This quarter VRSA recognizes both the Town of Bedford and the Bedford Regional Water Authority (BRWA) as two of the more than 100 members to make the Gold Star List. The list is published quarterly to recognize members who have reported their workers’ compensation claims within three days of injury.
“Our intention wasn’t to make the list,” said BRWA Safety and Risk Manager Jeff Martin. “Our intention was to have an effective safety program, and incident reporting is part of that program.”
Making the Gold Star List signifies that a member is not only reporting but also treating employees in a timely manner from the date of their injury. Timely reporting and treatment help make things go right for both the injured employee – with quicker treatment – and their employer – with less staff out as a result of injury.
“We have experienced very few injuries that require more than an initial medical visit but are aware that proper management of injury events is a key component towards taking care of the employee,” said BRWA HR Manager Melissa Meador.
Staff from the Town of Bedford agree.
“We know early reporting reduces long-term costs,” said Town of Bedford Director of Finance Anne Cantrell.
In addition to better outcomes and lower costs, timely reporting also has an impact on preventing additional incidents.
“It’s also helpful toward incident investigation and identifying and addressing root cause issues,” said BRWA Safety Coordinator Darryl Burks.
Learn more about the BRWA and the Town of Bedford’s Gold Star List recognition in the video below.
Members recognized for timely reporting this quarter can be found here. If you have questions about the Gold Star List, contact VRSA Director of Workers’ Compensation Claims Robin Duvall.