Steps for Addressing Workplace Injuries

When workplace injuries occur, there’s a lot for a business owner to manage. In addition to ensuring the injured employee’s wellbeing, you’re legally obligated to report workplace incidents to the government and manage any existing safety issues. Here’s a quick guide to addressing your workers’ injuries.

Investigate what went wrong

When an employee is hurt on the job, it’s important to investigate the root cause of the incident. If your workplace has security cameras, consider reviewing and backing up the footage. Interview witnesses, like any managers or crew members who were on duty when the injury occurred. Conduct these interviews as a way to gather information, not to lay blame. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration suggests asking if any safety measures were disregarded. If so, try to discover why the procedures were skipped. Furthermore, OSHA suggests reviewing your safety training programs and policies to ensure that they’re up to date with industry standards and relevant to the equipment that you’re using. Use the data you’ve gathered to create incident reports and correct any existing safety issues in your facility.

Report to OSHA

If a serious workplace injury or death occurs, you have a short span of time to report it to OSHA. According to Katherine Willis of the Society for Human Resource Management, you have eight hours to report an on-the-job death, and 24 hours to notify OSHA of an amputation or inpatient hospitalization. If you don’t meet these deadlines, expect to pay a fine. And even if the injury is less severe, your employee may report the incident to OSHA — meaning your workplace could still be subject to an investigation and fines for safety issues.

Help your worker take leave

If your employee needs time to recover, you can help them by making sure that their FMLA time off doesn’t overlap with their workers’ compensation leave, explains Willis. She also suggests ensuring that your employee’s medical certifications match with the criteria put forth by FMLA documentation. If your worker’s injuries don’t meet FMLA’s standards, consider allowing the employee to use sick days and personal time to cover their absence.

Consider accessibility accommodations

Before it’s time for your employee to return to the workplace, consider the accommodations your team member may need to succeed. If your crew member is classified as disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, Willis explains that you’ll need to give your worker certain reasonable accommodations to help them do their job. Possible accommodations include a modified workstation, a more ergonomic chair, additional breaks, or a footstool.

Keep the rest of your team in mind

You can help the rest of your team make it through this difficult time by keeping them informed on their co-worker’s condition. While Willis advises you not to share medical information, she advises that keeping everyone updated on the injured employee’s well-being — and listening to your team’s concerns and feedback — can help ease anxieties.

While workplace injuries can’t be predicted, having a management strategy in place can help an unfortunate situation resolve as easily as possible. Consider meeting with your HR department and management team to develop a strategy for managing on-the-job injuries.