Safety and Wellness Brief
Minimize your risks and decrease potential losses based on learnings from our Workers Compensation Safety Council participants, The Hartford, and CUNA Mutual Group.
Program Highlights
The average total incurred Workers Compensation claim has increased to $5,092 in 2021 with 11% of claims going over $10,000.1
48% of all claims and 55% of the total incurred loss dollars are related to Slips & Falls. Surprisingly, both volume and severity of credit union slip, trip & fall claims are about 20 basis points higher than the banking industry according to loss data from The Hartford.1
15% of all Slip & Fall claims result in lost time from work.1
Key Risk Insights
Adapting Special Events to the Pandemic
The success of a special event can be measured in many ways – but events must also be measured in terms of safety. When planning and managing risks associated with special events – such as a holiday event, educational seminar, or annual meeting - credit unions should consider proper planning.
Consider these items when returning to a live face-to-face event:
- Additional signage and handouts reminding all attendees of best practices and recommended behaviors
- Spaced seating and wall signage for presentations and meetings
- Frequent communication reminders on staying safe best practices and recommended behaviors
- Federal, state, and local regulations or mandates related to physical distancing, inside/outside restrictions, hygiene, temperature checks, face coverings and the impact on your activity
- How and when to clean, disinfect, and effectively use or distribute PPE
- Your approach to hospitality and food & beverage considering pre-packaged, individual serving sizes
Health, hygiene, and safety will be top of mind for organizations and attendees. Making sure to implement best practices and additional protocols can maximize success and minimize both personal and business risk.
Employee Wellness
8 Tips to Parking Lot Safety
- Park in a highly visible and well-lit area near your building
- Use the main building or employee entrance – avoid rear or secluded exits
- Have your keys out and ready as you approach your vehicle
- Don’t approach anyone loitering near your vehicle. Walk to a safe place or go back inside your workplace, and then call the police
- Lock the doors and keep the windows rolled up once you’re in the vehicle
- Always be alert to your surroundings. Keep your head up and look around
- Don’t wear headphones or talk on the phone. These devices can create distractions
- If you must walk alone, wave to a co-worker watching you from a window (even if no one is watching) to give the impression someone is watching you return to your vehicle
8 Guidelines to Minimize Slips, Trips & Falls
- Introduce an awareness campaign around slip & fall prevention – Incorporate team member suggestions
- Create good housekeeping practices - If an organization’s facilities are noticeably clean and well organized, it is a good indication that its overall safety program is effective as well
- Reduce wet or slippery surfaces
- Avoid creating obstacles in aisles, walkways, and stairwells
- Create and maintain proper lighting both indoors and outside
- Control individual behavior and minimize distractions - Cell phones, being in a hurry, and walking with arms full, not using designated walkways, wearing sunglasses inside are common distractions
- Wear proper shoes - The shoes we wear can play a big part in preventing falls – slickness of the soles, types of heels, and shoelaces tied often contribute to an incident
- Develop and implement a slip, trip & fall self-inspection checklist
They Said It
Spending a little bit of time and resources up front on risk prevention can definitely save you money on the back end.
Holly Spiczenski
Risk Consultant
CUNA Mutual Group
A short lapse of attention or distraction – like checking your phone messages while walking to your next meeting - can lead to a variety of regrettable events ranging from a simple bruised shin to an extremely serious injury. It’s not uncommon for these situations to lead to slips, trips, and falls in the workplace.
Brian Walker, CSP, ARM
Sr. Risk Consultant
The Hartford
Resources You Can Use...
Review these resources to enhance your focus on emerging risks related to workplace / employee safety.
- Special Event Considerations(opens in a new window)2
- Slip, Trip, & Fall Prevention Overview(opens in a new window)2
- Shoes for Crews Program(opens in a new window)2
Additional Resources
For additional employee safety, wellness, or workers compensation tools and resources, check out the Workplace Safety/Wellness page within the Protection Resource Center or policyholders of The Hartford can also access thehartford.com/risk-engineering (policy number required).
For questions on risks, contact a CUNA Mutual Group Risk Consultant at 800.637.2676 or at riskconsultant@cunamutual.com (opens in a new window)
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- Safety & Wellness Brief - Nov 2022
- Safety & Wellness Brief - Jul 2022
- Safety & Wellness Brief - Mar 2022
- Safety & Wellness Brief - Nov 2021
- Safety & Wellness Brief - Jul 2021
- Safety & Wellness Brief - Mar 2021
- Safety & Wellness Brief - Oct 2020
- Safety & Wellness Brief - Feb 2020
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Our experienced consultants are here for you. Submit your question here or call us at 800.637.2676 for assistance, insights and risk mitigation tips.
1The Hartford Claim Report, September 2021
2User ID and password required
This resource is for informational purposes only. Some resources found within this website are provided by The Hartford Financial Services Group, which is solely responsible for their content. It does not constitute legal advice. Please consult your legal advisors regarding this or any other legal issues relating to your credit union. Any examples provided have been simplified to give you an overview of the importance of selecting appropriate coverage limits, insuring-to-value, and implementing loss prevention techniques. CUNA Mutual Group is the marketing name for CUNA Mutual Holding Company, a mutual insurance holding company, its subsidiaries and affiliates. Insurance products offered to financial institutions and their affiliates are underwritten by CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc. or CUMIS Specialty Insurance Company, members of the CUNA Mutual Group.
