Release: Addabbo Bill to Cut Down on Workplace Injuries in State Agencies Approved by State Senate

Queens, NY (June 22, 2015) Calling it a “forward-looking approach to cutting back on state workforce injuries and potentially saving on disability and workers’ compensation costs,” NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. today announced that legislation (S.2842) he sponsors to implement the “State Workforce Injury Reduction Act” has been approved by the full State Senate.

“The benefits of this legislation are two-fold,” said Addabbo, who serves as a member of the Senate Civil Service Committee.  “First and foremost, having state agencies better assess and seek to prevent workplace injuries with specific action plans will help to ensure that fewer employees get hurt on the job and suffer pain and lost days from the workplace. Second, a reduction in workplace injuries could provide savings in disability and workers’ compensation payments by the state, which could ultimately lead to lower government and taxpayer expenses.”

Addabbo’s legislation would require that New York State government agencies, after assessing the rates of injuries in their workplaces, develop a specific written action plan each year providing concrete steps to be taken to keep employees from getting hurt.

“Current law already requires individual agencies to track annual injury rates, occupational illnesses and workers’ compensation claims, but this legislation would make sure that something is actually done to study, reduce and prevent employee accidents and other on-the-job health risks,” Addabbo said.  “As a result, fewer workers will suffer pain, medical intervention and lost productivity, and state agencies will not need to pay out as much in disability and workers’ compensation. These savings could then be passed on to taxpayers or put to other beneficial public uses.”

Under the legislation, state agency representatives, employees and union representatives would work together to develop the required action plans. “My overall goals in sponsoring this bill are to create safer workplaces, increase state agency efficiency and productivity, and help reduce taxpayer costs,” Addabbo said. “I hope that my legislative colleagues will continue to work with me to bring this bill closer to law.”

In the Assembly, the bill is sponsored by Assemblymember David Weprin and is under consideration by the Committee on Governmental Employees.