Find out why one company has been using OIS for over three years!

WCB -ALBERTAWCB and you – working for a safe, healthy, strong Alberta.Winter 2010Going tonew heightswith OISGORDON FOOD SERVICERETAINS ITS PEOPLEAND LOWERSCLAIMS COSTSYOUR SAFETY INVESTMENTPAYS OFF WCB’s averagepremium rate drops to $1.22THE TRIED AND TRUEKey basics result in a decadeof discountsPREVAILING OVER PTSDConfronting psychological injuriesand beginning a new career

On the coverDriving homethe benefits ofOISSame-day access totreatment helps recoveryBy: Jacqueline VargaCarlos Pereira can’t say enoughabout WCB’s OccupationalInjury Service (OIS), a programspecifically designed for work-relatedinjuries.As the health and safety co-ordinatorfor Edmonton’s Gordon Food Services(GFS) location, he says the OIS programhas made a huge difference to his company’shealth and safety efforts, as well as itsbottom line.“I can’t think of any logical reason whya company wouldn’t use OIS,” Pereira says.“The write-up we get from OIS physicians,for example, is much more in depth. Itallows me to set up a much better modifiedwork program.”OIS clinics offer multiple benefits toemployers such as GFS. Injured workerscan receive same-day access to an OISphysician, in-depth medical reporting,clear treatment communication and expediteddiagnostic services (such as MRIs).GFS is a broad-line food distributorwith customers across Canada and theU.S. It employs approximately 680 peoplethroughout Alberta. Three years ago,when GFS signed up with OIS, a worksitevisit was conducted at its Edmontondistribution facility. Occupational specialistslearned more about the company’soperation and gathered on-site informationabout the physical job demands.“Because they are aware of what we do,they’re able to assess an injury and have abetter sense of the mechanism of injury,”Pereira explains.Statistics show that the up-front investmentin best-practice disability managementpays off in the long term. Employerssee a faster return to work and lower claimscosts when workers access OIS. Pereira’sexperience with the program over the pastthree years certainly supports the statistics—hehas noticed a definite reductionin the amount of time his injured employeeshave been off the job.Using the program has helped GFSretain skilled employees and avoid havingto hire and train replacement workers. Ithas also reduced the company’s compensationcosts because workers are treatedfaster and back on the job sooner.Pereira says it’s a win-win situation foreveryone. “The staff at the clinic make ourguys feel at ease, which makes them morecomfortable using it. From a humanresources perspective, it helps to retaingood employees. We see people wantingto stay with the company, so we’re verysatisfied, ecstatic even, with the OISprogram.” >>Carlos Pereira (centre), health and safetyco-ordinator, implemented OIS at GFS’sEdmonton facility. Service representativesRyan Lederhouse (left) and Jarrett Roberts(right) have both benefitted from the program.14 | WorkSIGHT Winter 2010

Winter 2010 WorkSIGHT | 15PHOTO: LAUGHING DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

continued from page 15PHOTOS: LAUGHING DOG PHOTOGRAPHYJarrett Roberts was unloading a skid of foodfrom the side door of his truck when he slipped andfell backwards, hitting his head and left shoulder onthe ground. As if that weren’t bad enough, the boxthen fell on top of him. “The pain felt like I got shot inthe shoulder,” says Roberts, an Edmonton GFS servicerepresentative.Roberts suffered a separated shoulder, which put himin a sling for over five weeks. After he receivedemergency medical care, he attended an OIS clinic foran assessment and evaluation, and to set up a returnto-workplan.Roberts received a physiotherapy rehabilitation plan atthe OIS clinic and credits the specialized care for hisquick recovery and early return to work. “The OIS clinicgives you the resources you need to get back to work.I got good advice, and the pulley system they gave mefor my home exercises really worked.”Ryan Lederhouse, a service representative withGFS for the past six years, is used to the common achesand pains that come with driving a delivery truck andunloading heavy boxes. But one morning last July, hesuffered a sharp, stabbing pain down his left leg that lefthim unable to walk by the end of the day.Lederhouse attended an OIS clinic, where he saw aphysician who assessed his condition and arranged foran MRI. It turns out he had a ruptured disc in his lowerback, which he attributes to years of handling heavyloads. He had surgery to correct the problem and is nowpain-free and back at work.The OIS process was simple, Lederhouse says. “You don’thave to wait around to see a doctor. Everything is takencare of for you; all you have to do is show up for yourappointments.” W16 | WorkSIGHT Winter 2010