When someone is hurt on the job, it's important to know and follow the proper procedure to ensure the injured person gets the help they need.
If one of your employees suffers an injury at work, make sure their injury is treated as soon as possible. Keep the number and address of your local urgent care close at hand.
Most injuries can be treated quickly via an urgent care facility and referred for additional care as needed. If it’s an emergency, call 911 right away. After the injury is stabilized, you and your employee can file a claim with your workers’ compensation insurance.
There are different state laws for this coverage depending on where you live. Generally, if your business has employees, you’ll need workers’ compensation. The cost of work-related injuries can be devastating for small businesses. Many employees with a work-related injury sue their employer for their medical expenses. Workers’ compensation coverage minimizes this potential financial exposure.
If you have an employee injured on the job, don’t panic.
If your employee is injured on the job, you’ll want to follow these steps:
Act fast: If your employee is injured on the job, direct them to the nearest urgent care. As noted above, keep this information handy in case of an injury. In the case of an emergency, call 911 or an ambulance to take the injured worker to the hospital.
Review your emergency plan: Follow the steps outlined in your plan for work-related injuries. For clients on the Master Policy, please refer to the ‘How to Manage WC claims with SynchronyHR’ for step-by-step instructions. If you don’t have an emergency plan, consider creating one, because it’s best to prepare for the worst. Your plan should detail the steps for different emergencies, including accidents and fires.
Get employees to a safe place after an injury: Move any other employees in the area to somewhere safe. This can reduce the risk of additional injured workers.
Review the situation: When your employee is injured at work, you’ll need to determine how severe it is and what caused it. This can help you decide if you should file an injury claim or not.
Get information, evidence and photos: Document your employee’s injury with photos. Even if they say they’re fine, you should still note the injury in case they file a claim in the future. You may also want to speak with other employees who witnessed the accident.
Maintain open, honest communication: Be transparent with your employee and insurance company while going through the workers’ compensation claim process.
*This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. For further information, please consult a risk management professional.