Did you know that there were more than 880,000 non-fatal incidents of workplace injury in the United States of America in 2019? If you run a small business it is vital that you know what to do in the event that you have an injured employee. You also need to know the things that you can do to ensure better workplace safety in order to boost employee morale.
A good small business owner will know exactly what to do in the event that one of their employees suffers an injury like a slip and fall in the workplace. If you’re new to running a business then you’re in luck, because you’ve come to the right place to learn more about what to do if one of your employees gets injured on the job.
Keep reading this article to learn more about what to do if your employees get hurt on the job.
Be Prepared for a Workplace Injury
The best thing that you can do when it comes to a workplace injury is to be prepared. There are many things that you can do to try to prevent injuries in the workplace but they’ll happen eventually no matter what you do. The best thing to do is to be ready for when this eventuality comes to pass.
Preparation will help you and your other employees to respond in a quick and calm manner if one of your employees gets hurt while at work. Your preparation will also limit the amount of money that you’ll be on the hook for when it comes to the damages caused to the employee.
A good strategy is to come up with a solid and thorough response plan in the event of a workplace injury. Create one for each type of common workplace injury in your industry or workplace. You should also provide comprehensive safety training to your employees and keep them informed of the emergency response plans for your business.
Another thing that you need to do is to keep at least one first aid kit ready and accessible at your place of business. Make sure that it is always stocked and ready for anything. You’ll also want to make sure that emergency contacts for all of your employees are up to date and accurate.
Respond Immediately
When a workplace injury happens it is important that you respond immediately. The first thing you need to do is get your injured workers to a safe place nearby. You also need to keep other employees away from the site of the injury if it is dangerous to be there. That will prevent further injuries to your employees.
Once everyone is in a secure location, start assessing the injuries and the damage caused by them. Determine how severe the injuries are and what caused them. You’ll also want to get the first aid kit so that you can provide some basic medical care to the injured employees.
The first aid kit should suffice for any scuffs, scrapes, and minor cuts and burns experienced by your employees. If it is a more severe injury then you’ll need to take steps to stabilize your injured employee. It is also a good idea to contact medical emergency services for help. They’ll know what to do and reduce the odds of making the injuries worse.
Once the injured employees are stabilized you’ll need to start documenting everything that happened and gather evidence for this workers comp attorneys. It is best to do this while the details of the incident are fresh in your mind as you won’t be able to remember everything as clearly if you wait to do this until later.
Gather witness statements and take pictures for evidence that will help determine the cause of the injuries and who is at fault. Do this even if your employees tell you that they’re okay.
Handle Paperwork and Communication
The next thing that you’ll need to do when it comes to a workplace injury is to get started on the required paperwork. You’ll need to file a claim with workers’ comp for the incident that occurred with your employee. It is a good move to maintain an open and active line of communication with your injured employee, their doctor, and the claims adjustor for the incident.
This will help to speed up the process when it comes to the workers’ comp claim while also helping your injured employee get the money they need to pay for their medical expenses.
It is a good idea for employee satisfaction to put together documents outlining the process for workers’ compensation as well as your business’s return to work policy. This will help you create a closer bond with new employees that feel that their health and safety are valued.
Know What to Do if You Face a Lawsuit
Any time that a workplace injury happens you run the risk of getting sued by the injured employee. Even if your injured employee decides to sue you you’ll still want to keep an open line of communication with them. This will keep the claim from running for too long and will keep your expenses down.
You should take it upon yourself to share any and all relevant information about the workplace injury with the attorneys as well as the claim adjustor involved with the case. It is best for everyone involved if you get the claim settled in a short period of time. If you have employer’s liability insurance coverage then you’ll have help with paying your legal expenses.
Know You’re Prepared for a Workplace Injury
There are many things that you can do to boost employee satisfaction as a small business owner and one of the best things is to be prepared for a workplace injury. Have emergency action plans drawn up and a stocked first aid kit on-site so that you’re ready for whatever happens. You also need to be ready to gather evidence and witness statements once your employee is secure and stable.
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