Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Experts Urge Insurance Industry to Invest in Reducing Worker Risks, Injuries
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (Oct. X, 2023)—Workplace injuries extract a steep toll on workers’ health and safety and companies’ bottom lines. According to the National Safety Council, the total cost of work injuries was $167 billion in 2021 alone. To help insurance industry clients, brokers, and carriers anticipate hazards and mitigate risks in the workplace, occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) experts have developed risk-reduction resources that are now available for free via Healthier Workplaces’ Insurance Industry Resources. Healthier Workplaces is a program by AIHA, the association for scientists and professionals committed to preserving and ensuring OEHS in the workplace and community.
OEHS professionals focus on preventative efforts that reduce workers’ exposure to hazards and risk of becoming injured. Healthier Workplaces’ new resources connect the insurance industry with a nationwide directory of OEHS consultants, as well as articles, case studies, and other useful information. OEHS professionals working in tandem with the insurance industry may offer prevention-focused services that include:
- Safety audits.
- Property inspections for hazards and hazardous materials.
- Industrial hygiene assessments.
- Policy and program reviews and surveys.
- Ergonomic assessments.
“The insurance sector faces unique challenges in assessing and mitigating risks during times of constant change, from addressing the workplace ramifications of a global pandemic to combating the growing threat of natural disasters,” said Lawrence D. Sloan, CEO of AIHA. “Insurance industry safety professionals can improve their existing risk assessment strategies by partnering with OEHS professionals who assess companies’ vulnerabilities and recommend mitigation strategies that can help the insurance industry reduce the costs of workers’ compensation, property management, and natural disaster claims.”
AIHA’s Healthier Workplaces program provides free multimedia resources on safeguarding worker health and well-being for employers and employees. Healthier Workplaces covers a range of industries, from chemical manufacturing to transportation, and topics including infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics, natural disasters, mold, and safety training for teenage workers.
About AIHA
AIHA is the association for scientists and professionals committed to preserving and ensuring occupational and environmental health and safety in the workplace and community. Founded in 1939, we support our members with our expertise, networks, comprehensive education programs, and other products and services that help them maintain the highest professional and competency standards. More than half of AIHA's nearly 8,500 members are Certified Industrial Hygienists, and many hold other professional designations. AIHA serves as a resource for those employed across the public and private sectors, as well as to the communities in which they work. For more information, visit www.aiha.org.