Workers' comp insurance costs

[ArchEngraving]

We're all graphics designers. Sitting comfortably and safety at our desk with ergonomic chairs, keyboards and accessories... nothing to see here.

BUT are you using:

• Safety harness (to prevent fall from chair)
• Hardhat (falling ceiling tiles)
• Steel toe shoes (chair runs over foot)
• Eye protection (from monitor glare)
• Hearing protection (from possible rap music)
• Work gloves (burns from hot coffee)
• Wrist support (carpal tunnel syndrome)

 

[ArchEngraving]

We are a "commercial" sign shop vs full-service. We print & cut vinyl, letter and do partial wraps on vehicles, real estate/site signs (no installation), magnetics, banners, window lettering, etc. No bucket trucks, no electric (we'll reletter a plastic face if they bring it in, but we don't remove/reinstall them), no digging holes, no painting. We have always had trouble when audited with being put in a high rate class (NCCI) code--printing (offset, etc), painting, sign installations (with heavy equipment), etc. Now they have a class for us--9501.

Our rates have gone up tremendously. They don't include the fact (we're a 2 person shop mostly) that a lot of time is bookkeeping or meeting with clients. They include driving (which we do little of). In 28 years the only injuries have been paper cuts or pokes with an X-Acto blade (OK, I broke my nose playing with a client's Segway, but I didn't turn in a claim). Our biggest risk is a car accident.

Anyone have problems with workers' comp insurance rates? I'm taking myself off coverage to save money.

I'm new to this forum and am jumping in late to this discussion. I support all the folks who said to find an agent who will work with you on your classifications. My company is engraving, so not exclusively signs. But the "engraver" classification came with a high rate, and I was convinced it was left over from the old-time idea of engraving being the idea of a guy wielding a sharp metal tool, gouging into the piece being engraved. With everything being computerized, we're now more like what AKwrapguy described: graphic artists sitting in a safe environment. So, the agreement I had with my agent is I'll let them classify our one and only person running a mechanical/rotary engraving machine as "Engraver" (after all, it does have sharp bits) and everyone else "Office." (I think there's another term for office/admin people but you get the idea.) The moral is: You don't have to take their classifications lying down and can find options.

In a past life, I owned a business in another industry. Back then, Missouri law (maybe federal?) said if you have >5 employees, you must have WC insurance. We had 4 or 5 at the time and I was running without it. An employee hurt his back off duty, claimed it was work related and it cost me $20K out of pocket to make the problem go away.

I subcontract some work to a plastics fab company. It's 2 brothers who used to have employees but swore off having them, and now they do 100% of the work with zero employees. I haven't asked but I bet they don't carry WC insurance.

 

[ddarlak]

one reason why i work alone

 

[signmania]

BUT are you using:

• Safety harness (to prevent fall from chair)
• Hardhat (falling ceiling tiles)
• Steel toe shoes (chair runs over foot)
• Eye protection (from monitor glare)
• Hearing protection (from possible rap music)
• Work gloves (burns from hot coffee)
• Wrist support (carpal tunnel syndrome)

Best information I've gotten! Thanks! I'm sending this to my insurance agent and IMT Insurance. I'm taking my salary off coverage, even though having a stroke or heart attack at work would qualify me for WC. Sitting a lot doing graphics design all day should also qualify me for hemorrhoid relief and enlarged prostate. I've got faith that the auditor won't want to take a look or do a digital rectal exam unless he was previously a TSA agent.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Best information I've gotten! Thanks! I'm sending this to my insurance agent and IMT Insurance. I'm taking my salary off coverage, even though having a stroke or heart attack at work would qualify me for WC. Sitting a lot doing graphics design all day should also qualify me for hemorrhoid relief and enlarged prostate. I've got faith that the auditor won't want to take a look or do a digital rectal exam unless he was previously a TSA agent.

Take your salary off and use those funds to get Short Term & Long Term Disability.

 

[AKwrapguy]

BUT are you using:

• Safety harness (to prevent fall from chair)
• Hardhat (falling ceiling tiles)
• Steel toe shoes (chair runs over foot)
• Eye protection (from monitor glare)
• Hearing protection (from possible rap music)
• Work gloves (burns from hot coffee)
• Wrist support (carpal tunnel syndrome)

No steel toes shoes - all 'chairs' are ergonomic balance balls
No hearing protection - classic music only as studies suggest it increases awareness, creativity, calming and more positive outlook
No work gloves - All beverages are securely insulated in no tip safety containers.

Does this mean we get a discount?