Wholesale And Distribution Risk Engineering Success Stories

Warehouse worker wears a hard hat

Helping Wholesale and Distribution Businesses Build Operational Resilience

Keeping products moving requires managing risks across warehouses, transportation networks and distribution operations. Learn how wholesale and distribution organizations have worked with The Hartford's Risk Engineering team to help reduce exposures, improve safety and strengthen the resilience of their operations.
Warehouse worker wears a hard hat

Preventing Future Injuries with Ergonomic Strategies

Workplace ergonomics can have a direct impact on employee wellbeing and workers' compensation costs. Discover how one distributor used data-driven insights to identify risk exposures and implement solutions that helped prevent injuries and reduce future claim costs.

The Risk

An HVAC distributor worked with The Hartford to conduct a computer vision pilot, video recording over 200 hours of work. The results showed that the highest event category for worker risk was ergonomic claims, specifically surrounding  manual tasks with pallets.

Implemented Solutions

Our Risk Engineering Consultant met with the customer’s leadership team to recommend the implementation of lift tables, which help reposition work between hip and shoulder height. The customer’s Safety Director purchased lift tables for several locations, with an end goal of having lift tables in all their distribution centers.

Success

The initial $4,500 investment in lift tables resulted in future claim cost avoidance of over $140,000, which will continue to rise as more devices are installed.

More Success Stories

When driver fall risks were identified across its fleet operations, a commercial flower distributor partnered with Risk Engineering consultants to develop a customized safety enhancement for its trucks. The resulting design helped reduce employee injury exposure and is being incorporated throughout the fleet as vehicles are replaced.
 
The Risk  Implemented Solutions  Success 
A commercial flower distributor with over 150 box truck drivers was concerned about drivers’ fall risk during the step up/down process.    Our Risk Engineering Consultant worked with the client and broker, developing a prototype bumper that incorporated a step at the cost of $1,500. The client then shared this recommendation to their truck leasing company and truck manufacturers.  This new bumper/step/hold design is now incorporated into over 25 trucks, with the remainder of the fleet waiting to be adjusted as the truck leases turn over. The avoidance of direct and indirect costs of potential driver falls is projected to generate an ROI of over $135,000.
Water damage can quickly lead to substantial inventory losses and business disruption. Discover how one apparel company implemented water sensors to protect more than $2 million in on-site inventory and significantly reduce its exposure to future losses.
 
The Risk  Implemented Solutions  Success 
A formal wear apparel seller had a past water damage claim that resulted in significant product loss. The customer was familiar with water sensors but the cost for implementation was a deterrent.  Through an in-depth consultation, our Risk Engineering Consultant team outlined the benefits of additional protection measures for the customer's high-end inventory. The team also showcased the value of The Hartford’s discounted water sensor program as a proactive solution to help mitigate water-related losses.   Recognizing the risk to over $2 million in on-site inventory, the client implemented water sensors and realized an exceptional ROI exceeding $1.9 million. 
When warehouse storage conditions created substantial fire loss exposure, a wholesale distributor took proactive steps to improve risk protection. The resulting sprinkler and storage upgrades dramatically reduced the organization's potential financial loss and increased operational resilience.
 
The Risk  Implemented Solutions  Success 
A wholesale distributor of hydraulic components faced significant fire risk at one of its warehouses due to inadequate sprinkler protection, mostly due to a large volume of exposed plastics.  Our Risk Engineering consultants partnered with the client’s leadership team to underscore the significance of the exposure and the business value of upgrading the system. After securing leadership buy-in, they guided the development of a phased upgrade plan for shelf and rack storage to improve overall risk protection.  These combined upgrades reduced the probable maximum loss from over $21M to $4M. This proactive partnership mitigated a critical property risk, leading to a significant potential ROI. 
When challenges limited the effectiveness of its telematics program, an electric products and services provider partnered with The Hartford to unlock greater value from its fleet data. The resulting improvements helped strengthen fleet safety, identify trends and reduce the severity of vehicle-related losses.
 
The Risk  Implemented Solutions  Success 
During an on-site assessment for an electric product and service provider, our Risk Engineering Consultant identified a series of challenges with the management of the company’s fleet telematics data.   By leveraging The Hartford’s telematics support and subsidy programs, our consultant helped the customer implement a tailored fleet safety solution. Through a FleetAhead consultation, they tripled the available annual subsidy and established telematics data sharing, providing valuable insights to support proactive risk management, trend analysis and improved accident reporting.  The customer adopted operational improvements such as weekly driver score updates and consistent fleet data management. The implementation of telematics contributed to a substantial reduction in loss severity over the last three years, demonstrating its value in mitigating high-risk, high-cost claims.