When an employee tripped over a carelessly placed pallet, injuring herself and doubling insurance premiums three years ago at a small Massachusetts company, the president called in the state department of labor, his insurance carrier and a consultant to scrutinize his safety program.
"The woman was out for 18 months due to back and knee injuries," says Michael O. Ryan, president of Sampco, an 11-year-old manufacturer tucked away in Pittsfield in the state’s western corner. The company, which makes roofing and flooring displays for large home centers such as Home Depot, saw its insurance premiums rocket to $85,000 in 1995 because of workers’ compensation claims. The pallet accident cost $38,000, an exorbitant figure for the 65-person plant. Ryan told Shane Bleil, his safety and health coordinator and manager of quality assurance, that there were going to be plant-wide changes in order to lower injuries and costs.