Arizona Contractor & Community Winter 2015 V4 I4 | Page 28

By Melissa Lykins, Claims Manager, Lovitt & Touché Melissa Lykins is a claims manager and CRT (Cost Reduction Technologies) Isokinetic Strength and Agility Program leader with Lovitt & Touché. More at www.lovitt-touche.com. W hen you are a business owner with employees who perform physical labor, what is the one thing that is always on your mind? Well, keeping them safe, healthy, and injury-free is at the top of the list. However, whether simply by accident or ill-intentioned, injuries do happen on the job and subsequent workers’ compensation claims can be very costly, resulting in thousands of dollars in increased premiums. One of the toughest challenges for employers is assessing whether or not an employee is fit for a physically demanding job. On the surface, a laborer may appear fit, activ K