CASE STUDY: Public Entity Slashes Average Sprain/Strain Injury Cost from $35K to $826

Client Profile

A regional water utility agency responsible for maintaining infrastructure, field operations, and public service delivery across a diverse service area. Employees regularly perform physically demanding tasks, including lifting, confined space work, and repetitive manual operations.

Challenge

Prior to 2024, the agency experienced a steady number of workers’ compensation claims, with several high-cost indemnity cases driving overall claim severity. Leadership sought a proactive approach to reduce both the frequency and financial impact of workplace injuries while reinforcing a culture of safety.

Solution

In 2024, the agency implemented the Backsafe® Injury Prevention Program, a structured and practical approach designed to reduce musculoskeletal injuries and improve safe work practices.

A key component of the rollout included a comprehensive onsite pre-assessment, during which job descriptions and tasks associated with the highest injury rates were evaluated. This ensured the training was highly targeted and directly relevant to the agency’s most at-risk roles.

The Backsafe program included:

• Comprehensive onsite pre-assessment of high-risk job classifications and tasks
• Initial training focused on JOB SPECIFIC body mechanics, stretching, off-work applications, and task-specific risk awareness
• Customized hands-on instruction tailored to equipment/vehicles, actual field conditions and job demands
• One round of refresher training to reinforce key concepts and sustain behavior change
• Ongoing program monitoring with bimonthly claims data review

Results

Data updated bimonthly; last updated 4/19/2026

Baseline Period (7/1/2023 – 6/26/2024)

• Total Claims: 10
• Total Cost: $355,696
• Average Cost per Claim: $35,570

Breakdown:

Post Backsafe Training Implementation (6/26/2024 – 4/19/2026)

• Total Claims: 8
• Total Cost: $6,608
• Average Cost per Claim: $826

Breakdown:

Impact

• 20% reduction in claim frequency
• 98% reduction in claim severity (total cost)
• Significant decrease in high-cost indemnity claims
• Shift toward lower-risk, record-only incidents
• Improved cost predictability and reduced financial exposure

Key Takeaways

• The upfront onsite assessment ensured training was customized to the agency’s highest-risk tasks, increasing relevance and effectiveness
• Implementing the Backsafe program provided employees with practical, repeatable techniques that translated directly to safer work behaviors
• Reinforcement through refresher training helped sustain measurable improvements over time
• Ongoing data tracking enabled the agency to monitor progress and adjust strategies proactively
• Reducing severity, especially indemnity claims—had the greatest financial impact

Conclusion

By implementing the Backsafe Injury Prevention Program and reinforcing it through refresher training, the agency achieved substantial and measurable improvements in workplace safety outcomes. The dramatic reduction in claim severity highlights the effectiveness of targeted and customized hands-on training combined with continuous performance monitoring.

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What Would a Reduction in Injuries and Injury Severity Mean for Your Organization?

Many organizations have unique physical demands, high-risk tasks and experience costly injuries that are preventable. Backsafe works directly with you to identify those risks and implement practical, job-specific injury prevention training designed to reduce sprain/strain injuries, their associated costs, and employee suffering.

Schedule a discovery call today to discuss your organization’s challenges and see whether a customized Backsafe program may be a fit for your team.

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Dennis Downing
Future Industrial Technologies, Inc.
dennis@backsafe.com
1-800-775-2225
Prevent Tomorrow’s Injuries Today™!