So, the best way to provide workplace safety coverage is...

Too expensive. 

As a safety professional, you're doing everything you can to protect your workers from disabling workplace injuries like falls, roadway incidents, or being crushed or struck by objects. Safety meetings are held, signs are posted, training is given, and certifications are constantly being updated. 

But, we're dealing with human beings here. 

Injuries Happen...
The top causes of injuries in the workplace are over-exertion and repetitive motion. And they lead to the sprains, strains, aches and pains that then lead to lost work time and days away from work. Or, after enough time dealing with these pains, even worse — long-term or permanent disability. 

Your ultimate solution, one that keeps workers away from emergency rooms or off-site clinics, would be to have an onsite medical clinic in your facility, staffed with a nurse, doctor, or physical therapist. Or a team of experts. 

This way, your employees can visit this clinic, without leaving, and can be treated before injuries get worse, before insurance claims are created, before they are told by a medical professional to stay away from work for a minimum of two weeks, and before they are referred to physical therapy. Workers can go in with their minor aches to receive recommendations while on the job or at home. Minor injuries can be treated before they become major ones. 

If you are a large industrial company with only one location and a single shift, this can work very well. 

If not, this is simply too expensive an option. 

Let's Break Down the Numbers
We'll start with the idea that you only have a physical therapist at your location to diagnose and treat injured and pre-injured employees. 

• For the PTs time and management of the program: $208,000 per year 
  (40 hours onsite per week at $100 per hour (x 40 hrs. x 52 weeks per year))
• Annual IT costs: $3,000
• Supplies costs: $2,500 average
• Startup costs: Cost of equipment to outfit clinic: $15,000. According to Commonwealth Fund, it can be as much as $30,000.  

The startup costs are based on using existing space with a very small clinic. Willis Towers Watson puts the cost at $500k.  

So, first year would be $233,500 (max) with an ongoing annual expense of $213,500. 

This is only to provide coverage for a single location and one shift. If there are remote locations and multiple shifts, you can see why most companies lean on ineffective nurse hotlines or hope from the best when workers go off-site for injury triage. 

Other issues of an onsite clinic: lack of space, under-utilization by employees, additional startup costs, and the time required to launch and staff the clinic. 

What's the Alternative?
Glad you asked! Imagine giving your employees always-on access to workplace athletic training medical professionals — the same, exact kind that help prevent and triage athlete injuries during the big games — while they're onsite, at home, or even in their car! 

Using telehealth tech, we give your people walk-up kiosks, mobile apps, and hotlines to set up video-conferencing calls with medical experts. 

You'll get: 
+ Ergonomic assessment evals and tracking to follow-up
+ Automated training & education
+ Continuous reinforcement
+ Always-on wellness checkups
+ Customizable analytics
+ Visual injury assessment

You'll be able to cover every worker, on every shift, and at each location! How cool is that?! 

Talk to Healthy Roster today to learn more.