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

Key risk insights

• The case of the cluttered office

  An employee was in their personal office when they were walking across the room and did not see the box on the floor catching their toe on the corner. They were unable to keep their balance and fell into the wall sustaining injuries to their head, shoulders and neck. The most significant injury was to the head and neck causing sustained headaches, nausea and dizziness that continued for months causing lost time from work. The total loss was $69,000.

• The case of a little too late

  An employee was asked by credit union management to go to the local store that was on the same block as the credit union to purchase some salt due to the weather. When they exited the building, the employee slipped on the steps and sustained injuries to multiple body parts. Although the majority of the minor bruises and soreness healed within the expected medical guidelines, the employee reported continued pain and symptoms to the lumbar spine. Additional testing and expert opinions confirmed the need for lumbar surgery followed by therapy with time off of work. The total loss was $250,000.

For more loss scenarios involving credit union employees, check out this credit union loss scenarios resource.

Employee wellness

5 ways to prepare for changing demographics

1. Update your education and onboarding process - an important consideration is how different generations of employees learn.
2. Know a role’s physical demands — standing, sitting, lifting.
3. Consider employee comfort with technology and mobile devices.
4. Recognize and appreciate the skills/values of all employees.
5. Improve training against discrimination and negative attitudes.

5 steps to help minimize eyestrain

1. Keep your screen at arm’s length.
2. Diminish the screen glare.
3. Give your eyes rest time — take a break every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
4. Avoid dry eyes.
5. Pay attention to lighting by adjusting your screen’s brightness.

They said it

"Work injuries can be expensive with costs of injury treatment, investigating accidents, implementing corrective measures, training replacement employees, and dealing with lost productivity. It really adds up quickly."

Becky Garton
Risk Consultant
CUNA Mutual Group

"I like to think that anytime is a good time for a safety walkaround. Look to identify easily observable conditions like tripping hazards, partially blocked entries and exits, or just poor office housekeeping that can impact risk and losses."

Bob Bouvier
Risk Consultant
CUNA Mutual Group

Resources you can use...

Review these resources to enhance your focus on emerging risks related to workplace/employee safety.

• Common office foot traffic issues risk overview
• Credit union loss scenarios — employee safety & wellness
• What to do if your employee is injured on the job

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. 

For questions on risks, contact a risk consultant at 800.637.2676.