In a report released on May 6, a watchdog group Public Citizen stated that NYS should change its workers’ compensation regulation to require all private-sector employers to use workplace safety and loss prevention programs.
Workplace injuries in NY’s private-sector cost the state economy approximately $11 billion over the past 2 years, according to the report. Nearly 90% of workplace incidents result in at least one day away from work, much higher than the national average of 58%. Under NYS’s current law, only workplaces whose assessed premiums are at least 20% higher than average are required to implement workplace safety and loss prevention programs, which are similar to injury and illness prevention programs. The authors of the report believe that the 20% threshold is too high and the state legislature should remove it entirely.
OSHA is pursuing a standard that would require employers to implement such a program.
