Work-related injuries occur every day. Knowing how to respond to and handle an employee who is injured on the job makes a big difference in how the rest of the company will react. There should be protocols in place to follow. This ensures everything is carried out according to policy and the employee is taken care of. In the event of an employee injury, these steps should occur:
1. Seek Treatment
Getting immediate treatment for the employee is key. Careful evaluation of the situation is necessary to determine the severity and whether paramedics should be called. If the injury is not an emergency, they should be taken to seek medical care. It is at this point where the manager and human resources work together. The medical care should be covered by staffing workers’ compensation insurance, with no additional costs to the employee.
2. Secure the Accident Scene
It is important to secure the scene as soon as possible to make sure no one else in the vicinity gets hurt. Once the area is secure, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) team can cone conduct an investigation. For minor injuries, this may be the risk assessment team from human resources.
3. Gather Information
Collecting the facts on what really happened is necessary to include in the report and determine the next steps. This includes finding out include who was injured, what happened, the area it happened, and any medical treatment that was provided. Any witnesses to the incident should also be listed in case they need to be contacted at a later date.
4. Fill Out Paperwork
Once the information has been gathered, a report should be completed as soon as possible. This is to make sure all the details are recorded while the details are still fresh. Claims related to the incident should be filed within 24 hours or sooner if possible. If the employee’s incident required hospitalization, the company must notify OSHA. The workers’ compensation policy should cover these incidents.
5. Utilize a Return-to-Work (RTW) Program
Employees don’t ask to be injured. Even if it’s minor, they have some form of rehabilitation that needs to take place to become fully functional and resume their role. An effective reentry program will keep the organization abreast on how the employee is doing and help them return to work within a certain time frame if they can. This may include part-time or light-duty assignments until they are fully cleared, or they may have to transition into another role.
About World Wide Specialty Programs
For the last 50 years, World Wide Specialty Programs has dedicated itself to providing the optimal products and solutions for the staffing industry. As the only insurance firm to be an ASA commercial liability partner, we are committed to that partnership and committed to using our knowledge of the industry to provide staffing firms with the best possible coverage. For more information about Staffing Professional Liability Insurance or any other coverage, we have available to protect your staffing business, give us a call at (800) 245-9653 to speak with one of our representatives.