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Walworth County reports steep drop in 2024 workers'‑comp incidents; five lost‑time claims closed
Summary
Risk management told the Human Resources Committee that reported incidents and claims fell in 2024 compared with 2023, with 93 reported incidents (down 37 percent), 64 incident‑only cases, 24 medical‑only cases and five lost‑time claims — all closed.
Walworth County’s risk management staff told the Human Resources Committee on Jan. 22 that reported workplace incidents and claims declined in 2024 compared with 2023, and that the county closed all five lost‑time claims from 2024.
Megan, the county’s risk manager, said the county logged 93 reported incidents in 2024, a 37 percent drop from 2023, and that claims dropped 47 percent. She provided a breakdown: 64 incidents were recorded as incident‑only, 24 required medical treatment, and five required medical treatment with employees taken off work by a physician.
“2024 was a fantastic year for us,” Megan told the committee, and she said the five lost‑time claims are already closed. The committee packet includes tables (page 10) showing that five causes accounted for 87 percent of incidents and 98 percent of costs by frequency and severity analyses.
Risk staff and committee members credited targeted interventions for the improvement. Megan and Chris explained that risk reviews with high‑loss departments, additional trainings, and use of ARPA funding for safety projects helped reduce incidents. Department leaders reported follow‑through on facility safety items such as doors, and targeted trainings for staff who de‑escalate confrontations.
Committee discussion highlighted slip, trip and fall incidents as a persistent high‑cost category. The committee heard that the county’s snow response now incorporates facilities into the highway commissioner’s pre‑storm report and that the county funded additional overtime to clear parking lots and sidewalks earlier in the day.
Richard (DPW staff) told the committee that shifting resources to clear facilities before regular business hours likely reduced slip‑and‑fall exposure among employees. Committee members noted that, with an employee base of roughly 850–1,000 including casual staff, having five lost‑time incidents is a marked improvement from recent high‑loss years.
The report was accepted as informational; no formal policy change was proposed.
