(Portland, ME) – The MEMIC Group has announced it will provide every employee with a pair of K1 Ice Cleats to help prevent slips, trips and falls according to Karl Siegfried, Senior Vice President of Loss Control at the workers’ compensation insurance company.

“We recommend this cleat to our policyholders as the easiest and most effective tool to prevent slips, trips and falls during the winter months. We decided we ought to be safely ‘walking the walk’ ourselves so we have offered a pair of cleats to everyone at MEMIC,” said Siegfried. “We want to protect our team members from injuries just as much as the employees of our policyholders.”

The workers’ compensation insurance specialist has nearly 500 employees and currently covers an estimated 200,000 employees of more than 18,000 employers in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states where icy conditions are a major contributor to work-related injuries.

According to the National Safety Council, the top three leading causes of work-related injuries are  overexertion and bodily reaction (27%), slips, trips and falls (24%), and contact with objects and equipment (22%). Together, they account for more than 84% of all nonfatal injuries involving days away from work.

“Parking lots, brick sidewalks and outdoor stairways are particularly hazardous and often don’t reveal their icy conditions until you’ve slipped,” said Siegfried. “A slip, whether you actually fall or not, can result in sprains, strains and torn tissue. These injuries often result in lost time from work.

“What we like about the K1 Ice Cleat is that it easily flips over to the top of the shoe or boot without having to remove the cleat. In a work environment, that ease-of-use removes objections to wearing them. We believe nearly all workforce injuries are preventable with planning and training. This solution, though, is a no-brainer.”

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About MEMIC
The MEMIC Group includes MEMIC Indemnity Company, MEMIC Casualty Company, and parent company Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company; all rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best. As a super-regional workers’ compensation specialty insurer, The MEMIC Group holds licenses to write workers’ compensation across the entire country. The group insures more than 20,000 employers and their estimated 300,000 employees from Maine to Florida. In addition to its headquarters in Portland, Maine, the group maintains offices in New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida. FMI: www.memic.com