Quote of the day
"Is this how we want to treat workers who take risks in order to leave Washington citizens a cleaner, better state?"
Lea Mitchell, Seattle Post-Intelligencer guest columnist, about the Department of Energy's apparent mishandling and denial of Hanford nuclear reservation workers' comp claims
State Fund Hosts Free Restaurant Supervisor Training Today in Sacramento
The California State Compensation Insurance Fund is sponsoring a free restaurant-safety training program for supervisors today, Sept. 20, 2006 at its Sacramento District Office. Workers’ Comp Executive
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Opinion: Energy Department Giving Hanford Workers the Shaft
A recent Government Accountability Project report asserts that the Department of Energy, which took over the workers’ compensation program for Hanford nuclear workers from the Washington Department of Labor and Industries in 2000, finds that claim denial has tripled; nearly half of all claims were managed in a “fair” or “poor” manner; and that the program often has failed to track down critical medical information. By Lea Mitchell, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Florida Comp Insurers Ordered to Return Excessive Profits
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty orders five workers’ compensation insurance carriers to return a total of $649,363 in excessive profits. Miami Herald
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San Antonio Sanitation Worker Injuries Costing City Millions
Job-related injuries to San Antonio garbage collectors, which average out to nearly an accident a day, are costing taxpayers at least $1 million a year. Many of the accidents are caused when bags containing glass and bottles of chemicals are crushed in the compactor. By Vickie Jean Summers, WOAI-TV (San Antonio)
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New Yorker Faces Stiff Penalty for Comp Fraud
A Massena, N.Y., truck driver faces a potential 10-year prison term after pleading guilty in federal court to workers’ compensation fraud that amounted to more than $55,000 in benefits. WWTI-TV (Watertown, N.Y.)
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Connecticut WCC Annual Report Posted
The Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission posts annual report, which contains basic statistical information regarding the Commission’s mission, activities, and achievements, online. State of Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission
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Australian Asbestos Victims Protest Directors’ Pay Raises
Asbestos victims angered by proposed pay raises for directors of Australian building products firm James Hardie protest outside its shareholders’ meeting in Sydney, demanding the company finalize its compensation package. The company’s existing compensation fund is expected to be depleted within the next year, but the firm has not signed a pledge to pay victims for the next 40 years. At least one asbestos victim, however, thinks the protest is unwarranted. Sydney Morning Herald
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Canadian Business Group Makes Recommendations to Improve Comp System
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business at hearings in Saskatoon submits 26 recommendations to improve the workers’ comp system in the province, including a waiting period before benefits kick in. By Sharon VanHouwe, Saskatoon Home Page
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