A Guide To Dealing with Staff Injuries Onsite

While we all want to work in a safe environment and workplace, accidents do happen. As an employer (or a line manager), it is your responsibility to ensure that you are creating as safe of a work environment as possible, but it is also important that you know the steps to take if an accident was to occur and staff injuries occur. 

When an employee is injured, you and your team members must work together and efficiently so that the injured party is cared for and treated as fast as possible. Fast treatment is vital so that your employee gets the best care, but it also allows other employees to feel safe again and lets business return back to normal. 

The more prepared a business is, the less likely it is that a worker will become injured. Here are some steps you can take to help your business be as safe as possible.

Futureproof Your Employees’ Wellbeing

Rather than preparing for what to do if an accident were to take place, you should look for ways to futureproof your employees’ wellbeing and reduce the likelihood of an injury taking place. You can future-proof and protect your employees by assessing the work environment and locating any issues and hazards that may have gone unnoticed or been neglected until now. You can also train employees and supervisors so that they know how to handle an injury, as well as keeping first-aid kits well-stocked and providing on-the-job training for all new and current staff members.

The best way to look after your employees’ well-being is to minimize the risk of an injury taking place. Although accidents do happen, it is also essential that you have a reliable team in place so that they know how to act and can help the injured party if an accident were ever to occur. 

Have the Correct Insurance

Any accident, no matter how big or small will need to be recorded. Furthermore, an employee may wish to file a workers’ comp claim against you, so you should ensure that you have the correct insurance in place for such matters. Business liability insurance will provide you with coverage for a variety of accidents, from bodily injury to property damage as well as libel, slander and defamation claims. Not only does the right insurance protect your company, but it also protects your employee and provides compensation. You’ll want to ensure you check workers’ comp insurance cost for your team.

Investigate the Incident

You will need to record the events of the accident so that you gain an understanding of what happened and caused the incident. By doing this, you can protect yourself if an employee attempts to sue your company. This is because through investigating the incident, you may discover that it was the employee’s fault and your company cannot be held accountable. 

Investigate by:

• Interviewing witnesses
• Creating incident reports
• Checking CCTV
• Speaking with the injured party (once they are ready)
• Take photographs of the scene

Assist the Injured

While you will want to get to the bottom of how the accident took place and why it happened, you still need to assist the injured and ensure that they are okay. Of course, try and refrain from disturbing the scene so that you can still collect evidence, but you may need to access the severity of the injury. 

Minor scratches and burns may only need to be treated by a medkit, but for major injuries, you may need to call an ambulance. As an employer, it is down to you to assess the situation and make the judgement call. 

Complete the Paperwork

All paperwork needs to be started and completed, especially if the incident could escalate and the injured employee may make a claim against your company. Keeping on top of the claims process can speed everything up and can outline any agreements put in place as well as information such as when the employee is returning to work. 

Employee wellbeing should be at the top of your list of priorities, and although you wish to create a safe working environment, you may not always be able to prevent accidents from occurring. All you can do is know the steps to take so that if staff injuries were to occur, you can get them the right treatment as soon as possible to minimize injury and discomfort.