1. Presentation to Occupational Health Nurses’ Conference
Janet Tinson Branch Manager

2. Outline
Overview of ACC’s role in managing workplace injury claims & rehabilitation back to work
How you can support early appropriate return to work.
Common barriers to overcome; suggested options

3. ACC’s role in return to work
High cost injury claims get greatest priority – escalated to the branch and have a case manager. Increasing focus on employers self-managing shorter term injury absences
ACC Case Manager there to ensure a workable return to work plan
Workplace based recovery the focus (in ACC’s contracts and services). Principles are intervene quickly, work together, team approach.
Where possible facilitate recovery at work with all parties in agreement.
Key question– does this employee need to be off work? Can they do something on-site at work??

4. Alternative Duties
ACC scheme incentives are intended so it will cost you less to have your employee at the workplace doing alternative duties other than their usual tasks – rather than off work. less impact from upcoming Experience Rating if employees recover at work.
Suggest consider the cost of ‘lost time’ off work in other ways and off-set these losses e.g. the loss of work habits, training costs of replacement labour, general impact of being seen as effectively managing absences from work.

5. What can you do???
Manage short term injuries – challenge fully unfit certificates promote ‘other duties’ approach
Treat work and non work injuries equally –time off is not always needed following injury
Employees will do better and rehabilitate faster if recovering in the workplace and maintaining physical condition at work (make it easy to be at work, hard to be off)
Evidence is that injured employees do worse if allowed inappropriate absence and are more of a drain to business than ‘carrying’ someone short term
Matt slipped in the garden on wet grass and fell over
An ambulance took him to A & E
An x-ray showed no broken bones
He was given tablets to ease the pain, a leg brace to support his knee and crutches to help him get around
Matt went back to work and ACC arranged for physio twice a week and a taxi to take him there
When his knee still didn’t come right, his GP sent him to an orthopaaedic surgeon who took an MRI scan and recommended immediate surgery,.
Matt’s operation was a success, but it was 2 months before he was back on his feet and at work.

6. Injury Management Services
Pre-Employment Job Fit
Induction
Training
Develop a Return to Work Policy
Establish a Preferred Doctor
Analyse work tasks
Identify suitable duties
Plan and monitor Return to Work (RTW) systems

7. RTW Strategies Clear policy and expectations
Company Dr who understands the physical demands of the work tasks undertaken by your employees AND
That you have identified alternative or light work options
Partnership, communicate, collaborate
Contact ACC :