WorkSafe Montana Commitment Month Kicks Off

Montana has had a workplace injury problem since the days of the first mining towns near
Bannack. But until recently, the problem hadn’t been quantified.

In 2006, Labor and Industry Commissioner Keith Kelly, at the urging of Governor Brian
Schweitzer, created a task force to study why Montana’s workers’ compensation premiums are
so much higher and why benefits for injured workers are so much lower than those of
surrounding states. That task force, the Labor-Management Advisory Council on Workers’
Compensation (LMAC), is led by Leutienant Governor John Bohlinger. The LMAC includes equal
representation of workers and businesses.

There have been many theories as to why Montana’s rates are higher, and as is often the case,
the study of the facts debunked many of them. Insurance companies are not overcharging,
given the liabilities they face. Workers are not fraudulently over-using the system. Industries
here are not inherently more dangerous than in other states.

No, what the study found was that our high costs can be traced to two key factors:

• Montana workers are more likely to be injured or killed on the job than workers in most other
states, regardless of industry.

• Montana workers are more likely to miss more work time per injury than workers with similar
injuries in other states.

The LMAC reviewed the studies and further consulted with business leaders, labor leaders,
workers’ compensation insurers , the Montana Chamber, National Federation of Independent
Businesses and others. It became apparent to all that these two contributing factors are best
addressed by raising awareness of the problem and encouraging the adoption of comprehensive
safety policies and programs statewide.

It was also apparent that the awareness effort could not simply come from state government
alone. Business leaders, both private and public employers, and labor leaders needed and
wanted to spearhead the campaign. In a move that shows how vital the issue is to our economy
and public health, a private/public collaborative was formed. WorkSafeMT was born.

WorkSafeMT http://www.worksafemt.com/ is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to the elimination of workplace injury, illness and
fatalities in the state of Montana. The group is directed by a board consisting of business, labor
and state agency leaders, health care providers, injured workers, and workers’
compensation insurers. It receives input from Chambers of Commerce, labor unions, injured
workers, the NFIB, and industry groups, statewide. The group has been in existence since May
2008, and will continue to raise the bar on work safety in Montana in the coming years.

Full Information: http://www.matr.net/files/WSMTOnlineKit.pdf