How employers should respond to workplace injuries.
Whether you work on a construction site or in an office, there's one thing that all business owners need to prepare for: a work-related illness or injury. Employees are only human and accidents happen. While you may do everything to prevent workplace injuries, sometimes they cannot be avoided.
Business owners should know how to handle an injury or illness sustained while on the job. Check out these steps to guide you through the process.
Seek medical assistance. The first thing you need to do after an injury is to get medical care for the injured worker. If it's life-threatening or after-hours, bring them to the emergency room or call an ambulance. Do this immediately, as you may face legal backlash if the injury goes untreated. If the injury or illness is not severe, you should send him or her to the agreed upon health care provider, preferably one focused in occupational medicine.
Record the scene. Once the employee is under the medical care of professionals, return to the scene and try to preserve it for investigative purposes. Take pictures of the scene and gather information about it. Record eyewitness information and as many details about the accident as possible. This will help you to file the insurance claim.
Transition them back to work. The return-to-work program is going to be different for every injury, but the employers' support is what makes all the difference. Set up a program that helps the employee return to their role at work. There may be some help needed, such as accommodation, time off work, reduced workload, or modified job responsibilities.
Ensuring that your business has proper coverage before the accident occurs is critical to making the injury care process run smoothly. This means complying with New York's
workers' compensation laws and having a plan in place with an injury care provider. Not sure where to start?
Talk to the team at Abatelli Group, Inc. where our team will help you find reliable coverage.
