Quote of the day
"We did this with the emphasis of reducing workmen's compensation. (But) The biggest boost for us is standardization."
Christine Hackler of Atwater's Central Counties Dairy Herd Improvement Association, about the use of a robot to intake, test, wash and seal vials
Robot Helps Central Valley Lab Control Comp Costs
Looking for an answer to rising workers’ compensation costs and job-related repetitive-stress injuries, Christine Hackler of Atwater’s Central Counties Dairy Herd Improvement Association laboratory hooks up Robbie the Robot for half a million dollars, and finds it worth the investment. By Karma Metzler Fitzgerald, For Farm & Ranch Guide (Bismarck, N.D.)
Go to the Full Story…
Opinion: Gambling Expansion a Bad Bet
Before legislators approve California’s latest batch of Indian casino gambling contracts, which would dramatically expand gambling in the state, other basic problems in the in the system need to be addressed. For example, tribes can opt out of the state’s workers’ compensation program, and Cal/OSHA would have no jurisdiction. San Jose Mercury News
Go to the Full Story…
Iowa GOP Senators Drop Opposition to Interim WCD Commissioner
Only days after the Iowa Senate Republican caucus threatened to bury the nomination, they back away from opposition to the appointment Chris Godfrey as commissioner of the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Division. For his part, Godfrey says he is not sure why those who vowed to block his appointment relented. By Bret Hayworth, Sioux City Journal
Go to the Full Story…
South Dakota Supremes Snuff Pot Excuse
Siding with the state Labor Department and affirming a lower court, the South Dakota Supreme Court rejects a landscaping company’s claim that an individual seeking workers’ compensation was injured because he smoked marijuana the night before the accident. The company failed to prove that the worker’s off-duty drug use impaired the ability to perform and pay attention to safety precautions. By Terry Woster, Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Go to the Full Story…
Mountain State Classifications to Adhere to NCCI System
Workers’ compensation employer classifications that will become effective on July 1 are posted to the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner’s website. The number of classifications is slated to increase as the state adopts the full National Council on Compensation Insurance classification system. Charleston Daily Mail
Go to the Full Story…
Ohio Suit to Recover Lost BWC Funds Hits Snag
In Ohio, a state lawsuit seeking to recover about $216 million in missing Bureau of Worker’s Compensation investments is delayed as a criminal investigation continues. The investigation has produced convictions of 12 individuals so far. By Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch
Go to the Full Story…
Connecticut Panel Backs Hartford Exec for State Insurance Chief
Insurance executive Thomas R. Sullivan, a senior vice president at a unit of The Hartford, gets his first vote of approval for Connecticut insurance commissioner from a legislative panel after promising to and crack down on company wrongdoing. By Diane Levick, Hartford Courant
Go to the Full Story…