A Further Look at HandS: Focus on
Insurers and Self-Insureds
There are many advantages for individual self-insured employers and licensed workers’ compensation insurance carriers with the implementation of HandS, the new Web-based information processing and management system for the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Health & Safety Division. With the HandS system, processes that had been done ’the old-fashioned way’ – using hardcopy reports and the postal service – can now be performed electronically via the Internet, which saves employers and carriers time and money.
Self-insured employers and insurance carriers have the ability to file their required Annual Accident & Illness Prevention reports online. The electronic filing of annual reports provides immediate feedback regarding the information that is submitted, including whether or not the report has been accepted as well as its real-time status. The new HandS system gives insurers and self-insured employers the ability to enter, copy, print and store their electronically-filed reports, and includes up-front editing of data where possible, as well as prompting and definitions of data. The HandS system also has the capability for immediately communicating issues related to regulatory compliance to the individual self-insured employers and licensed workers’ compensation insurance carriers who use the service.
Another advantage the HandS system offers the customers of the Health & Safety Division is the ability to receive written reports of on-site audits electronically. Once an audit report is written, self-insured employers and insurers can view their reports online in PDF format.
The new HandS system streamlines and standardizes the filing of annual reports and most of the audit process. HandS provides greater efficiency and accuracy for Health & Safety Division customers, which has a positive impact on the administration of the division.
The Health & Safety Division looks forward to better serving its customers with the addition of the new HandS system and working together toward the ultimate goal of enhanced workplace safety. The Health & Safety Division may be contacted directly by e-mail:
LI, BWC-Safety@pa.gov or by calling (717) 772-1917.