Workplace Injury? What Steps Should Employees Take?

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Note to employers: We recommend that you print out and post the following article in your company breakroom. This will help employees understand what to do in case of a workplace injury. It will also demonstrate to them that you have their best interests at heart.

Thousands of injuries happen at workplaces every year. If one of your employees should, unfortunately, be hurt in a workplace accident, they need to know what steps to take.

What Should Employees Do in Case of a Workplace Injury?

If you have an accident at work, you’re sure to know about it. Identifying the extent of any possible injuries isn’t always so straightforward, though.

What Are the Types of Workplace Accidents and Injuries?

Types of accidents include slips and falls or inhaling toxic fumes. You might also be hit by falling objects. These are just a few of many types of accidents.

Where you work and the tasks you perform can make a difference to the types of accidents you could experience.

Injuries could be cuts, fractures, broken bones, muscle strains, and many more. Sometimes, you may not even be aware that you have been injured in an accident. But even if you feel fine and there are no noticeable marks on your body, you could have internal injuries. For example, you could have broken ribs, organ injuries, or internal bleeding.

So, no matter what type of workplace accident you have been in, and regardless of whether injuries are noticeable, you should get medical help.

A trip to the doctor will enable you to get professional assistance. This will lead you to finding out whether you actually have injuries and how severe or minor they are.

Submit a Claim for Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Once a medical professional has assessed your injuries, you need to submit a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. You should do that as soon as possible after the accident.

You should also seek advice and assistance from an experienced personal injury law firm like daveabels.com.

A knowledgeable lawyer can guide you through the complexities of filing your workers’ compensation claim. Moreover, he or she can aid you in receiving the compensation you’re legally entitled to.

If you’re not aware, workers’ compensation is a U.S. government-mandated program. It enables workers who become ill or injured at the workplace to receive monetary and healthcare benefits. The precise benefits vary greatly from one state to another, though.

Notify Your Employer of the Accident and Fill Out an Injury Report

As soon as you can, you should report your injury to your employer. You should also fill out a workplace injury report.

If your injuries are not too severe to prevent you from doing that, you should notify your employer and fill out a report immediately after your accident, but that may not always be possible.

Legally, you must notify your employer, manager, or supervisor of your accident within thirty days of the accident. Alternatively, notify your employer within thirty days of noticing the first signs of health issues related to the accident.

All employers in the US must make workplace injury reports available to all employees. Even if your employer says it’s not necessary to fill out a report after an injury, demand that you complete the injury report. Be sure to also get a copy for your records.

Just because you might have what appears to be a minor injury, you won’t know if it’s something more serious until you seek medical attention. It’s best to err on the side of caution by always filling out an injury report when you have an accident at the workplace.

You might need the documentation if you claim workers’ compensation benefits.

RELATED ARTICLE: THE EVOLUTION OF WORK AND THE WORKPLACE

Summing Up

There are three main steps you should take after having a workplace accident.

You should:

Notify your employer and fill out an injury report.
Seek medical attention to find out what injuries you have. Learn how bad your injuries are and get the necessary treatment.
Claim workers’ compensation benefits.

Hopefully, you won’t be injured at work. But if you are, you now know the key steps to take.

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