Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program

Workers’ compensation policyholders with Midwestern Insurance Alliance are now able to receive recognition for their safety management efforts through Midwestern’s revised Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

What’s New?

Knowing that not every trucking company has the same approach to safety management, Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program now offers employers a great deal of flexibility to get recognized for their safety management efforts.  We identified 15 impactful strategies that can be employed by trucking companies to prevent injuries and sustain a strong safety culture. From that list, we simply ask employers to identify 10 of those strategies that are currently employed in their company. That alone earns them recognition through Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program. It’s that simple.

But that’s not it, Bonus Points are earned for companies that have a favorable workers’ compensation loss history and for companies that have a favorable record of DOT compliance. With both of those bonus points, a trucking company only needs to identify 8 of the 15 strategies employed in their company to earn recognition through Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

What’s In it for Me?

We get it. You probably are not going to invest your time and effort in applying for recognition in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program if all you get out of the deal is a certificate to hang on the wall (even though it is a pretty cool certificate). So, let’s talk about what’s in it for you.

• Prevents Injuries – That’s right, we’re not hiding the football here. We have a motivation for creating this recognition program and that motivation is that we don’t want your employees to get hurt. If you can prevent injuries, we are more profitable. Incidentally, since your premiums are influenced by your claim activity, if you can prevent injuries, you are more profitable too! The strategies that we have identified are ones that we have seen work in countless trucking companies, and we know that they are impactful at preventing injuries over the long haul.

• Improves Morale – Employee injuries (particularly those that result in time off work) not only disrupt the daily work activities of the business, but they also disrupt the lives of the injured employees and can negatively impact the morale of the injured employee – and you know that negative morale is contagious

• Distinguishes Your Company – Everyone likes getting recognized for doing a good job. Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program distinguishes your company as one that places a high value on safety, and that is no small thing. Just think about how many different entities consider your commitment to employee safety to be important. Obviously, your employees and their families are first on that list. Your workers’ compensation and liability insurance carriers also want to know that you are committed to safety. Prospective shippers and other entities that use your company’s services are also frequently interested in seeing evidence of your commitment to safety. OSHA will even reduce the amount of a penalty if you are cited for a violation but can demonstrate management commitment to safety.

What if I Don’t Qualify

Although we made this recognition program flexible, that does not mean that it’s easy. This program not only provides a mechanism for you to prevent injuries, improve morale, and distinguish your company, but it also provides guidance for developing a better, stronger safety management process in your company. So, if you can’t honestly say that you have met the standards for the recognition, rest assured that we have provided resources to help you implement each of the strategies that are promoted in the Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

What if We Are Doing More than Required?

Many trucking companies already insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance can click way more than 10 of the boxes to earn them recognition. Although there are not different levels of recognition, we are convinced that the more you invest in effective safety management strategies, like the ones promoted in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program, the more effective you will be in preventing injuries, controlling the cost of claims, and strengthening your safety culture.

Each of the following safety management efforts earns 1 point toward the 10 points needed for recognition.

Use up to 2 bonus points toward 10 points needed for recognition

Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP)

An Injury and Illness Prevention (IIPP) program is also known by a number of different names, including a Written Workplace Safety Program, or an Accident Prevention Plan. Regardless of the name, it is a document that defines the safety management efforts of the company and is intended to guide management in carrying out various safety management responsibilities. Although there is no Federal OSHA rule mandating that employers have an IIPP, there are a number of state OSHA programs that require it. Although the specific requirements vary by state, some of the common elements include (1) Responsibility, (2) Compliance, (3) Communication, (4) Hazard Assessment, (5) Accident/Exposure Investigation, (6) Hazard Correction, (7) Training and Instruction, and (8) Recordkeeping. Although many companies have an employee safety handbook, that is not the same thing as an IIPP, as an employee handbook guides employees in their responsibilities relative to safety, and an IIPP guides management in their responsibilities. If your company has an IIPP (whether you call it that or not) give yourself 1 point towards the 10 needed for recognition through Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• Is Written – Not Verbal
• Serves as a Guide for Safety Management within Your Company
• Is Specific to Your Company – Not Generic

Verification: Your loss control consultant may ask for a copy of your IIPP the next time he/she meets with you.

Assistance: To assist current workers’ compensation policyholders in creating an IIPP, Midwestern Insurance offers online training, videos, recorded webinars, editable templates, and consultative assistance. To learn more about those resources and how to access them, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Active Safety Committee

Safety committees bring together members from various departments, including management, frontline workers, and support staff, who have regularly scheduled meetings where safety issues are addressed. The goal of a safety committee is to create and nurture a culture of safety. To be awarded a point toward recognition in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program, you must have an active safety committee that meets at least quarterly, maintains meeting minutes, and has a structured process for addressing hazards and safety-related deficiencies and making recommendations for improvement. Notably, safety committees must not be comprised of more management members than non-management members.

Key Elements

• Has at Least 3 Members (at Least 5 if 25 or More Employees)
• Meets at Least Quarterly
• Maintains Meeting Minutes
• Addresses Known Hazards and Safety Management Deficiencies
• Reviews Work-Related Injuries and Recommends Potential Control Measures

Verification: The next time that he/she meets with you, your loss control consultant may ask you to provide safety minutes from at least one recent safety committee meeting.

Assistance: To assist in forming a safety committee, Midwestern Insurance Alliance offers online training, a PowerPoint presentation, an editable written safety committee program, and consultative assistance. If your company is insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation, and you want to learn more about those resources and how to access them, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Safety Meetings or Online Training

Although some trucking companies continue to conduct collective in-person safety meetings, with the pandemic, many trucking companies transitioned away from that strategy and instead began using online safety training platforms to push recurring safety training to employees. Other companies began conducting safety meetings with employees in small groups rather than attempting to gather the entire workforce for one safety meeting. Others found the approach that works best for them is conducting meetings with drivers individually. Regardless of what approach works best for your company if you use any of the above-mentioned approaches (or a combination of those approaches) to uniformly provide employees with relevant safety-related education/training at least once per quarter, give yourself a point toward recognition through Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program. Note: Although coaching/counseling employees based upon their individual safety-related performance is a great safety management tool, for this recognition program, doing so does not count as a safety meeting or online training.

Key Elements

• Is Provided/Performed at Least Once Per Quarter
• Is Separate from Coaching/Counseling Based on Individual Safety Performance

Verification: During his/her next visit, your loss control consultant may ask you to provide some type of documentation from your most recent safety meeting.

Assistance: Need content for your safety meetings or want to tap into our free online training platform? We’re here to help. If your company is insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation coverage, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Distribution of Safety-Related Print Material at Least Quarterly

To keep drivers informed and to keep safety to-of-mind, many trucking companies distribute safety-related print materials either physically or electronically. If the safety-related print materials are distributed through safety meetings and you already claimed a point toward recognition in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program for having safety meetings, this would not count as an additional point. However, if you distribute safety-related print materials at least quarterly apart from the resources that are distributed in safety meetings, go ahead and claim another point for doing so. Note, that Midwestern Insurance Alliance makes it simple for employers to pass along safety-related literature to drivers, as we distribute print and video resources addressing an injury prevention topic specific to the trucking industry every 2 weeks. If you are not already receiving those, click the link below.

Key Elements

• Distributes print (physical or electronic) safety resources to drivers at least quarterly

Verification: During his/her next visit, your loss control consultant may ask you to provide a copy of one or more of the documents that are distributed to drivers.

Assistance:  If your employer is insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff and ask about available safety-related print resources that can be distributed to drivers and other employees, including the Midwestern’s “Real Life Lessons” resource.

Documented Incident /Accident Investigation Process

No point is earned for trucking companies whose accident investigation process simply involves collecting the information needed to submit a workers’ compensation claim. However, if your company goes beyond that and has a structured process by which there is an intentional and documented effort to identify the contributing factors associated with each reported incident/accident as well as actions that can be taken by management to prevent future similar incidents, that earns you one more point towards recognition with Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• Is Performed for All Work-Related Injuries – Irrespective of Severity
• Identifies Contributing Factors
• Attempts to Identify Management Action(s) to Prevent Future Similar Incidents

Verification: During his/her next visit, your loss control consultant may ask you to provide a copy of one or more completed accident/incident investigations, or the form that is to be used.

Assistance: A guide for conducting accident investigations, and a simplified sample internal form for doing so are available to workers’ compensation policyholders of Midwestern Insurance Alliance. CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Pre-employment Physical Abilities Testing

Because it is a requirement for all CMV drivers, no points are awarded to motor carriers for simply requiring drivers to submit to DOT medical exams at the prescribed frequency. However, if your company goes beyond that and has a structured process by which the physical abilities of an applicant (driver or other) are assessed against a defined set of physical requirements of the job for which they are applying, that will garner you 1 point toward recognition in the Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• Physical Abilities are Compared with Defined Essential Physical Requirements
• Performed Consistently

Verification: Your loss control consultant may ask for documentation of the physical requirements of various jobs during his/her next visit.

Assistance: If you are insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance and would like to discuss physical abilities testing, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Documented Job Hazard Analyses (JHA)

To be honest, not many trucking companies have documented Job Hazard Analyses (JHA) for the various jobs within their company. In short, a JHA is a document that breaks down a job into tasks and then identifies the injury exposures (ways in which employees can be injured) associated with each task, and the control measures (safeguards) that can be used to minimize the potential for injury while performing that task. It is a very systematic way to identify hazards and conduct control measures. If you have this for the jobs in the company – at least for drivers and mechanics (if applicable), that will earn you one more point towards recognition through Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• Is Written – Not Verbal
• Is Specific to Your Company – Not Generic
• Reviewed with New Employees in Orientation Training
• Used Providing Ongoing Training of Existing Employees

Verification: Your loss control consultant may ask for a copy of one or more Job Hazard Analysis documents during his/her next visit.

Assistance: Editable trucking-industry-specific JHA are available below.

Documented Return-To-Work Policy

We will be the first to admit it, having a return-to-work program within a trucking company can be extremely challenging, particularly for smaller trucking companies in which there are very few non-driving duties to be performed. However, there is probably nothing more impactful that you can do as an employer to control the cost of a workers’ compensation claim (and your future workers’ compensation premiums) than to have a process in place by which an injured employee is permitted to return to work in a modified duty capacity until he/she is released to perform their normal job duties without restrictions. To be awarded a point in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program, it takes more than a verbal commitment to using modified duty, it requires a written policy that guides the process and documentation of at least 5 tasks that could be considered when coordinating a modified duty assignment.

Key Elements

• There is a Written Return-To-Work Policy
• At Least 5 Potential Modified Duty Tasks have been Identified
• The Employer is Commitment to Providing Modified Duty Whenever Possible
• The Return-to-Work Policy is discussed During Orientation Training

Verification: During his/her next visit, your loss control consultant may ask for a copy of your company’s Return-to-Work Policy.

Assistance:  If you are insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation, guidance for creating a Return-to-Work Policy and an editable trucking-industry-specific Return-To-Work Policy are available upon request CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Safety-Related Incentive /Recognition Program

Although many trucking companies have a safety-related incentive or recognition program of some sort, they can be vastly different from one company to another. One company may provide an incentive to the top drivers based on telematics data in which drivers are ranked against one another. Other companies might use that same telematics data and provide some type of incentive/recognition to drivers who achieve a favorable individual score, or who achieve a significant improvement in their score over a certain period. Other trucking companies may not use telematics data at all but may incentivize/recognize drivers each time they have a roadside inspection with no violations. Still, other companies elect to reward individual employees for not having any preventable accidents or incidents within a given period. Then there are trucking companies that elect to provide incentives to all employees in the company whenever a safety-related goal is achieved (such as no preventable accident/injuries within a particular period). If you have a safety-related incentive program (to include one that might also use non-safety metrics – such as productivity or attendance metrics), give yourself another point toward recognition through Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• Have Defined Criteria that Include Safety-Related Metrics
• Eligible Employees Know the Criteria

Verification: Your loss control consultant may ask you to provide a document that describes your safety-related incentive/recognition program the next time that he/she meets with you.

Assistance: Safety-related incentive or recognition programs in the trucking industry can vary significantly from one trucking company to another. If you are insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation and would like to discuss some options with us, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Documented Routine Facility Safety Inspections

Because it is a requirement for all CMV drivers, no points are awarded to trucking companies for simply requiring drivers to conduct vehicle inspections and complete daily vehicle inspection reports (DVIR).  However, if your company has one or more facilities (other than a clerical office) for which there is a documented inspection conducted at least quarterly to identify physical hazards and at-risk behaviors, that will earn you one more point toward recognition in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• Is Performed at Least Quarterly
• Is Documented
• Is Focused on Identifying Physical Hazards and Observed At-Risk Behaviors

Verification: The next time he/she meets with you, your loss control consultant may ask you to provide a copy of one or more completed facility inspection documents, and/or the form that is to be used to document facility inspections.

Assistance: Would you like help creating a facility inspection checklist? If you are insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation coverage, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Documented PPE Policy – Including Footwear

If your company has a documented policy that defines the personal protective equipment (PPE) that is required to be worn by employees in various positions (drivers, mechanics, warehouse, etc.) and the circumstances in which each item of personal protective equipment must be worn, and if that policy also addresses the characteristics of footwear that are required or the types of footwear that are prohibited, that earns you another point in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• Is Documented
• Addresses Circumstances/Locations in Which PPE Must be Worn
• Addresses Footwear Requirements

Verification: During his/her next visit, your loss control consultant may ask you to provide a copy of one or more completed accident/incident investigations, and/or the form that is to be used.

Assistance: Need help creating a PPE Hazard Assessment? We can help. If you are insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation coverage, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Subrogation Training Provided to All Employees

Subrogation refers to a workers’ compensation insurance company’s right to recover money paid on a workers’ compensation claim from a third party (or their insurance company) when the injury was caused by the actions or negligence of that third party. For trucking companies, the biggest sources of third-party liability involve motor vehicle crashes and slip/fall incidents. Midwestern relies on employers doing their part to make their subrogation efforts successful. For that reason, all employees must know what is expected of them if they are injured at work and there might be a third-party liability for their injury. If your company addresses those employee responsibilities through some form of employee training upon hire and annually, that will earn you one more point in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• Is Addressed in Orientation Training
• Is Addressed with All Employees Annually

Verification: During his/her next visit, your loss control consultant may ask you to provide documentation or describe the content of the subrogation training provided to your employees.

Assistance: This is not a topic that most trucking companies think of including in employee training. If you are insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance and would like some help creating a brief training resource to use for employee training, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Documented Orientation Training that Addresses Injury Prevention

There have been numerous insurance industry studies suggesting that new employees are more likely to be injured on the job than longer-tenured employees. That’s one of the reasons that we feel having a strong orientation training program is so vital. Unfortunately, there is often a lot of information to gather and a lot of information to disseminate in orientation training, and sometimes injury prevention topics don’t make the cut. If your company has a new employee training process that is uniform, documented, and addresses key injury prevention topics for the position that the new employee is entering, give yourself another point towards recognition in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• Is Documented
• Content is Uniform (Based on Position/Duties)
• Addresses the Most Common Historical Sources of Injuries in Your Company

Verification: On his/her next visit, your loss control consultant may ask you to provide a copy of one or more completed facility inspection documents, and/or the form that is to be used to document facility inspections.

Assistance: Need suggestions for injury prevention topics to address in orientation training or to get some training resources to use in new-hire orientation? If you are insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation coverage, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

Observation and Feedback Process

If your company has a documented safety-related observation and feedback process that will earn you another point toward recognition in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program. Not too long ago, observation-and-feedback programs in the trucking industry were facilitated through “check-rides,” which required a supervisor or manager to ride in the truck with a driver and assess their safety performance and provide feedback based on his observations. Although that practice is still used in some trucking operations, in some other trucking operations, artificial-intelligence-enabled dash cameras and driving behavior telematics are used to accomplish the same objective. Regardless of your approach, if your company has a structured process by which management evaluates all drivers and provides feedback (coaching), that counts. Give yourself another point.

Key Elements

• Is a Documented Process
• Evaluates All Drivers
• Provides Feedback/Coaching Relatively Soon after the Observed At-Risk Behavior

Verification: Your loss control consultant may ask you to provide details of your process during his/her next meeting with you.

Assistance:  If you are insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation, and would like to discuss traditional driver “check-rides” or telematics-triggered driver coaching with Midwestern’s loss control staff, CLICK HERE

Health and Wellness Program

There is an undeniable connection between health and wellness and injury prevention. Employees who are in better health and better physical condition are both less prone to injury and recover from injuries more quickly. For that reason, if you have a structured health and wellness program of any type, give yourself 1 more point in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program. This could include things like having a tobacco cessation program, a program that guides employees towards better physical fitness, a stress reduction program, nutrition education/promotion, a weight loss program, and more.

Key Elements

• Is Open to All Employees
• Is Funded or Subsidized by the Employer

Verification: During his/her next visit, your loss control consultant may ask you to provide details about your health/wellness program.

Assistance: If you would like information about establishing a health and wellness program that is specific to the trucking industry, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.

BONUS POINTS

Favorable Workers’ Compensation Loss History

Enjoy the fruits of your labor. If your company has a workers’ compensation experience modification factor (also known as an experience mod, an ex-mod, or an e-mod) less than 1.00 and if your workers’ compensation claim frequency for the past 12 months is less than 1 claim per 25 full-time employees, give yourself another point toward recognition in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program

Key Elements

• Experience Modification Factor < 1.00
• Less than 1 claim per 25 full-time employees in the past 12 months

Verification: Your loss control consultant can verify this information independently.

Assistance:  If you need to know your current workers’ compensation experience modification factor, or if you would like a resources explaining the experience rating process, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.  If you need your workers’ compensation loss runs to determine if there was less than 1 claim per 25 employees during the previous 12 months, please contact your insurance agent.

Favorable DOT Compliance Record

If your company has CSA percentile rankings of 50% or less in all 5 of the following CSA BASICS (Unsafe Driving, Hours of Service Compliance, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances, and Vehicle Maintenance), give yourself another point in Midwestern’s Trucking Injury Prevention Program.

Key Elements

• “Unsafe Driving” CSA Percentile Ranking < 50%
• “Hours of Service Compliance” CSA Percentile Ranking < 50%
• “Driver Fitness” CSA Percentile Ranking < 50%
• “Controlled Substances” CSA Percentile Ranking < 50%
• “Vehicle Maintenance” CSA Percentile Ranking < 50%

Verification: Your loss control consultant can verify this information independently.

Assistance:  If your company is insured with Midwestern Insurance Alliance for workers’ compensation and you need assistance finding your CSA percentile rankings online, or if you are interested in resources for improving CSA percentile rankings in any particular CSA BASIC, CLICK HERE to contact Midwestern’s loss control staff.