5 Steps Employers Should Take When An Employee Is Injured

Getting injured at work is common. Whether the work injury is mild or severe, workplace accidents are jarring for the employee and their employer. It is critical to have an established plan in place to ensure that employee needs are met.

How you respond as an employer can make or break the injured employee’s recovery. It is essential that you understand what to do if workplace injuries occur. An established solution must be secured at your place of business so that your employees can receive the care they need and, ideally, improve the course of health outcomes.

Below, we discuss what employers can do to act promptly in case of a workplace injury. By introducing protocols for swift accident reporting, you can reduce the adverse outcomes of workplace injury and prevent liability. For more information, read on for five steps employers should take when their employee is injured at work.

1. Create an accident reporting process. 

To address accidents quickly, everyone must understand how to go about the accident reporting process. Establish a game plan for reporting accidents at your business and ensure that everyone at the company knows the protocols. You may include a training workshop and easy-to-follow signs around the workplace to reinforce the steps of accident reporting when injured at work.

2. Evaluate the situation of the employee injured at work and get medical care.

After a workplace accident, evaluate the need for medical attention. Call 911 to receive immediate medical care during emergencies. If the work injury is a non-emergency, contact the medical facilities you’ve established through your workers’ compensation provider. Utilizing in-network care allows for quick assistance to the employee who was injured at work.

3. Gather and share details with claims management.

Gather all the facts about the employee who was injured at work, including the person injured, what occurred, where it occurred, the cause of the emergency, the identified medical treatment sought, and witnesses. For all involved, get everyone’s contact information.

4. Report the injury.

Claims must be reported in the 24-hour timeline. You must inform your workers’ comp insurance carrier of the injury. There may even be a hotline with on-staff nurses to contact. Report the case of the employee injured at work quickly to ensure that your employee receives the care they need promptly.

5. Support their recovery.

Do your best to support the employee’s recovery. Keep communication open between them and all parties involved in their care, including the insurance carrier. Speak with your workers’ comp insurance carrier for the next step in building a run-to-work program with any necessary analysis and ergonomic changes that may be needed for the employee to return to work.

Maintain a good rapport.

Remember that injured workers want to be treated as people, not as insurance company claims. Show your respect and support while they recover. By addressing workplace injuries and utilizing pre-established care measures to send for their medical care, you can build stronger relationships with employees and maintain a positive rapport with them.

Leave a Comment