of what is expected of them, delivered in several channels – verbal, written instruction and job guides, and so on. The key training, however, remains having bosses that walk the talk.

So, a question for you... What do you feel is the most important supervisory training issue that all janitorial services supervisors should focus on? Respond in the comments area.
 

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