When one of your employees is injured

When one of your employees is injured, it’s essential to act fast

Employees in certain industries (manufacturing, construction, culinary, agriculture, nursing, and transportation) are more at risk of being a victim of a workplace accident. Accidents at work place a heavy burden from a social and economic standpoint. Taking the necessary steps to improve health and safety in the workplace results in gains to employers and individuals alike. Managing health and safety involves an ongoing commitment from the company. Visible commitment and leadership significantly contribute to better health and safety outcomes. Organisations should see it as their personal responsibility to promote the well-being of their employees.

Accidents at work are an inevitable part of daily business operations, and the best thing employers can do is strictly follow HSE regulations. As specified by Accident Claims, the most common workplace injuries are overexertion injuries, slips, trips, and falls, repetitive motion accidents, and machine entanglement. If an employee is injured on the job, it’s crucial to act fast. This helps protect the company. Put simply, it’s possible to make things less complicated, costly, and risky. If someone has been injured on the job, these are some crucial steps to take to protect yourself and the workplace.

Attend to immediate medical needs

Any injury, regardless of its severity, requires immediate medical attention. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, take a deep breath to clear your head. Make sure the person is safe from further danger and continue to re-evaluate the situation. If the employee is unconscious and not breathing normally, it’s vital to perform CPR. 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths and repeat. You can’t afford to wait until the emergency medical respondents arrive. Failure to provide the individual with immediate medical attention can prove to be detrimental to their health, not to mention legally damning.

The company still needs to take additional steps. More exactly, you should:

• Move workers to a place of safety. Move injured people away from the area if it’s dangerous. They should be moved to the closest location that can be considered safe. If an individual is severely injured, they should be transported lying down.
• Evaluate the situation. Assess and continually re-assess the case to ensure your safety and that of your employees. Try to understand what caused the accident. This is particularly important as everyone is in a vulnerable position, and it’s essential to remain vigilant.

Even if the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, encourage the employee to seek medical attention.

Follow through with paperwork and communication

If an employee is injured on the job, you have to go to www.hse.gov.uk/riddor and complete the online report form, which will be submitted to the RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) database. You need to keep records of any accident, occupational disease, or dangerous occurrence that requires reporting under RIDDOR. A telephone service is available for reporting fatalities and specific injuries. The information comes to the help of the Local Authority and the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) figure out where risks arise and prevent reoccurrences, along with further pain and suffering.

Cooperate with your workers’ compensation carrier

Do your best to cooperate with the insurance carrier if a claim is pursued. They will demand all kinds of documentation and file pertaining to the employee, so make sure this information is available. It’s within your best interest to maintain open lines of communication. The worker should feel valued and trusted. A lack of communication can increase workers’ compensation claims costs. Additionally, the injured employee is more likely to hire a solicitor if they have a poor understanding of the process because of a non-existing relationship with the employer. Words are impactful and can have a massive impact on the outcome of the workers’ compensation process.

Know what to do in case an injury becomes a lawsuit

When an employer provides workers’ compensation insurance for the benefit of employees, they’re protected against personal injury claims. Nevertheless, there are some important exceptions to the rule. If you’re directly responsible for the accident, you’re answerable in law. You’re legally obligated to pay for damages or follow court enforcements in the lawsuit. After learning that your company has been sued, no matter the allegations made, contact a solicitor and provide details regarding the process. Ignoring the problem and hoping that the dispute will go away is futile. Yet again, communicate directly with the injured employee, without resorting to a third party.

The longer a litigated claim lasts, the more significant the adverse consequences are. Therefore, you should try to settle the matter. A settlement isn’t appropriate in all circumstances, so it’s a good idea to consult with a solicitor. Many organisations prefer to stay out of court proceedings as a result of the legal costs. Lawsuits can be a drain on finances, time, resources, emotions, and so forth. Let’s not even talk about reputational damage. Litigation can decrease your company’s value, drive down sales, and even put a stop to business activities. Settling a claim early can turn out to be a smart move.

Prevent future injuries from happening

To minimise the hidden costs of accidents at work, make sure such incidents don’t happen in the first place. Use what you’ve learned from this experience and reduce risk by eliminating shortcomings. It’s the only way to protect workers and your business. Becoming aware of hazards isn’t enough. You need to replace/fix equipment, add new safety measures, or change workplace operations. You’ll be more successful at improving workplace safety if leadership and employees join forces. Make sure that responsibility for health and safety is everyone’s job. Conduct meetings where people can voice their concerns on welfare. After all, you don’t want your company to come off as negligent.

The bottom line is that you need to be a responsible employer. It’s impossible to eliminate workplace accidents entirely, but you can minimise the occurrences by controlling certain aspects. Make a change in the way you respond to certain situations by treating workers properly and acknowledging your responsibilities. You’re supposed to create a safe environment for your employees. Do just that.