Due to strict health and safety laws, the workplace is generally a safe place to be. In fact, most accidents happen in the home rather than elsewhere, However, it’s not completely foolproof and you need to know how to deal with a workplace injury.
Dealing with a workplace injury can be extremely stressful, especially if any of your employees find themselves in grave danger. As an employer, you must care for your staff and deal with the appropriate procedures after an accident occurs.
If you are a business owner, you should be well prepared in this scenario.
Steps to deal with a workplace injury
here are five steps to follow if one of your employees suffers a workplace injury or accident.
Get Your Employee Medical Attention
First and foremost, you should worry about getting your employee the medical attention that they require. Strained muscles, being hit by falling objects, and falls, are three of the most common injuries that are experienced in the workplace. If the accident is severe make sure to call an ambulance immediately. However, if the injury is not too threatening, you can quickly assist them by taking them to the hospital.
Control Any Secondary Accidents
The next most important step is to secure the scene of the accident. The last thing you want is another injured employee having to be rushed to the hospital. For example, if your employee slipped and tripped because of a spill, you will want to clean this up before another accident happens. In more serious scenarios, the best thing you can do is evacuate the area.
Report the Injury and Complete the Paperwork
Whenever an accident happens, it is extremely important that you report the injury and complete any necessary paperwork. This will help you gather all of the facts and better assess the situation in the future. By law, the Health and Safety Executive must be notified of any deaths, dangerous accidents, occupational diseases, fractures, and injuries that prevent employees from working for an extended period of time. You may also need to find personal injury lawyers such as bryantpsc.com who can help you.
Establish a Back-to-Work Programme
You want to ensure that your staff feels safe when the time is right for them to come back. The best way to do this is by implementing a back-to-work program, regardless of if they have made a claim or not.
Potential guidelines to include in your back-to-work program can include a steady return to normal responsibilities, as the last thing you want is to exacerbate the injury even further. Make sure to include flexible options and make your staff feel welcome.
Update Existing Health and Safety Procedures
Lastly, you want to prevent any future accidents or injuries. Find the record of the incident to assess why the accident happened and ask yourself whether it could have been prevented.
Carry out a risk assessment and identify potential hazards. You can then implement new and updated safety procedures. Similarly, display warning signs and offer your staff plenty of training.
As an employer, you are required to report any injuries or accidents and keep a record of the incident. As a human, you also have a moral obligation to look out for the safety of those around you. Make sure to take all of the necessary steps to make the workplace the safest environment it can be.
