State worker comp claims drop in 1999

Worker compensation claims dropped 11 percent in 1999 and total costs of those claims went down 46 percent, according to the 1999 Safety Program Report.

That continues a trend where total state workers' compensation costs have fallen from $6.3 million in 1994 to $875,109 in 1999.

The report shows one of the most improved agencies is the Department of Prisons which, just five years ago, had the worst employee safety record of any state agency.

"We're very proud of the Department of Prisons," said state risk manager Susan Dunt. "They've really taken control."

She said prisons isn't the only agency which has made dramatic improvements in both worker safety and in getting injured employees back on the job, that the Department of Transportation has also done an outstanding job of reducing on-the-job injuries over the past five years.

"Both those agencies have the greatest reductions. They've really taken control of their programs," said Dunt.

Bob Bayer was charged with doing something about the horrible safety record at prisons when then-Gov. Bob Miller named him director in 1995.

"When I started, we were the worst," he said. "We ended up being one of the best agencies in the state."

Dunt said most improved would be a better way to put it. Prisons still logged 322 claims during the year - more than any other agency. But she said that's no surprise given what prison guards do.

She pointed out that's a 19 percent decrease in prison claims compared with 1998 and that the total cost of 1999 claims dropped from $1.8 million to $1.1 million - 41 percent.

Other departments reporting dramatic drops in claims were DMV with a 10.5 percent decrease and Conservation and Natural Resources which was down 13.1 percent.

While Prisons had the most claims, the Department of Motor Vehicles had the most expensive claims. The 230 employee claims in 1998 at DMV cost the state a total of $1.37 million.

According to the annual report, improvements in all state agencies over the past five years have saved the state more than $19 million since 1996 in insurance premiums.

She said when the risk management programs was revamped in 1994, Nevada was paying a premium rate for worker's compensation coverage but that the state has since greatly improved its rating with EICON, the employer's insurance fund which provides the state coverage.

Dunt said the leading causes of injury reported in state claims are individuals hit by vehicles and other such accidents. That's why both Transportation and DMV are high on the list.

But she said the second leading cause of injury is now repetitive motion/cumulative trauma such as carpal tunnel problems from typing.

The most severe claims paid out come from heart-lung claims, primarily those filed by police and firemen. Second on the list for severity are motor vehicle accidents.

Finally, there were 53 reports of workplace violence incidents in 1999 ranging from indirect threats to direct threats of physical harm to state workers.

"Overall, I think we're doing a very good job," Dunt said of state agencies. And she said since the issue is safety, the credit belongs with all state workers, not just department heads and supervisors.