Through the EIP, a proven proactive program, you can prevent injuries altogether or reduce the magnitude of accidents and injuries that do occur. The key to early intervention is to address employees’ discomforts and fatigue before they become chronic and before they become full-blown workers’ comp claims.

Lowering the number of claims filed will lower your experience modification factor over time. And lowering your ex-mod will save you money.

ept‘s Early Intervention Program works! Similar programs instituted by major companies such as Alcoa Aluminum and Heinz Industries have saved up to 80 percent of these skyrocketing costs. With ept‘s EIP, you too can save. Best of all, it costs you nothing to sign up.

How it works in four easy steps:

1. Our trained physical therapist will meet with you and your employees, detailing the warning signs and unhealthy working behaviors that lead to serious injury. Knowledge is power, and subsequent review sessions will ensure that your company gets the full benefits of ept‘s EIP.

2. Once an employee recognizes a warning sign, he or she speaks up! A supervisor asks questions to rule out obvious serious injuries and a plan then can be made for the employee to see ept‘s physical therapist.

3. Our physical therapist evaluates signs and symptoms, empowering the employee with self-treatment techniques. These can range from correct posture body mechanics and exercises to appropriate application of ice/heat. The employee receives detailed written instructions.

4. The employer/supervisor also gets a copy of these instructions, ensuring that they’ll be reinforced in the workplace: The Healthy Workplace.

Why it Works

Cumulative trauma injuries now account for almost 40 percent of all workers’ compensation claims. What’s more, they also account for more than 70 percent of the total costs of all workers’ comp claims in all categories. Cumulative trauma injuries are most likely to involve the hand, wrist, shoulder, elbow, back and neck. Factors include repetitive motion, force, awkward postures, vibration and cold temperatures.

The key to reducing injuries is not just to redesign the workplace but also to redesign worker habits and behaviors. Workers must be trained and motivated to work smart, work fit and work safe.

Ergonomics, a buzzword in workplace safety, is an important factor, but the fact is enormous amounts of money can be spent in redesigning the workplace without achieving a reduction in the number of injuries.

With ept‘s EIP, the employee, supervisor and physical therapist work as a team to stop these runaway costs of time, productivity and money. The employee feels valued and respected when needs are addressed immediately. And the employee is empowered to take responsibility and take action.

Additional Benefits

This process of early intervention boosts morale by establishing a stronger relationship between supervisor and employee, one that transcends taking care of a potential injury. EIP sends a clear message: The boss cares enough about the employee to make this a priority. In turn, the employee cares enough to work smarter, to think like a workplace athlete and to take care of body, mind and spirit. This ensures your employees will perform at full capacity with minimal expense and turnover.

In addition, ept‘s EIP connects our business to your business, preventing the future layers of government bureaucracy and intervention involved with a workers’ compensation claim. ept can assist in fully documenting how the injury occurred and how it affects the worker when returning to work. It’s individualized and tailored for your particular situation. As a result, both employer and employee have pride in the knowledge that “we take care of our own.”