DENVER – According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 3.3 million serious work-related injuries and 4,300 fatalities occurred in U.S. workplaces in 2009, the year for which the most recent data is available. A new report by insurance broker Lockton Companies offers ten tips to help healthcare organizations reduce the likelihood of workplace injuries.

Healthcare organizations are particularly vulnerable to employee injuries because of the physical demands of caring for patients. That said, because of a focus on patient safety, healthcare organizations are in a good position to broaden their patient safety programs to include employee safety, thus reducing employee injuries and associated costs, and improving employee morale.

The new report, "Ten Steps to Enhance Healthcare Employees' Safety," suggests ways for organizations to add employee safety initiatives to organizational metrics, so senior leadership can determine if safety metrics are within range or are unacceptable.

The report is written by Lori Severson, Lockton Loss Control Consultant. The American Society of Safety Engineers recently honored Severson as its Healthcare Practice Specialty Safety Professional of the Year.

"If your organization can make a serious commitment to implementing these ten steps," says Severson, "you will see a significant improvement in employee safety, patient safety, and even employee morale."
Severson suggests that organizations "engage a corporate risk/safety management oversight committee... to develop policies and procedures to guide the organization's employee safety initiative."

Severson's full commentary is available free from Lockton at -http://www.lockton.com/Resource_/PageResource/MKT/10%20steps%20to%20enhancing%20employee%20safety_L%20Severson_Oct%202011.pdf

About Lockton

More than 4,100 professionals at Lockton provide more than 15,000 clients around the world with insurance, benefits, and risk management services, offering an uncommon level of client service. From its founding in 1966 in Kansas City, Missouri, Lockton has grown to become the largest privately held insurance broker in the world and 9th largest overall. Independent researcher Greenwich Associates awarded Lockton its 2011 Service Excellence Award for risk management for large companies. For three consecutive years, Business Insurance has recognized Lockton as a "Best Place to Work in Insurance."

More information on Lockton is at www.lockton.com.