Effective return-to-work programs have been identified as one of the key elements necessary to contain and reduce the cost of workers' compensation. This publication provides detailed information about the advantages of such a program and provides important steps to help the employer develop a plan. This guide is designed to give you some basic information about the worker's compensation system in Maine and the benefits to which an injured worker is entitled. Should an injury occur at your place of work, your personal involvement from the moment an injury is reported will substantially improve the prospects for a positive and less costly outcome. This guide provides detailed information that will help improve the outcome of your workers's comp claims process. The seven steps outlined here will help you meet your moral, legal and financial obligations toward giving safety a prominent place in your workplace. These steps will provide you with the fundamentals for beginning an effective and sustainable safey program. This guide will provide you with information to help you minimize stress-related costs while maximizing employee productivity. This brief, two-page brochure, recommends quick steps to help you implement a stretching program for occupations such as office workers, dentistry, hairdressers, crafts/hobbies, auto repair mechanics, fine assembly workers, machinists and small unit packing workers. It includes instructions (and illustrations) for 10 upper-body stretches. Securing a safe working environment for your employees involves many elements. Establishing effective hiring practices will take you one step closer to your goal. This guide may be used as a reference for fair and legal hiring practices. This guide will help you to establish a safety committee in your place of business, from setting it up to running a meeting. Ergonomics is the science of designing jobs and work tasks within the capacity and capability of the worker. This guide outlines how this can be achieved in the office environment by providing the opportunity for employees to work in such a posture that stress to the body is minimized and work efficiency is optimized. A cumulative trauma disorder may develop when the work demands habitually exceed a worker's capacity to respond to those demands. This guide will help to identify and correct risk factors performed in the work environment. These industry-specific, two-page fact sheets were designed to reveal facts about particular industries which will help employers to understand and reduce the cost of workplace injuries. The specific industries include:

• Construction
• Finance
• Manufacturing
• Natural Resources
• Retail
• Small Business
• Transportation