How an Employer Responds to a Work Accident Makes All the Difference

work accident

Men and women around the world succumb to work-related accidents every year. It seems that injury goes with the job. Experience has demonstrated that preventative safety culture can go a long way in helping workers and employers alike. More exactly, prevention techniques lessen the chance that workplace accidents take place and enhance business performance. Occupational safety should be the main priority for employers across industries. Work accidents can have adverse effects on a business. Examples include but aren’t limited to a decrease in productivity and retention rates.

As an entrepreneur, you have to take work accidents seriously. Not only should you implement preventative strategies, but also adopt the right kind of attitude when unfortunate situations arise. It helps to think about the steps to take before you get a call in the process. Steps should be taken to handle the situation properly and make sure the injured employee is as comfortable as possible. If you don’t know how to react in such a case, you should continue reading to find out more.

Steps you can take to prevent work accidents

A safe and healthy workplace protects individuals from injury, not to mention that it decreases the odds of absenteeism and turnover, raises employee morale, and enhances productivity. Simply put, safety is good for business. Numerous risks and hazards are present, so it’s wiser to be cautious and careful. In what follows, you have some examples of measures you can take to prevent work accidents.

  • Develop, implement, and enforce Health & Safety policies and procedures
  • Inspect the workplace for vulnerabilities on a regular basis
  • Provide training and instruction so that employees can carry out their tasks safely
  • Make sure workers have PPE
  • Foster a culture that views safety as a leading value
  • Don’t take shortcuts when it comes to safe work practices

Under the law, you’re responsible for health and safety management. Business owners, managers, and supervisors – basically everyone within the company – share the responsibility. Nonetheless, business owners and employers hold the most responsibility. It’s up to you to make sure that everyone in the business is safe from harm, including customers.

Things to bear in mind when an employee has been injured at work

Your attitude towards employee safety represents a contributing factor to the workplace safety climate. A more positive attitude can result in fewer incidents. Employers with a negative attitude towards health and safety become careless, meaning that the risk of an accident increases greatly. Protecting people is the right thing to do.

Generally speaking, employees can’t sue their employers for work-related accidents. There are exceptions to the rule, of course. It’s possible for someone to claim compensation if they were injured due to your intentional conduct. In this case, the employee can bring a personal injury lawsuit against you. The amount of compensation received after an accident at work depends on the particular circumstances of the situation. Besides the financial loss, you can experience reputational damage. Thousands of people will hear the news and will avoid doing business with you.

Accidents happen, yet it’s how you respond that dictates the outcome. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Find help for the injured party

There’s nothing more important than your employee’s safety, so seek medical help immediately. Call the emergency number and make sure that help is on the way. Offer immediate care, if you’re qualified to do so. The life of the person can be saved if timely care is administered. Even if there are no obvious injuries, it’s still necessary to seek medical attention. Transport the person to the nearest medical facility.

Control potential secondary accidents

Secure the scene of the accident. This involves denying access to individuals who shouldn’t be there. If there is a spill, for instance, the last thing you want is for other employees to wander around.  They could slip and fall. The point is that you must limit the scene of the incident to prevent further accidents. Prohibiting access to the area helps conduct investigations – in other words, to look into the details of what happened. Anyone investigating should be instructed to not destroy any evidence of what happened.

Complete the necessary paperwork

All work accidents have to be reported to the local authority. As an employer, you’re obligated to report incidents such as deaths, major injuries (ex. a broken arm), and diseases. Complete the incident report and report any workers’ compensation claims to the insurer in a maximum of 24 hours of the accident. Examples of accidents that don’t need to be reported include traffic accidents (while traveling by car, the person gets involved in a road traffic accident) or when someone dies as the result of improper medical treatment.

If claims are brought to court, it’s essential to seek legal counsel. Depending on the severity of the injury, the victim or the family’s victim could bring a personal injury lawsuit. It can be a difficult business. Get the facts straight and lawyer up. A legal professional can streamline the litigation process and secure a favorable outcome. A lawyer understands the effects on your business.

Devise a return-to-work plan

At one point or another, the injured person will come back to work. It’s your responsibility to make sure that the transition is a seamless one. Help the employee become productive once again. The job should be modified so as to meet their new requirements. The injured party shouldn’t work for the same amount of money or for the same compensation. When things get back to normal, they can resume their former work lives.

All in all, how you react to an accident at work can make all the difference. If you have concerns about work-related accidents and how to respond to them, it’s recommended to seek training and consulting. Make the workplace the safest in your industry. This way, you’ll know what to do when danger strikes. An immediate and effective response is all that matters. You should know what to do before and afterward.