Every 7 seconds a person is injured at work.
If someone on your team has an injury at work, do you know what to do? Read on to learn what you can do when faced with an injury on the job.
Be Prepared
One of your responsibilities is to be prepared in case of an injury on the job. Have a first-aid kit fully stocked and accessible.
You should also ensure there is continual employee training on safety and emergency response plans.
Get Medical Attention
The first thing you should do if an employee is hurt on the job is to get them medical attention.
If it is a critical injury, be sure they injured employee gets immediate medical care. Never take any chances. Insist on a hospital visit if the injury was extensive.
If the injury is not an emergency, you can search for doctors who accept workers compensation near me and arrange to get the employee there safely.
Even if the injury seems minor, never discourage an employee from seeking medical aid. This can cause big legal problems for you later on.
Investigate
Once the employee has been safely taken care of, you are now responsible to find out about how the injury at work happened. You will need to investigate the spot where the injury took place. Look for clues and take notes and pictures if possible.
Now is a good time to talk to witnesses and ask them what happened. It is best if you can gather several witness statements about the injury. You may want to have a set of questions prepared ahead of time so that you can be consistent and thorough in your investigation.
This investigation will help you find out how the injury happened. But just as important is using what you learn to prevent other accidents in the future.
Follow Through with Paperwork and Communication
Whenever someone is injured on the job, you need to work with your employee to file a workers’ comp claim with your insurance provider.
The best thing you can do is to maintain clear lines of communication between all parties involved. This includes the insurance agent, the injured employee, medical professionals, and claims adjustors.
When the time is right, be sure to talk to the injured worker about your company’s return to work program. Be sure to answer any questions they might have. Together you can come up with an action plan to get the employee back to work.
Check-in with Your Other Workers
When team members see or hear about an injury at work, they will naturally be concerned.
While you are not permitted to share medical information about your employees, you can listen, answer questions and reduce anxiety.
Be open to suggestions about how to make things better.
Prevent the Injury From Happening Again
Once you have the situation with your employee is taken care of, you need to turn your attention to prevention. Think about ways you can prevent this injury from happening again.
Whatever you can do to prevent an injury, you should do. This will protect your workers and lower your worker’s comp fees.
Now You Know What to Do When Someone is Injured at Work
There you have it. A detailed, step-by-step guide on what to do when an employee is injured at work.
While these things happen, the best thing you can do is be vigilant and prevent workplace hazards.
Come back soon to read more articles to help you at work.
