Occupational Safety and Health Data Collection and Injury Prevention Work Group

  • October 18, 2006:

Minutes:

Occupational Safety and Health Data Collection and Injury Prevention Work Group

Minutes

Bureau of Labor Standards First Floor Conference Room October 18, 2006 10:00 - 11:30 A.M.

Present: William Peabody, Chair (Maine Department of Labor), John Rioux, Vice Chair (Maine Department of Labor), Gary Baxter (Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company), Brian Doe (Hannaford), Kim Lim (Maine Department of Labor), Al May (Bureau of Health), Louise Morang (Maine Association of Occupational Nurses), Kathy Schulz (Workers? Compensation Board), and Leslie Walleigh (Workplace Health)

Absent: Brad Brown (Maine Bureau of Insurance), Peter Doran (Maine Occupational Research Agenda), Jeff Levesque (Workers? Compensation Board), Stephanie Jazlowiecki (McTeague-Higbee), Steve Minkowsky (Workers? Compensation Board), Vanessa Santarelli (Maine Department of Labor), and Dave Wacker (Maine Department of Labor).

Staff: Terry Hathaway, Ted Bradstreet, and Leslie Manning.

Bill Peabody called the meeting of the Occupational Safety and Health Data Collection and Injury Prevention Work Group to order at 10:12 A.M.

September 20, 2006 Minutes. Leslie Walleigh brought up the question of absent members, wondering if they should still be a part of the work group.

Louise Morang made a motion to approve the minutes as amended. Leslie Walleigh seconded the motion. Vote, unanimous.

Data & Prevention Subgroups Update. Data Subgroup ? Al May. The Data Subgroup reviewed the issues, which are evaluating the EDI/IAIABC migration and FROI Reporting Process and Element Tables, evaluating BLS/WC Rules and Service Level Agreement, Current Coding System, MHDO Data Feasibility ?Access and Improve, Standardize M1 form and adapt for use, and Educational Outreach, web site. He summarized what was researched and determined as well as recommendations. Al asked Bill what does he want - a summary sheet or the project templates. Bill said that if the project template was not ready, then a summary sheet would be useful.

Prevention Subgroup ? Brian Doe. Leslie Walleigh handed out a marked-up copy of the survey. Brian said the group is looking for feedback. The purpose of the survey is to find out what is going on in small companies and to see what type of outreach and mechanisms are used or needed. Leslie Manning asked for a definition of a small business. Brian responded that it is less than 50 employees and John added that it is more than one. Discussion on the survey form continued. Ted asked what is expected for a response rate as small businesses complain about paperwork required by law. John responded by saying the response rate will most likely be 25 percent. Al suggested that a label identifying the company be placed on the return envelope rather than on the form. Brian will take to Dave Wacker and then Dave with talk to John, Ted, Bill, and Leslie Manning.

Al also suggested a focus group of five or ten people. Bill stated he would like to get the survey done by the end of the year and will meet with Dave to see if that is feasible. Leslie Manning suggested sending the survey out to businesses in two counties, Aroostook and Androscoggin. Bill suggested the name and address to see what county. Also suggested was using a county code on the return envelope. John is not planning on tracking respondents.

Brian emphasized that the targeted goal of the survey is to identify need for outreach in the future.

Further discussion on the form occurred. Leslie Manning suggested the survey go out before the second week of November.

Louise had a draft of the cover letter to be mailed with the survey under Bill?s signature. Brian will talk to Dave and then Dave will meet with Bill and John.

EDI Evaluation ? Kim Lim. Kim summarized evaluating the EDI/IAIABC migration and FROI Reporting Process and Element Tables. The Research and Statistics Unit has 1,000, of over 15,000, critical cases per year missing key elements, which are now ?Expected? (E) on the Elements Requirements Table rather than being submitted as mandatory reporting elements. This impacts data quality. The coder needs to contact the insurer or the employer to get this information. The needs of Workers? Compensation and the Bureau of Labor Standards are different. Discussion followed. Bill stated that Workers? Compensation public hearings had been held, but comments are not available for review. Kathy explained the Workers? Compensation system regarding FROI?s.

Leslie Manning suggested expanding the recordkeeping class by adding Workers? Compensation information. Kathy explained that the monitoring section of Workers? Compensation is making sure that the carriers are in compliance. If they are not in compliance, then a corrective action plan is set up. Leslie Manning said that goal is to find out where the problems are and how to correct them at the source; can you change the behavior without resorting to the penalty phase.

Bill brought up the ?Troika? report, which is an annual report on the status of the Maine Workers? Compensation system, and is a combination of Workers? Compensation, Bureau of Insurance, and Bureau of Labor Standards.

Other. Bill will have an early draft of the annual legislative report of the work group to members before the next meeting. John asked members to provide an electronic version of the project templates to Bill.

Next meeting ? Wednesday, November 15, 2006. The agenda will include an early draft of the legislative report, subgroup reports, and a legislative update.

Adjournment. Bill Peabody adjourned the meeting at 11:46 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Terry M. Hathaway Recording Secretary