Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Storms are more intense and more frequent; so are droughts. Everywhere is getting hotter. When it comes, rainfall is more intense. The direct impacts of climate change on workers’ comp are pretty obvious: higher risk for public safety workers; increasing heat … Continue reading Climate change’s hidden impact on workers’ comp
Read More...Congratulations to Florida and Texas for passing new laws barring local governments from protecting workers from heat-related injuries! This at a time when global warming is leading to record heat waves with temperatures hitting – and staying at – record … Continue reading Dumbest law/regulation of the month – A tie!
Read More...Kudos to WCRI – it is the first workers’ comp research organization to give center stage to the impact of climate change – primarily heat – on workers’ comp claims. Dr David Bonauto of Washington’s Labor & Industry (state WC … Continue reading WCRI – the heat is on.
Read More...I connected with CWCI President Alex Swedlow – and good friend and colleague – to find out what’s been going on in the Golden State and what the annual confab will feature. Here’s the registration info. note highlights are mine. … Continue reading CWCI’s annual conference is almost here
Read More...Heat exposure has killed 40 workers per year since 2011. Heat – and other exogenous factors related to human-caused climate change will likely be the fastest-growing driver of occupational injuries. Fortunately others are stepping into the gaps caused by a failure of … Continue reading The heat is ON.
Read More...Some of you know Jay Stith – he’s been working with HSA for half a decade now, heading up data analytics and research. Jay’s brilliant, has a great dry wit, and most of all very insightful. He sees stuff – … Continue reading Predictions for healthcare in 2024
Read More...A couple weeks back NCCI released information about its annual survey of work comp execs. About 100 participated in the survey; some of the results were a bit surprising. Execs were asked about their “concerns” re workers’ comp…frankly I found … Continue reading NCCI’s executive survey…what medical inflation??
Read More...Stuff you may have missed… Spinal cord stimulators…Don’t work. More specifically, multiple high-quality studies found little evidence of pain reduction, no impact on disability, no impact on opioid use, and a relatively high risk of complications (about one in five … Continue reading Catch up…spinal cord stimulators, opioid addiction test and settlement dollars, and electrical grid risks – oh my!
Read More...Here’s the second half of my predictions – and how they panned out… 6. The growing impact of global warming will force changes in risk assessment, management and mitigation; technology adoption; and claims. The predicted (heat injuries, wildfires, hurricane intensity, sea … Continue reading 2023 work comp predictions…how’d I do part 2
Read More...Old coal-fired electric plants are being converted to manufacturing, residential, office, and recreational uses. These are massive undertakings involving dismantling giant buildings; taking down crumbling smokestacks; removing hundreds of tons of asbestos; shredding hundreds of tons of steel, copper and … Continue reading more good jobs = more premium and more claims
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