Successes

24x7 Injury Management Service

Sims Metal Management is the world's largest metal recycler, operating in 50 sites across Australia and New Zealand. DHS helped Sims to not only streamline the management of workplace injuries but also collate data to better understand what was happening at their worksites.

Results

• 90% Update to the 'our preferred medical provider' network
• 50% of injuries reported remained at 'self management' only and did not require any medical treatment
• 86% of injuries were able to continue working at the time of injury in some capacity
• 90% of cases entered into the system to enable better outcomes on  treatment provided and return-to-work planning

Sims Metal Management is reputed for turning old cars, old fridges and construction material back into metals for remelting and reuse in local and export markets. The company also recycles electronics equipment through its SLS business. Future developments will see the waste produced from metal recycling processed into new products, further supporting our purpose to ‘create a world without waste to preserve our planet’.

With a large workforce spread across multiple sites, Sims sought consistencies in injury and case management. To help them streamline their injury management process and strategies, in November 2020 Sims turned to Direct Health Solutions (DHS).

As a leading provider in injury management solutions across Australia and New Zealand, DHS helped Sims to not only streamline the management of workplace injuries but also collate data to better understand what was happening at their worksites.

The Challenge

Philip Tradgett, EHS Director APAC at Sims, says the old injury management processes were slow and provided inconsistent treatment of injuries and illnesses.

"We were getting an inconsistent treatment of injured people. We were getting no real opportunity to bring our employees back quickly to the job site" Philip says.

The Solution

Sims partnered with DHS in November 2020 to implement the Injury Assist Program. This program offers all employees a 24/7 line for injury management and advice following an injury or illness.

Philip says Sims has access to a phone number that allows callers to speak directly to a nurse, this offers employees real-time support and first aid help.

"One of the things we found is the staff at DHS gives you brilliant first aid help and support. They would be able to with their experience guide you on what's happening and what you should do. Simple things like, like, rest ice and, and dressing," Philip says.

When someone is injured, their injury is logged into the DHS InjuryTrack system. More than 90% of cases are entered into the system, which offers better outcomes on the type of treatment provided and return-to-work planning.

DHS has enabled Sims to use a HR case management system for managing injuries that lead to workers compensation claims. This means the HR representative can look at the system, understand the issues and talk about treatment options with the doctor.

The Results

• Faster, efficient and more accurate injury and risk management processes than previous systems
• Deeper insights into workplace data to help minimise future injury risk
• Management of workplace incidents at scale to increase peace of mind for staff

Visiting a site in Adelaide earlier this year, Philip says he witnessed the Injury Assist Program in action when an incident occurred.

"I was struck by how the staff managed to take the panic out of the situation quickly. They were giving great advice to the First Aider," Philip says. "Often what happens is you call the ambulance, or you call the local clinic, and the person gets booked in for an assessment the next day. Instead, what happens now is that the injured individual is scheduled for an assessment within hours. so they are being looked at and treated quicker."

Even though Sims has been in a partnership with DHS for less than a year, they are already gaining greater visibility into crucial and insightful data into the types of injuries and when they happen. This helps the organisation understand any trends and give them greater insights into how to make faster, more accurate decisions when it comes to minimising future risk.

"We get a high-quality monthly report from the Injury Assist Program. As the data builds we’re learning key factors like peak times of the day when injuries occur, which gives us opportunities to look at topics like activity planning.

"The data I am receiving is helping me build better insights into what's going on in the business. It confirms our injuries are typically around manual handling slips and falls, and working with sharp objects. We work with metal so not surprisingly we get a lot of cuts. The program is also providing additional insight into other areas that were not always there for us," says Philip.

Philip says DHS treats Sims as a valued partner and not just a ‘number’ as other health and safety organisations may.

"DHS is the right size for us. DHS' style and the way they run their business suits us too. We're a midsize organisation, so we need to look at providers that are the right size to be able to give the level of support we need," emphasises Philip.

Philip says Sims is expanding the relationship with DHS in the coming weeks to include pre-employment health screening and ongoing medical for employees.

"Our people need to have regular health checks as part of the occupational health program. We also have a range of other ongoing health interventions that the DHS is going to help us with and we're working through that process now," Philip ends.