Excerpt: An employee reports an injury to the supervisor, but whatsteps should you take to professionally manage the injury? Should you send theemployee to the nearest medical clinic, to in-house first aid, or fill out aninjury claim? What happens after a doctor’s visit? What happens to theemployee? And what paperwork is necessary to ensure proper claim management.There are specific procedures you need to follow to make sure both the employeeand the company are properly protected and that legal and insurance requirementsare fulfilled. It’s the supervisor’s responsibility.
First of all, the injured employee is the most importantpart of your responsibility. To make sure the injury or illness is properlyattended, especially in serious or life threatening emergencies. In the eventof a serious injury, unconsciousness, or other major emergency. Paramedics oran ambulance service should be called for prompt medical attention. There maybe a need for transporting the injured person to a hospital or emergency clinicfor treatment. In this case attending paramedics, or transportation personnel,should be a medical authorization for treatment by the supervisor or as muchinformation as possible so there will be no administrative complications as towho will pay for medical treatment.
The next step is that someone, preferably thesupervisor, should go to the treatment facility to ensure the injured employeeis properly treated and to answer any questions that may arise. If possiblethis supervisor should stay at the treatment facility and talk to the injuredemployee if allowed. One important fact you want to convey to the employee wasthat since this was a work related injury the company will pay all medicalbills and that other benefits will be provided. Certainly, you want to conveyto the employee that the company cares about the employee, and wants to extendwhatever assistance can be provided during the treatment period. If theemployee will be hospitalized for more than one day the supervisor or othercompany representatives should visit that person in the hospital. The supervisorsshould provide all the necessary information to explain what benefits theperson will receive. If the employee will be off work, or at home, for anyperiod of time telephone contact should be maintained with the injuredemployee. Not to harass or to make sure the person is at home, but to conveythe sense of belonging to the company, and to express your sincere interest inthe welfare of the injured worker. The company will pay transportation costs toand from home to the medical clinic. The employee should be advised of thisinformation. Again, if the employee has any questions about benefits theemployee should be told what specific benefits are provided by the company. Don’tforget the telephone contact, or perhaps a person visit to the injuredemployee. This is very important to the injured employee to understand thecompany cares about him or her.
Naturally, after any workplace injury orillness a thorough accident investigation and insurance report of the injury orillness must be reported, preferably within 24 hours of the incident. Your jobas a supervisor is not complete until the paperwork is compelted. But you alsohave a responsibility for that injured employee. Each company has their ownspecific reporting requirements to meet state, federal, and insurance companyguidelines so follow your company’s procedures.
If you experience a non-emergencyinjury or illness, again, the employee comes first. Whatever first aid or minormedical attention is required it’s your job to see that this medical attentionis provided. In first aid treatment, not requiring a visit to the doctor, theincident requires investigation to determine the cause of the injury, and thensome type of documentation is necessary to keep track of all first aidtreatment.