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5 Steps for Addressing Workplace Injury
Every workplace has safety protocols that employees are routinely drilled on. These procedures aim to prevent the number of workplace accidents, and give workers a set of actions to follow when one does occur. A field that doesn’t get enough coverage is how to report a workplace injury.
Work injury reporting falls into a gray area of liability claims, healthcare management, and worker’s compensation. Reports must provide an honest account of the incident from the perspectives of the employee and their manager. It also represents an agreement by the manager to prevent the cause of a similar accidents. To better understand the value of addressing workplace injuries, let’s go over some basic steps.
Care for the Employee
The employee’s well-being comes before all other functions. Halt all productions, especially in busy areas, to avoid further injury. Try to get the worker to a quiet area where they can be treated.
Assess the nature of the worker’s injuries. Call 9-11 if the state of the wounds are beyond treatment by the facility’s first-aid resources. Begin taking down information for the report.
Isolate for Investigation
The scene of the accident should be closed off. No employee should enter the area for the sake of preventing further accidents. The scene must also be preserved for investigators.
Officials will need any tools or equipment that were affected in the incident. They’ll will go over the scene to determine the cause and corroborate the employee’s testimony. If it was caused by a malfunction in the equipment, then repairs will need to be organized immediately.
Comply with OSHA & ADAAA
Employers are mandated to notify the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after an accident has occurred. Notifications must within the span of 24 hours for injuries, 8 hours in the event of death. Ignoring this step could result in the company being fined upwards of $750 along with other penalties.
If the severity of an employee’s injures prove a risk to job security, then refer to the guidelines set by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. These rules state an employer must provide an impaired worker with reasonable accommodations (ergonomic workstation, extra breaks, or seating).
Hire an Attorney
Work situations differ, and that’s truer when accidents happen. Employees rarely bring legal action against their employers, but it’s the first thing on everyone’s mind. An injury lawyer should be consulted when negotiating leave and worker’s compensation.
Attorneys should serve as arbiters. Maybe the company’s disability policies are too vague. One party might be trying to protect their own interests. Hopefully, a resolution can be made without going to trial.
Evaluate Leave Options
In most cases, an employee will fight to retain their position in the wake of a leave. Sometimes a return-to-work, or transitional job, program is implemented for a gradual return. This could also help save on long-term disability costs.
A worker might resume duties, but in a different field. An experienced worker could be transferred to a new department of a similar function.
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