The Challenge
“In the past, Workers’ Compensation premiums were through the roof,” says Terri Digness, Quality Assurance Systems Supervisor of Saputo Edmonton. From 2003 to 2005 the facility’s injury claims were 5.88% higher than the industry average.
The Edmonton facility applied for the WCB-sponsored Partners Injury Reduction (PIR) program which the Quality Systems Supervisor now oversees. The goal of the program is to help companies in Alberta reduce their injury claims and in turn have their WCB premiums reduced by as much as 20%.
Earning a Certificate of Recognition requires an external safety audit – Certifying Partners conduct them on behalf of WCB. After the first year, the company does internal audits – the Quality Systems Supervisor became certified to do audits at the Edmonton facility. It’s not until the fourth year that another external audit needs to be completed.
The Results
Implementing SafetyNow along with the PIR program produced dramatic results. In 2006 Saputo’s injury claims were 23.65% lower than the industry average. In addition, the Alberta Workers Compensation Board returned more than $148,000 in premiums.
