Recently in workers' compensation Category

Fred Hosier of SafetyNewsAlert.com reports that a jury in Chicago has awarded the largest individual verdict in a popcorn lung disease case. A jury awarded $30.4 million to Gerardo Solis who has worked for about 20 years in plants that processed diacetyl, a butter flavoring commonly used as a popcorn flavoring. Read the entire story Jury awards $30.4 million in worker's popcorn lung lawsuit.  

Physician Dispensing in Florida

For an interesting take on physician dispensing in Florida, read Joe Paduda's recent blog post on the topic -- MCM's Investigative Reporting -- physician dispensing in Florida. Not only does Joe give you his honest opinion on why this topic should be causing you heartburn, he provides an excellent "peek behind the curtain" in terms of some of the players in the current political race for the governor's office in Florida. Very interesting reading.

Remembering Katrina

And if you haven't yet had enough of the news networks' review of what happened five years ago when Katrina redesigned New Orleans, here is a great piece by Julie Ferguson of Workers' Comp Insider, see Remembering Katrina. She does a fantastic job of correlating the devastation Katrina caused to the health issues that still prevail in the area. Sadly, while there has been a great deal of rebuilding of the physical structures there, and much has been accomplished, the toll has been very high on the health and emotional well-being of the residents there.

And one final thought on Katrina, watch the trailer for The Big Uneasy, a film by Harry Shearer, actor/comedian and New Orleans resident. The film played on the big screen for one day, August 30, to mark the five year anniversary of Katrina. It is a documentary film that explores whether or not the devastation Katrina caused was a natural or a man-made disaster. Hoping it will be available on DVD soon...

As reported by Fred Hosier at SafetyNewsAlert.com, here is yet another tale of a worker falling victim at his job. This time, a worker at Birdsong Peanuts in Suffolk, VA fell into a 50-foot tall storage tank filled with peanuts as he was checking the level of the nuts with a co-worker. The poor fellow was submerged 15 feet under the nuts by the time rescue workers arrived. Firefighters were able to get a self-contained breathing apparatus to the man as they were concerned he may suffocate buried under the peanuts. Luckily, the worker was eventually able to climb down a ladder on his own and seems to be fine.

Unfortunately, workers becoming entrapped in storage facilities that hold grains and similar materials is something that happens more often than you'd like to think. In related news, OSHA recently sent a letter to Grain Storage Facility Operators that clearly outlines the responsibilities of the storage facility operators to keep workers safe.

Does your claimant need disability ramping installed to access their home? Having ramping or other home modifications installed for injured workers is a big responsibility. And costly. The next time you need to purchase or install ramping for a claimant, Cara Barde, President of Total Medical Solutions, encourages you to consider the benefits of aluminum over wood:

Aluminum Ramping:

1. Maintenace Free
2. Does not rust or decay (aluminum lasts for 100+ years)
3. Easy assembly with minimum tools
4. No building permit required
5. Can easily be expanded, reconfigured or moved
6. Aluminum ramping is an asset that can be reused, resold or rented
7. Installed in less than an hour!
8. No environmental impact

Wood Ramping:

1. Requires regular maintenance
2. Will rot or decay over time
3. Must be installed by a contractor or carpenter (increases costs)
4. Requires a building permit (increases costs and time)
5. Reconfiguration must be made by demolition and reconstruction
6. No resale value; could actually lower the value of the home
7. Typical installation takes 2 to 3 days
8. Could include dangerous chemicals or applied treatments

As you can see, there are many benifits to using aluminum vs. wood disability ramping. In addition to the benefits of using aluminum ramping as outlined above, when you purchase your ramping through Total Medical Solutions, you can:

• "Bank" your aluminum ramping - when it is no longer being used by your claimant, the insurance carrier can reuse the ramping for future claimants for a substantial cost savings
• Rent aluminum ramping for temporary needs
• Reconfigure aluminum ramping sections to fit any home
• Easily move aluminum ramping to a new home if your claimant moves
• Rest assured that the aluminum ramping we sell is dependable, durable and American made

For more information about aluminum disability ramping, anytime, anywhere you need access, please contact Total Medical Solutions at 1-800-700-9393 or visit www.NewTMS.com

Today's blog post is directing you to Workers' Comp Insider where Julie Ferguson did a fantastic job earlier this week of pointing out the shortcomings in the way the media reported a recent farm accident involving two teen boys. Read Two farming teens killed in silo: media is mystified. I agree with Julie, rather than classifying accidents such as these as "mysteries" or "freak accidents" the media should rather emphasize the importance of proper safety precautions in order to minimize the risk of future accidents and deaths.  

In this case the two teens, one who worked on the Michigan farm for 4 years, and another teen who had only worked on the farm for a month, were found dead inside a silo that had been used to store a molasses mixture for cow feed. The teens were supposed to be washing the exterior. A ladder was found on the inside along with the two teens dead bodies.

Cara Barde, President of Total Medical Solutions is proud of her employees. So why is she calling them Big Fat Total Losers? Because they are! A story on the front page of the Orlando Sentinel yesterday confirmed it. Read Sanford company gets leaner - in a positive way.

Total Medical Solutions launches it's very own Biggest Loser contest.

These days, employees at Total Medical Solutions are talking about weight. That's because they have launched their very own version of The Biggest Loser contest. Twenty five (25) out of seventy one (71) employees signed up for the contest and after 12 weeks have lost a total of 400 pounds!

Incentives vary, but success is total.

Nancy Perez, Home Health Account Coordinator for Total Medical Solutions, found that being accountable to her teammates made all the difference for her. She has lost 37 pounds. The fact that her teammates are counting on her provides the incentive she needs to stay focused and committed to the program.

Paulette Howard, also a Home Health Account Coordinator, has lost 47 pounds. She admits that at first she wasn't really interested in the contest. She had tried Weight Watchers before and found that it really didn't work for her. She did, however, jump at the chance for a cash prize. After getting into the program she found that cash really wasn't the thing that motivated her. She says, "It's the camaraderie that I've developed with my new 'loser' friends."  

Kevin Glennon, Vice President of Clinical Services for TMS, often lectures company executives about the added costs of obesity in workers' compensation claims. He has lost 68 pounds.

Wellness programs: a good way to address obesity?

As the writer of the Orlando Sentinel article points out, obesity is a big problem for Americans. Obesity rates have steadily climbed over the past few decades and it is well documented that obesity complicates other health risks and issues. Personalized corporate wellness programs like these are likely to become more popular as corporate America embraces the idea coupled with incentives provided by the new healthcare reform.