OSC12 has a strong history of delivering powerful general session presentations by
nationally-recognized industry experts, government dignitaries and up-and-coming industry professionals.
#901 Opening Session
9:45 to 10:45 a.m. – Wednesday, March 28
Steve Buehrer
BWC Administrator/CEO
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Margaret Spence
President/CEO, Douglas Claims & Risk Consultants Inc. and WorkCompSeminars.com
Changing the Paradigm – From Workers' Comp Claimant to Valued Employee
Can injured employees return to work successfully? The answer is yes. When performed properly, return-to-work
programs benefit the employee and the employer. This program will provide you with the essential steps to
return injured employees to work and successfully retain them once they are back. You will be able to list
the seven essential pre-injury policies that lead to return-to-work success; recall the four post-accident
strategies that help stakeholders navigate the workers’ comp system; explain steps to connect the dots between
workers’ comp injury management and human resources best practices; identify strategies to maintain a solutions
driven workers’ compensation disability management program that includes transitional duty and productive
return-to-work options; and describe ways to make the business case for maintaining the return-to-work
program as an integral part of the company’s retention strategy.
Margaret founded Douglas Claims & Risk Consultants because she wanted to use the experience she gained as
an adjuster and risk manager to impact the way employers manage workers’ compensation injuries. Frustrated
by the injury-settlement cycle, Margaret knew the only way to stop this revolving door was to show employers
how to successfully navigate the injury management process.
Credits: 0.1 IACET
#902 The Truth About Return on Investment and Worksite Health Promotion Programs
3:45 to 4:45 p.m. – Wednesday, March 28
Steven G. Aldana, Ph.D.
Companies are always looking for ways to reduce employee-related expenses and many organizations are using
health-promotion programs as a reactionary effort to curtail ever-increasing, employee-related expenses of health
care and lost productivity. Dozens of published scientific research articles on this topic show a clear and
positive return-on-investment. Yet, many companies are hesitant to spend any money on employee health-promotion
efforts, raising the question as to why most health and wellness programs still struggle to get funding and
support? Health promotion in the workplace can not only have a positive effect on your employees' waistlines,
but also a positive impact on your organization's bottom line. During this in-depth session, learn how new
information gained by researchers at Brigham Young University provides additional evidence on why companies
and public sector organizations should adopt worksite wellness programs to help their employees lead healthy
lifestyles and how, by doing so, they can achieve and demonstrate a genuine return-on-investment (ROI).
Participants will be able to explain how health promotion and worksite wellness can generate significant
health-care cost savings; measure the impact of absenteeism and lost productivity caused by unhealthy habits
and lifestyle choices; and identify where the cost savings come from and why some health promotion programs
fail to deliver a positive ROI.
Credits: 0.1 IACET
Safety Innovation Awards presentation
Ellen Bryan
Miss Ohio 2011
The first annual Safety Innovations Award competition recognizes the
development of innovative ergonomic and/or safety solutions in the workplace. A panel of judges, along with
ballots from you, will determine which of the six participants has Ohio’s most innovative safety or ergonomic
solution. Recipients are evaluated for innovation, simplicity, cost savings, risk reduction and presentation
quality. Ellen Bryan, Miss Ohio 2011 and lightning safety advocate, will announce the overall award winner at
Wednesday afternoon’s general session.
Ellen is a national spokesperson for lightning safety through a partnership with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She began promoting her personal platform, When Thunder Roars, Go
Indoors, after her sister Christina was struck by lightning in 2000. Christina suffered lifelong disabilities,
leaving her with limited mobility and unable to speak. Ellen served as the spokesperson for both the 2009 and
2010 National Lightning Safety Weeks in June. She was featured in USA Today, on The Weather Channel and created
a Public Service Announcement with NOAA that reached 3.2 million people nationwide.
#903 General Session: The Buried Truth Uncovered
9:30 to 10:30 a.m. – Thursday, March 29
Eric Giguere, Safety Awareness Solutions
Life for Eric Giguere only looked up. A capable worker with a good job and good pay, he married on Sept. 28, 2002.
Within a week, the newlyweds would be on their honeymoon. Six days after the wedding Eric went to work and looked
forward to leaving for his honeymoon after his shift. That joy never came to be. Eric had five years experience
as a union laborer, and was two months into his first trenching project. The crew was installing a 12-inch water
main. Eric got down into the 6.5 foot trench to inspect the pipe, and the trench walls collapsed. He was buried
under several feet of soil. Eric panicked. He was unable to breath under the crushing weight. His fear began
to subside and a feeling of warmth and comfort overcame him. Eric was dying. He regained consciousness in the
hospital where he learned of the quick action of his team to dig him out. The doctors told Eric he suffered
permanent brain damage from the lack of oxygen. Despite the odds against any life other than one of permanent
disability, Eric never stopped fighting to overcome what he was told was now impossible. Eric is an average guy
who had the typical attitude toward safety: "Accidents happen, but not to me". Until the one that nearly took
his life. Now Eric's mission is to make sure the arrogance he had toward safety doesn't become yours. His message,
“This can happen to you.” Participants will be able to identify common attitudes toward safety; and describe
the personal impacts of a workplace injury.
Credits: 0.1 IACET
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