Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. said ongoing efforts to reduce employee injuries have resulted in the company's lowest injury rate ever, more than 40 percent below the gaming industry's average.
In the first quarter of this year, Harrah's reported an injury and illness frequency rate of 3.1 to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA)–the percentage of employees expected to be seriously injured over the course of one year's employment. This is the lowest rate in the company's history, Harrah's said, below the casino industry average of 5.5 as reported by the Bureau of Labor statistics.
Lance Ewing, vice president of risk management for Harrah's and past president of the Risk & Insurance Management Society, told National Underwriter that Harrah's has steadily brought the rate down and that "this year we've hit our best year ever as a corporation."
Injuries high on the scale include "soft tissue and back injuries" from hotel employees who make beds and slips and falls of "back-of-the house" employees, including kitchen staff and wait staff, he said. "They're what you would find in a service industry," he noted, adding that the company also cross-trains staff to work in several jobs to further reduce exposure to injury.
The good news for the company, he added, is that workers' comp rates have "steadily declined." One reason for this is that "we actually bring underwriters out to our properties and give them a back-of-the house tour, from engineering to housekeeping, where they meet supervisors and directors."
Underwriters also can view the training program. He said the organization tries to make loss control entertaining for employees with activities such as a "Jeopardy"-type game, where employees answer questions about safety and are awarded prizes.
Harrah's said at the center of its program are risk control managers (RCMs) located at each of the company's properties. These safety professionals are responsible for the overall loss prevention and claims handling of guests and employees, with support from corporate risk managers, Harrah's said.
Harrah's said it saw similar benefits from its safety program at the former Caesars Entertainment properties; in the first quarter, the Caesars locations posted a rate of 4.9, down from 5.3 in the year-ago quarter.
"We're pleased by the progress our colleagues at the former Caesars properties made in such a short time," Mr. Ewing said in a statement. "They are adopting our safety-oriented mindset, and I'm confident we'll see continued improvements in the months and years to come."
Since its beginning in Reno, Nev. 68 years ago, Harrah's said it has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions.
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