How to Address Workplace Injuries

When an employee is injured at work, there’s a high probability that co-workers panic and worry about the worker and how to manage the situation. As such, it is essential for HR to disseminate information about effective ways to tackle the injury of a worker.

Some of the adequate steps the HR department can take in such a scenario include:

Plan for Medical Care

Organizations should have a well-communicated protocol for handling employee injuries and illnesses. To begin with, the organization should determine who will be responsible for transporting the injured worker to the health care provider or hospital immediately. The HR department should ensure that all company procedures are in place and followed well. If it is a severe case, then it’s better to consider inviting the fire/police department and other first responders to the office to become familiar with the facilities in the office.

Investigate 

Employees are entitled to recover benefits when they are hurt or experience illness in the scenario of their employment. As such, the HR department must inform the insurance carrier to investigate and take the call on whether an injury is compensable. Also, the organization should conduct an internal investigation, where the professional interviews witnesses and create incident reports. There should also be effective communication to protect against any future risks.

Notify Health Administration

When serious injuries occur at the workplace, employers should immediately inform the local health administration. If the injury leads to death, they should inform within eight hours. For amputations and inpatient hospitalizations in the workplace, the reporting time is 24 hours. Failure for informing the authorities may lead to penalty and legal action for the organization.

Evaluate Leave Possibilities

Designate leave for the injured employees. There is particular time-off assigned to every employee in case of an injury at the workplace. It is essential to carefully evaluate all medical certifications from health care providers about time off and make sure an employee gets the required time off to heal and be back at the workplace efficiently.

Scrutinize Policies

Most of the injured workers cooperate with an organization’s efforts to return to work. It is only a small percentage of people who don’t wish to return to work or will seek any financial gain from their injury. The HR department and organization should be prepared for the worst. They should carefully evaluate their existing policies and leave no room for a fault.

Use Resources Effectively

When an injury in the workplace occurs, the HR department must use all the necessary resources available to the organization, including company doctors and case nurses. Proper medical information should be obtained, and recertification should be sought, especially when the employee’s leave schedule exceeds the physician’s directions.

Care for Other Workers

When an employee gets injured or hurt at work, colleagues and workers get understandably concerned and anxious. In such a situation, effective communication is the best thing to do. If there are safety issues, the HR department should immediately and effectively address them with employees and also seek suggestions about how to make the scenario at work better. Though the HR department cannot share medical information about the injured employee, they can surely listen to the concerns of other workers and address them. All employees must understand the company’s commitment to maintaining the well-being of all employees.

While workplace illnesses and injuries cannot be predicted, they can be effectively handled smoothly when the policies for medical care are in place. The HR department and the organization should create a practical approach depending on the situation, and maintain a solid foundation to give proper medical care to an injured worker and make them return to work safely while avoiding any form of lawsuits and legal issues.

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