Author: KINETIC

Time is critical when reporting a work-related injury, especially among frontline workers who serve as the backbone of a company. When these essential employees are sidelined, it can have a direct impact on an organization’s productivity. Lag time also leads to increased direct and indirect workers’ compensation costs.

Early injury reporting practices and policies safeguard profits, allow employees to return to work faster, and enhance a culture of safety. 

Here are five key reasons to report work-related injuries to insurers promptly. 

1 – Lowered Claim Costs

Workers’ compensation costs for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) – the most common workplace injury – are high. Employers spend as much as $20 billion a year on direct costs for MSD-related workers’ comp. And if reporting is delayed, costs can continue to climb.

During lag time, a claims team loses important time in reaching out to help an injured worker get prompt and appropriate medical care. This can lead to an injury getting worse and medical costs related to the claim increasing. For example, an untreated sprain may require surgery instead of physical therapy. 

Ultimately, reporting delays can result in not only increased medical expenses, but also higher legal expenses and greater lost productivity (see #s 4 and 2!).

2 – Faster Return to Work

Injured employees may miss scheduled work shifts for weeks, months, or in some cases, years. In 2020, the median number of days away from work for all work-related injuries was 12, and for MSDs it was 14. And MSDs accounted for 32% of all injuries resulting in 31 or more days away from work.

With labor shortages across industries already impacting many companies’ productivity levels, lost work time is particularly burdensome and adds to the indirect costs of workplace injuries. Immediate reporting ensures prompt medical care, which can decrease employees’ time off work and minimize lost productivity.

3 – Improved Investigations & Fraud Detection

Good investigations rely on timeliness. When a work-related injury is reported right after it occurs, it allows for a more thorough look into the facts of the incident. Taking early steps to report and investigate an injury ensures that evidence can be gathered and documented immediately, where with a delay it may be overlooked or forgotten. Additionally, timely investigations allow for taking witness statements while an incident is still top of mind. 

Furthermore, while most workers’ comp claims are legitimate, studies show that at least 1-2% are fraudulent. Delayed claims reporting aids fraud schemes by allowing deceivers to falsify or exaggerate details in the absence of timely evidence.

4 – Lowered Litigation Costs

Delayed reporting can increase the potential for litigation. Employees may seek attorney assistance with their claim if it hasn’t been reported in a timely manner, which results in increased employer costs. Or lag time can lead to employee dissatisfaction with medical care and benefits, and in turn, a litigated claim.

Reporting claims immediately allows injured workers to feel confident in a company’s commitment to their health and to quickly come to understand the workers’ comp process, including details around medical care and wage replacement. This helps to ease concerns and avoid confusion that could lead to hiring an attorney.

5 – Ensured State Compliance

Prompt reporting of workplace injury helps companies comply with reporting requirements and laws, which are regulated by the states. When a worker is injured on the job, employers have a limited amount of time to file a workers’ compensation claim. Delayed reporting could result in a claim being denied or late reporting fines and penalties. 

Workers’ comp claim deadlines vary from state to state and fines can range from $100 to $5,000.

Early Reporting Pays Off

For all the reasons outlined above, a best practice is to report work-related injuries as soon as possible. In fact, experts say reporting an injury within the first 24 to 48 hours after it occurs is the optimal way to keep workers comp costs down.

As soon as employers become aware of an injury they can begin to file a claim, even if they don’t have all the information to complete it. Submitting the first report of injury as soon as possible is crucial to getting the claims process started no matter how minor the injury is.

This prompt reporting will help companies to keep claims costs lower, minimize return-to-work delays, allow for smoother investigations, reduce the potential for costly litigation and avoid late reporting fines and fees. In addition, it lets employees know they are valued by providing them with immediate medical care and support.

The busiest season of the year is here for tow truck drivers! With over 70 percent of the nation’s roads located in snowy regions, winter weather leads to an increased need for towing as motorists deal with winter storms, snow and ice.

Dangerous road conditions and heightened demand only add to the potential hazards these essential first responders face on a daily basis. In addition to the risks that come with navigating roads and working on the sides of busy highways, the physical aspect of the job is taxing too. Operating heavy machinery to load and unload vehicles, driving for long hours, and getting in and out of the cab can lead to musculoskeletal and repetitive stress injuries, especially strains and sprains.

According to a study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, based on data from 2011 to 2016:

• The annual nonfatal injury rate among motor vehicle towing workers per 10,000 full-time employees was more than double the rate for all U.S. private industries (204 vs 98).
• 6,400 nonfatal injuries and illnesses resulted in missed workdays.
• 32% of all nonfatal injuries were due to overexertion and bodily reaction from bending, kneeling and crawling. 
• Most injuries involved sprains, strains and tears.

How Wearable Tech Can Improve Tow Truck Worker Safety

In an industry prone to worker accidents and injury, putting tow truck driver safety first pays for everyone, from the drivers themselves to the towing companies that employ them. Preventing strain and sprain injuries before they happen helps all parties avoid lost work time and productivity, which is critical this time of year. Plus, it helps employers save on workers’ compensation claims costs and insurance premiums.

Wearable safety tech can help tow truck workers move more safely on the job, significantly reducing their risk of injury. When outfitted with a wearable device that alerts them of high-risk movements – such as improper bending, twisting and overreaching – workers increase their awareness of these risky behaviors. This continuous coaching helps them to create safer habits and perform less high-risk movements, which leads to fewer work-related injuries. 

By collecting high-risk posture data for an entire workforce, wearables also help employers to be informed about workers and timeframes that are most at risk. These insights can lead to focused efforts, such as additional safety training, that further reduce risk and help control loss.

For example, we introduced a new jump detection feature set for the Kinetic Reflex wearable platform last spring, providing insights into the frequency and timing of high-risk jumps. With this feature, employers of tow truck drivers can discover high-risk employees, and provide specific coaching and support around how to properly exit a truck to avoid potentially dangerous jumps.

Reduced worker injury rates reduce a policyholder’s overall workers’ comp burden. In environments where high strain and sprain injury rates are present, like in the towing industry, wearables can reduce claims costs by 50%. As fewer claims are reported, E-mod scores improve and premium rates go down.

Innovative workers’ compensation policies that include wearable safety tech at no cost are making this cutting-edge tech increasingly accessible to companies of all sizes, allowing more employers to take a proactive approach to workplace safety and workers’ comp. The benefits include a safer, more productive workforce and lower costs for employers.

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Kinetic Insurance, in partnership with Nationwide, is pioneering a technology-driven approach to worker safety that benefits insurance carriers, brokers, and policyholders. Our workers’ compensation offerings lower costs by equipping workers with wearable technology that is proven to reduce injuries by as much as 60% and lost work days by 72%.

Want to learn more? Reach out to us at info@kinetic-insurance.com.

In Part 1 of Tech-Led Workers’ Comp Made Easy, you learned how the broker education process, offered by our Broker Success Team, can help you understand Kinetic’s wearable technology in order to leverage it as a selling point with clients. And that brokers who’ve completed this education have about 90% of their customers adopt Kinetic tech to reduce injuries. 

In this installment, we’re looking at how the Broker Success Team supports those clients who adopt the tech and guides them through the tech deployment process. Our experts become an extension of your team, teaching your clients how to use the wearables and taking care of them every step of the way. We strive to make it as easy as possible – for both you and your customers!

Launching the Tech Program

Injury-preventing technology, included for free with a workers’ comp policy, is a game changer for most companies. It helps to prevent workplace injuries before they happen, which means a more productive workforce and an opportunity to save on workers’ comp claims costs.

Kinetic’s wearable tech is proven to effectively:

• Reduce strain & sprain injury frequency by 50-60%
• Reduce lost work days by 72%
• Lower claims cost by 50% in environments with high strain & sprain injury rates

With hundreds of successful tech deployments under our belts, we’re well-equipped to get your clients’ wearable safety programs up and running. Our Broker Success Team connects directly with your clients to set up their tech, train their workers and provide ongoing support.  

Below is a brief case study that demonstrates the tech deployment process and the positive early results a wearable program can have.

A Successful Remote Deployment

A San Francisco Bay Area hospitality laundry service introduced the Kinetic wearable program to about a third of its employees in roles including delivery, maintenance, wash and production, at two locations, in the spring of 2022. 

The 3-step deployment process was fully-remote and included: 

Step 1: Onboarding (30 Minutes)

The company’s management met with a Kinetic onboarding manager to learn about the Kinetic technology program and determine how many devices would be needed to effectively reduce the likelihood of injury for their at-risk workers. The policyholders then signed a lease agreement that officially endorses them for the Kinetic dividend program.

Step 2: Training (45 Minutes)

The management team attended a brief virtual training session where they learned how to set up and properly use their Kinetic devices. At the conclusion of the training call, the policyholders were fully prepared to begin reducing workplace injury risk with Kinetic technology.

Step 3: Ongoing Support (As Needed)

The laundry service is taking advantage of optional touchpoints to review program results, discuss claims trends and learn about additional complimentary services offered by Nationwide that can further reduce their workplace injury risk. Like all Kinetic policyholders, they will receive ongoing assistance from onboarding managers who monitor the impact of the tech on worker safety throughout the duration of their policy.

Keys to a Successful Tech Deployment:

• A dedicated operations manager is chosen to lead the program and educate employees and management about the importance of consistently wearing Kinetic devices. 
• A majority of the policyholder’s at-risk workforce is utilizing Kinetic wearable devices.
• Management leverages the Kinetic dashboard and automated email reports to understand, measure, and maximize the impact of the Kinetic technology program over the length of their policy.

Positive Early Results

With the Kinetic wearable platform, the policyholder experienced a 26% reduction in high-risk postures in the initial 6 weeks of deployment, across both sites. This reduction in high-risk postures reduces the risk of injury in their workforce.

Early positive results led the laundry service to expand the wearable tech program in the fall of 2022 to cover a majority of their production team and 100% of their drivers. They are currently considering further expansion in the year to come.

Ready to connect your customer with tech deployment support? Reach out to the Broker Success Team at info@kinetic-insurance.com to get the process started.

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Meet Lucas Bradford, Broker Success Manager

Lucas joined the Broker Success Team at Kinetic in November 2021. He leads the tech deployment process, managing Kinetic Insurance deployments to help policyholders leverage Kinetic’s wearable devices to prevent workplace injuries. Lucas also trains broker partners on our wearable tech offering and supports brokers in point-of-sale meetings.

“Kinetic’s wearable devices are a proven tool for preventing workplace injuries and we’ve developed an extremely simple process for deploying them to at-risk workers. 

When brokers and policyholders are properly educated, we’ve consistently seen meaningful reductions in the frequency and severity of injuries due to the use of our technology.

That means employees are safer and workers’ comp insurance becomes more affordable when Kinetic wearables are used!”

Reach out to Lucas at lucas@kinetic-insurance.com.

Workers’ compensation insurance that includes injury-preventing wearable tech can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace. This proactive approach brings real value to your clients and positions you as a true partner in risk management. 

Pitching this innovative, prevention-focused solution, however, can be daunting. At Kinetic, we have a team standing by for just this reason! 

Meet the Broker Success Team, a dedicated group of experts ready to help our broker partners quickly and easily understand and present Kinetic’s state-of-the-art wearable safety program as a unique selling point to help win business.

Get Educated

The first step to success is getting familiar with Kinetic technology. What exactly is it? What specific benefits does it provide? And how does it work? This is the foundation of our broker education process, designed to help you feel confident in presenting every aspect of our injury-preventing workers’ comp program. 

Although we keep it simple, the process packs a punch!

• Brokers who’ve gone through the education process have a bind rate of 40%, which is significantly higher than the industry standard and nearly double those that don’t receive the training.
• Of the brokers that go through the education process, more than 90% of their eligible customers adopt Kinetic technology to reduce injuries versus brokers that don’t receive the training, which have a 40% adoption rate.

We know you’re busy, so we’ve made our broker education process simple. In just two half-hour remote training sessions, you’ll be fully equipped to talk with customers about wearable technology that reduces workplace injuries and lowers workers’ comp claims costs.

Here’s the breakdown: 

Session 1 –  Tech 101 and Dividend Training

In this training call, a Broker Success Manager will walk you through a review of what exactly the offering entails (superior workers’ comp coverage backed by Nationwide and free cutting-edge wearable safety technology!). They’ll empower you to talk about the impact wearables have on reducing workplace injuries and lost work days with verified statistics and real client examples. And they’ll walk you through a dividend breakout so you can easily explain this important feature to customers.

Next, you’ll get into the details of the hardware with a program overview – this includes how the device works, how users wear it and what it measures; it also covers common concerns such as privacy. You’ll learn dashboard basics, such as what safety data is provided and how to manage the program. Plus, get a quick rundown on the valuable automated weekly reports customers receive via email. 

In this session, you’ll gain access to the full Kinetic training video library, which is packed with short-form video content that covers every piece of the platform. Upon completion of this session, our team will ship you a demo device so you can try it out – this first-hand experience helps significantly in your conversations about the Kinetic technology with clients.

Session 2 – Tech 201 and Device Training

In this session, the Broker Success Manager reviews your experiences with wearing and using the demo device and answers any questions. You’ll learn best practices for wearing the device to help you feel confident in pitching and demonstrating the technology with clients. 

During this second call, you’ll also walk through a high level of the data dashboard to receive an understanding of how a policyholder could utilize it if they choose to. This includes:

• identifying which employees are at the highest risk of a strain or sprain 
• spotting patterns in unsafe movement spikes that reveal what times of day, days of the week, etc. pose the highest risk to employees
• tracking trends over time to see the real impact the device is having on an employee’s safe lifting habits

Conclusion

It’s our goal to arm our broker partners with all the support, resources and materials they need to position the Kinetic technology and dividend program as a business-winning asset. 

Beyond the education process, our team can also serve as a resource in point-of-sale opportunities with clients. When it comes to deploying the technology, we’ve got clients covered too. The Broker Success Team will teach them how to use the tech and take them through the full deployment process. Look for more on these support functions in parts 2 and 3 of Tech-Led Workers’ Comp Made Easy! 

Ready to get educated? Reach out to the Broker Success Team at info@kinetic-insurance.com to get the process started.

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Meet Charlotte O’Regan, Broker Success Manager

Charlotte joined the Broker Success Team at Kinetic in August 2022, after a year of working as a Business Development Representative on our enterprise sales team. She leads the broker education process, training broker partners on how to effectively leverage our wearable tech with insureds. Charlotte also supports brokers in point-of-sale meetings and manages Kinetic Insurance deployments to set policyholders up for success.

“Our broker education process allows brokers to fully understand Kinetic’s technology and how it benefits a policyholder. This empowers them to leverage the technology and dividend program as a selling point with their clients and feel confident in speaking to our technology’s ability to meaningfully impact their client’s strain & sprain injuries and workers’ comp cost.” 

Reach out to Charlotte at charlotte@kinetic-insurance.com.

Our new Leadership Q&A series talks with the leaders of Kinetic, and sheds light on their specific areas of expertise. This edition features Chief Executive Officer Haytham Elhawary. 

We sat down with Haytham to talk about the state of insurtech as we complete the final quarter of 2022. He dives into how the industry is changing, trends that are gaining traction, how Kinetic fits into the insurtech picture and more. 

Q – How has the insurtech industry changed in the last year?

A – Kinetic Insurance is an MGA, so our business is scrutinized similarly to how a carrier would be looked at versus how a SaaS company might be traditionally analyzed. In this category, the main change we‘ve seen in the last year is a shift from premium growth to loss ratios. 

Kinetic’s technology is focused on injury prevention, so we primarily focus on reducing losses for our policyholders, which has led to industry-leading loss ratios with our customer base. However, we have seen many other similar businesses that were solely focused on distribution and premium growth not fair as well.

Q – How have business models been shaped by previous successes and challenges in the sector?

A- In the past, the new wave of insurtech carriers and MGAs all had a similar model: bypass the traditional broker and agency model by acquiring customers online and aggressively grow premium. This often happened without paying too much attention to expenses, with the mantra being that cheap and abundant cash could fuel growth, and profitability could come later once the insurtech carrier was huge and dominated the market. 

The result was that many companies went public with huge books of premium but very large loss ratios and growing customer acquisition costs. The part of getting to profitability has proven to be a struggle and their large valuations have taken a battering, which has put into question if this model makes sense. 

With cash being no longer easily available, new MGAs and insurtech carriers are returning to using brokers as a sales channel – where customer acquisition costs are more predictable – and are also focusing on profitability at much earlier stages. 

For example, in cyber insurance, insurtechs are offering tools to improve resilience to cyber attacks as part of the policy. Similarly, at Kinetic we’re offering wearable technology that prevents workplace injuries as part of our workers’ compensation offering. 

Q – What big trends are you seeing and how does Kinetic fit into them?

A – Insurtechs that are using proprietary data to gain an advantage in underwriting or using technology to prevent claims, or both, are getting more attention. And the effectiveness of those solutions to really drive down losses is receiving more scrutiny.

For example, our wearable device uses real-time feedback to reduce the number of high-risk movements industrial frontline workers perform on the job that can lead to injury, while also collecting valuable data about risk. So it’s both preventing injuries and claims, and improving our underwriting accuracy and efficiency.

Another area of development is the use of technology to improve every process in the insurance workflow. We are seeing a lot of tech being used to automate aspects of the underwriting process, to enable the inclusion of third-party data sets into the underwriting process, API first policy administration systems, the streamlining of claims management, and even to access capacity from different capital sources than has been the case traditionally. 

We are also seeing embedded insurance, which essentially means including the acquisition of insurance into a trusted process that users are already undertaking. For example, the acquisition of car insurance within the buying process of a new car. Ideally, insurance is getting embedded into a process the customer trusts more, and hence the insurance recommendation would carry more weight.

Q – How are insurtechs balancing growth and profitability goals? 

A – Growth proves the market wants your product, while a focus on loss ratios means your unit economics can yield profitability. So we have to focus on both.

The unit economics of MGAs and insurtech carriers are getting scrutinized earlier. Many carriers are partnering with MGAs and including profit share agreements, which means the revenue the MGA takes of each policy can be enhanced if loss ratios are kept low. This structure lends itself well to companies that have an underwriting advantage and can choose the least risky customers, or for those that can really bend the loss curve through loss reduction technology.

Q – As insurtech evolves, what new benefits can policyholders and insurers expect? 

A – The beauty of the prevention mantra – providing technology that reduces claims – is that everyone in the insurance ecosystem benefits. The policyholder sees their claims go down, and therefore is on the path to lower premiums. The workers who get injured less can be more productive and return home safely to enjoy their personal lives. Insurance carriers and their MGA partners see improved profitability and better unit economics. And brokers get to provide an innovative type of policy to their customers, and can even offer value-added services on top of the data the loss control technology provides, becoming a true partner.

Q – What’s on the horizon for Kinetic in the coming year? 

As we enter into our second year of operations, I expect to see a continued focus on prevention with additional class codes and improvements in our wearable technology. We’ll also be expanding the high-risk motions we can alert on.

Stay tuned for the next edition of our Leadership Q&A series, where we’ll chat with our EVP of Growth Gerritt Graham on the role of brokers as risk consultants. 

Workplace injuries – common among frontline workers – are costly to employers and employees alike. 

It’s estimated that U.S. employers pay over $1 billion per week just for direct workers’ compensation costs. These include upfront costs such as workers’ comp payments, medical expenses and legal services. Employees pay the price too as an injury can lead to lost wages and medical bills not covered by insurance. 

But the expenses don’t end here. The indirect costs of workplace injuries are estimated to be 2-3x that of the direct costs. These include long-term, uninsured expenses that come right from a company’s bottom line, including lost productivity, fines and increased insurance premiums.

For employees, indirect costs may include an impact on the ability to earn as well as physical and mental pain and suffering.

The National Safety Council estimates the total cost of work-related injuries in 2020 was $163.9 billion, including wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative losses and many more indirect expenses.

So what are the hidden, indirect costs of employee injuries?

Here are 3 significant ones for employers to consider: 

1. Work Disruptions and Stoppage

When a worker is injured on the job it can be disruptive to normal workplace procedures, diverting attention and time away from work for multiple employees. Initially, other workers may stop working to assist the injured employee. Supervisors, HR and safety personnel will need to assess the injured worker’s condition as well as the affected area. 

Time may also be spent seeking medical attention, as well as investigating and reporting on what happened, filing a workers’ comp claim and completing necessary documentation. After an injury, attention may need to go to reworking schedules, hiring and training additional help, and implementing any necessary corrective actions in the workplace. The wage costs of this time lost through work disruptions and stoppage are all factored into the expense of an injury.

2. Loss of Productivity and Profitability

Lost workdays are one of the largest contributors to indirect costs related to workplace injuries. When an employee can’t stay on the job and be productive due to an injury, it lessens the entire company’s productivity and profitability. 

Employers may have to accept lower production volumes or quality. Alternatively, they can work to change schedules to cover the absent employee or hire and retrain a temporary replacement. Both are costly as existing workers doing additional responsibilities may require overtime pay, and new workers have lower productivity levels. 

Sometimes, an injured worker may be able to stay on the job but require accommodations for physical limitations, which can also potentially impact productivity and, ultimately, profitability. 

3. Increase in Workers’ Comp Premiums

Workers’ compensation premiums are based on a business’s safety score, or experience modification factor. The cost of the company’s claims over the past three years are compared to similar businesses – fewer claims and lower costs equate to a lower premium, while more claims and higher costs lead to higher premiums. Therefore, each workplace injury impacts future costs the business will incur.

Other indirect costs of workplace injuries to consider

• Additional Human Resources

This includes costs associated with additional resources such as legal counsel, third-party consultants and independent medical examiners. 

• OSHA Fines and Enforcement Actions

Some injuries require an OSHA investigation which can lead to expenses related to fines and penalties, legal and consultant fees, and administrative time.

• Property Losses and Repairs to Equipment 

Costs may be incurred around workplace clean-up and the repair or replacement of damaged equipment and/or property.

• Decreased Employee Morale 

An injured worker can cause workforce morale to decline, leading to operational inefficiencies and lost productivity that impacts a company’s profitability. 

• Damage to Reputation

Damage to a company’s image after a workplace injury can cause the business to lose potential and existing customers, investors and strategic partners. 

Avoid and Reduce Costs by Preventing Workplace Injuries

While this list only covers some of the indirect costs a business may incur around workplace injuries, it’s clear the impact on the bottom line and worker well-being extends well beyond injury-related direct costs. It’s also clear that the best way to avoid these expenses is to prevent injuries from happening in the first place.

A solid workplace safety program and a culture of safety are key to reducing and avoiding costly employee injuries. Successful safety programs typically include regular inspections, proper protective equipment, safety training, workplace signage, personnel hours dedicated to safety and employee engagement measures.  

Tech-driven safety solutions, like wearables, have also been proven effective in reducing workplace injury frequency and are being included for free in innovative workers’ compensation programs to enhance loss prevention. Wearable tech is verified to cut injury rates in half, reduce lost work days and save employers on workers’ compensation claims costs. 

Preventing injuries before they occur is the best way to reduce employers’ direct and indirect costs of risk and to keep employees safe and productive on the job.

The janitorial industry and the workers it employs provide essential services that help our communities maintain healthy environments. Over 2.4 million people in the U.S. are employed in this sector, working in locations ranging from schools to hospitals to office complexes and more. 

Every day, janitors, custodians, and others who work in the industry face workplace risks that can lead to injury while performing their routine duties. They’re required to exert force during tasks such as pushing a cart loaded with supplies and tools, or moving heavy furniture. Working in awkward postures and performing repetitive motions is common, such as when sweeping and mopping floors or reaching overhead for dusting. And jobs often require lifting heavy items such as full trashcans. 

These physically demanding jobs, often performed in intense and fast-paced environments, are cause for a higher than average rate of work-related injuries within the industry, with sprains and strains topping the list.

• Strain & sprain claims happen 29% of the time in the janitorial services sector.
• Strain & sprain claims are a leading loss driver among janitorial services workers, representing 31% of all claims costs.

(Source: NCCI data for janitorial services in 2019)

Strain and sprain claims cost more per claim than the average claim in the janitorial services industry. And indemnity claims for strains and sprains are the most costly. According to National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) data for janitorial services, in 2019:

• the average workers’ compensation claim cost was $11,031
• the average strain & sprain claim cost was $11,612
• the average strain & sprain indemnity claim cost was $16,095

Workplace injuries result in pain and lost work time for workers, as well as lost productivity and potentially higher workers’ compensation insurance premiums for employers. However, sprain and strain injuries in this sector are largely preventable.

Wearable Tech Enhances Loss Control

To keep janitorial workers safe and on the job, it’s essential for employers to help prevent workplace strain and sprain injuries. Companies are increasingly turning to wearable technology to reduce risk by helping employees move safely while doing their jobs, which helps everyone to avoid costly injuries. With wearables, industrial workers can reduce the number of high-risk movements they make, including the common improper bending, twisting and overreaching postures performed by the janitorial workforce.

Wearables provide users with a light vibrational alert each time they make a risky move on the job. With this continuous coaching, workers begin to develop safer habits and, over time, they perform fewer high-risk movements. As ergonomics improve, the frequency of costly sprain and strain injuries reduces.

Wearables also inform employers about areas and employees that are most at risk by collecting data about high-risk postures for an entire workforce. This data leads to actionable insights that allow employers to take targeted measures toward further reducing workplace risk and controlling loss.

While wearables have been deployed among large, Fortune 500 companies for some time, they are becoming increasingly accessible to middle-market companies, especially in safety-critical industries like janitorial services where they can significantly benefit frontline workers. Innovative workers’ compensation policies, like Kinetic’s offering, that include this safety tech at no cost allow employers to take a proactive approach to workers’ comp and workplace safety. The results? A safer, more productive workforce and lower costs for employers.

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Kinetic Insurance, in partnership with Nationwide, is pioneering a technology-driven approach to worker safety that benefits insurance carriers, brokers, and policyholders. Our workers’ compensation offerings lower costs by equipping workers with wearable technology that is proven to reduce injuries by as much as 60% and lost work days by 72%. Want to learn more? Reach out to us at info@kinetic-insurance.com.

Despite a company’s best efforts to prevent workplace injuries, accidents can happen on the job. Especially in safety-critical environments like the industrial frontlines. 

The way employers handle claims when injuries occur can help keep costs down. This includes being able to identify warning signs of workers’ comp fraud, which can lead to higher premiums for policyholders. 

Employers can watch for the following red flags which might warn of a fraudulent claim: 

1 – Late Reporting: An employee’s delay in reporting an injury claim can be a warning sign, whether they have no explanation for the late claim or they attest their injury progressed after some time passed. In this situation, witnesses to the incident may help to substantiate a late-reported claim.

2 – Improper Reporting: When an employee reports an injury to another party first, such as other employees, an attorney or a medical practitioner, employers should take notice. Some doctors and lawyers are known to be involved in false claims.

3 – Monday Morning Reporting: If an employee reports a claim on Monday morning for an injury that occurred on Friday afternoon this may alert employers to a non-work-related or weekend incident injury. 

4 – No Witnesses: When there are no witnesses for a reported injury, or a witness’s version does not match the claimant’s description of the injury, this should be considered a red flag. 

This is especially relevant if the employee typically works around others who would be likely to have seen an incident. 

5 – Questionable Symptoms: While it may not mean anything is amiss, if an employee’s symptoms cannot be proven medically, such as with back pain, stress or headaches, it could be a warning sign. The employee could be trying to receive compensation for an injury that produces no medical evidence. 

6 – Suspicious Timing: If an employee’s injury date lines up with previously-requested days off from work, employers should take heed. A denied vacation might motivate a disgruntled employee to file a false claim.  

7 – Differing Descriptions: It’s a red flag when an employee’s description of an injury varies from or conflicts with the injury report, a medical practitioner’s findings or their medical history. Watch for inconsistencies in the date, time and location of the injury.

8 – Vague Details: An injured employee should be able to clearly and consistently describe the details of the incident. If they are vague, change their story often or details are otherwise questionable, this could be a warning sign. 

While one or two of these conditions present doesn’t necessarily mean an injury claim may be fraudulent, it’s smart to be aware of what the potential warning signs are. If several of these indicators are present, employers should promptly investigate further to determine if a claim may be exaggerated or falsified.

Being alert to workers’ compensation red flags should be a key component of all companies’ claims review processes. Furthermore, clear policies on reporting incidents and injuries in a timely manner can help employees and employers avoid unnecessary confusion and costs.

Comprehensive nurse triage services can help agencies and policyholders control and minimize workplace injuries and their related costs. This care-centered resource allows employers and employees to respond to a non-emergency workplace injury at the most critical time – right when it happens.

With nurse triage, the appropriate treatment for an injured worker is determined quickly, resulting in higher-quality patient care and fewer lost work days. Employers benefit from better claims management and reduced workers’ compensation claims costs.

What is Nurse Triage?

Nurse triage is a hotline injured workers can call to talk with a registered nurse. The nurse evaluates the injury and helps to determine an effective course of action for care, ranging from self-care to referrals for clinical or emergency room care. Determining the needs of the injured worker is the nurse’s sole focus; they do not determine compensation.

What are the Benefits?

Beyond timely and appropriate medical advice for work-related injuries, nurse triage services offer additional benefits for both employees and employers. The advisory service can:

• ensure prompt reporting, which can keep a minor injury from becoming a costly, drawn-out claim
• maximize recovery for the injured worker and help them return to work faster
• improve employee experience and claims management by referring treatment to an authorized care provider, when needed
• lessen the loss impact on the employer, including potentially reduced direct and indirect costs
• help businesses comply with state workers’ compensation rules

How Can Insureds Access Nurse Triage Services?

At Kinetic, we’re committed to helping our agency partners and policyholders with value-added programs and services, provided through our partnership with Nationwide. This includes 24/7 nurse triage services that help our clients manage and control workplace injuries.  

Nationwide’s Nurse Triage service supports timely reporting and appropriate treatment for non-life-threatening work-related injuries. It does this by:

• using the skills of a registered nurse for an initial assessment to determine the need for medical care 
• providing the employee with a user-friendly experience and the most appropriate medical attention based on the injury sustained
• supporting self-care when appropriate for the injury sustained
• offering easy access through a toll-free Nurse Triage hotline, which takes care of reporting the claim to Nationwide, and is available 24/7
• assisting the employee in locating providers for any follow-up care needs

When to Call Nurse Triage

Nurse Triage 24/7 is a valuable resource for Kinetic policyholders through Nationwide. It’s also the recommended method for reporting a work-related injury. Nurse Triage will report the claim, and if no further medical treatment is sought, there is no cost for the service.

For policyholders managing a non-life-threatening injury, an employee’s call to the hotline can help make a decision on the treatment needed. (For life- or limb-threatening injuries, employers should immediately call 911.)

What You Should Do in Some Typical Scenarios

It’s a serious and/or life-threatening injury (e.g., fall from heights, laceration causing significant loss of blood, struck by falling object)	Employer should call 911 immediately so the employee can receive emergency treatment. Then employer should report the injury to Nationwide at 1-800-421-3535.
It’s a non-life-threatening injury that clearly requires treatment (e.g., broken bone, laceration requiring stitches, concussion).	Employer should refer the employee to an authorized treatment provider if their state permits or have the employee call the Nurse Triage Hotline at 1-855-777-7090 for assistance.  If Nurse Triage Hotline is not called, employer should report the injury to Nationwide at 1-800-421-3535 after medical treatment is obtained.
It’s an injury and employer is not sure whether medical treatment is needed or what type of treatment is needed.	Employee should call the Nurse Triage Hotline at 1-855-777-7090 for guidance on how to proceed.

Reflex is a smart wearable and software analytics platform that detects high-risk behaviors and provides data-driven insights to help protect industrial frontline workers and enhance companies’ bottom lines.

The industrial workforce faces a variety of safety hazards with poor ergonomics being one of the most prevalent threats. When workers move improperly on the job, bending and twisting awkwardly, or overreaching, it can stress their bodies and lead to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). 

MSDs are the most frequent and costly type of workplace injuries, accounting for 1/3 of all workers’ compensation costs and 34% of lost work days.

The Reflex wearable platform reduces risky postures that lead to MSD-related injuries. Through real-time feedback and actionable insights, Reflex helps companies reduce injury rates, maintain worker well-being and reach peak productivity levels.

How Does It Work?

A Highly-Wearable Wearable

Because wearable programs need user acceptance and involvement to thrive, Reflex is designed for easy user adoption. While other wearable solutions require employees to wear uncomfortable, awkward back- or chest-mounted sensors, Reflex is about the size of a deck of cards and simply attaches to the belt or waistline. 

Reflex uses sensors to measure how the body moves, determining if an unsafe movement or high-risk posture has occurred. Workers receive continuous coaching with a light vibration every time a high-risk posture is performed. The alerts, along with goal and reward functions, create new habits and drive sustained behavior change.

A Data-Rich Dashboard

The Reflex software platform provides employers with granular insight into potentially injury-causing, high-risk behaviors occurring among their workforce. Data from Reflex are uploaded during the docking of the device. It’s then aggregated for a company’s entire workforce and can be viewed on an easy-to-use, cloud-based web dashboard. 

The dashboard provides actionable insights, such as which employees might need more training, or what jobs and locations are the highest risk. This knowledge allows employers to focus on coaching opportunities with individuals and groups that will benefit most, and workstation and work process redesigns.

Who Uses It?

Employers of all sizes leverage Reflex to optimize their safety programs.

• Fortune 500 companies in safety-critical industries use the Kinetic enterprise program to protect their workforce and enhance their bottom line.
• Mid-market-size companies gain all the same wearable tech benefits at no cost through Kinetic Insurance’s ground-breaking workers’ compensation program that includes Reflex for free.

Kinetic specializes in areas where we can make an impact – industry segments with the highest exposure to musculoskeletal injury:

• Agriculture
• Auto Dealers
• Grocery
• Healthcare
• Hotels
• Light Manufacturing
• Parcel Delivery
• Restaurants
• Wholesale/Warehousing

Reflex Wearable Platform Benefits

Companies using Reflex can expect reduced injury frequency rates and fewer lost work days.

With reduced injuries, workers’ comp costs are lowered and companies receive money back and guaranteed premium savings with an improved experience modification score and through the Kinetic dividend program.

Every move industrial employees make while on the job is critical to their safety, and high-risk postures – like bending, overreaching, and twisting – can lead to costly injuries. The Reflex wearable platform helps companies optimize their safety programs with wearable tech that protects their workforce and enhances their bottom line.