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For many years, the Sudbury Operations struggled with employee injuries: too many injuries not dealt with on a timely basis, too many employees off work and skyrocketing costs. Something had to change. In the mid 1980s, Inco sat down with its union representatives to develop an approach that enabled employees to swiftly and safely return to work and continue contributing to the organization.
The group took a team approach to the problem and decided to become a real advocate for employee health:
- A committee was established to meet regularly to review cases. It included the employee along with representatives of the union, the occupational health/medicine group, Inco Claims Administration, the insurance carrier and/or the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
- All employee injuries were treated equally, whether on or off the job, and quickly (preferably within 24 hours).
- Swift access was given to supplementary services, such as physiotherapy, that could help employees heal quickly.
As a result of this work, employees are back on the job much more quickly than in the past. According to Dr. Greg Garrioch, Regional Medical Director for Sudbury Operations, employees who are injured are now off for fewer days: an average of 35 days in 2003 compared with 119 days before this program began. This, in turn, has helped Inco manage its health costs. “By putting employees first, everyone benefits. This is a model that we're now using at other Inco operations to help them effectively manage their occupational medicine programs.”
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