Workplace injuries can be a major issue that not only hurts employees but also hurts a company’s bottom line.
When someone at work gets hurt, everything stops. Production is halted, time off is needed, and every facet of a company is brought to a halt. Things will only be worse if no one knows how to handle workplace injuries. Without the proper knowledge and the right kind of planning, any delay in work will be increased and chaos will ensue.
Here are some very important steps that have to be taken in order to expertly and safely handle any and all workplace accidents and injuries.
Seek Medical Help
When an employee is hurt, confusion may reign supreme. Many people think the first step should be to contact a workplace injury lawyer or HR. And while both of those parties do need to be talked to soon, the biggest priority every single time is to get medical help for the person who needs it.
There is no doubt that your well-being is of utmost importance and nothing comes above that. Even in cases where the injury appears to be minor and not too serious, you should always seek medical attention right away. In case of a severe injury, immediately contact emergency services or visit the closest hospital.
If you have a doctor’s appointment scheduled, inform them that your injury occurred while at work. This promises that the injury is recorded as job-related for the purpose of workers’ comp.
Keep in mind that certain employers and states require that injured workers visit only designated medical providers who are approved by their workers’ comp insurance policy. If your injury is not an emergency, be sure to stick to any and all guidelines to prevent compromising any potential claim.
Report To Employer
The majority of regions enforce a specific time limit for reporting workplace injuries. Not reporting within this timeframe might restrict your ability to receive workers’ compensation benefits.
Although giving verbal notice is a good beginning, presenting a written report establishes solid documentation of the occurrence. Provide details about the injury, its cause, and when and where it took place.
Be sure that you keep all backups of emails, documents, and written messages you send to your employer about the injury.
Document
You will want to make sure you have documentation of just about everything related to an injury in the workplace. This will help you in the future and ensure that your story is believed and the right sort of compensation comes to you.
For starters, you need to record all details of the incident, such as your activities, equipment used, safety concerns, and any witnesses present. If you can, keep a daily log of your symptoms and their effect on your work or daily tasks.
Also, keep every and all medical records, possible treatment plans, X-rays, prescriptions, and notes from the doctor. Request your doctor to clearly note that your injury is related to your job.
Request written statements from any colleagues who witnessed the accident. This could be crucial if there is a disagreement about the reason for the injury.
File A Claim
After reporting the injury, most businesses will give you a workers’ compensation claim form. It’s vital that you complete this form quickly and entirely and then turn it in because this is a necessary step before anything else is possible.
After you submit your claim, make sure to check that it has been sent to the workers’ comp insurance company that your employer uses. Don’t just assume that it’s being taken care of. It’s super important that you always remain proactive during this part of the process because a lot of the responsibility falls on you right now.
As always, make sure that you retain multiple duplicates of your filled-out claim forms and all messages that have been sent to and from the insurance provider related to your workers’ compensation benefits.
Once that is done, the hard work is over for you and the insurance company will follow up with any other questions or steps you’ll need to take.
Conclusion
You shouldn’t be afraid if you are hurt at work. Instead, you should be sure that if you follow the right steps, you will be taken care of and you will soon be healed, healthy, and happy. It does require a lot of work on your end but rebounding from a workplace injury, even a bad one, is possible if you know what to do.
Featured Photo by RDNE Stock project
