Employers have duties to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their staff. Good health and safety practices don’t just protect employees; they also create a suitable environment for productive work. It also benefits businesses by saving time and costs associated with recruiting and training a new member of staff.
While employers cannot prevent all incidents and injuries from occurring, they can put health procedures in place to reduce accidents and injuries at work. Depending on the type of business you run and the capacity in which your employees operate, injuries may result from falls, repetitive motion, manual materials handling, slips and falls and using company vehicles.
If you think you’re in serious and immediate danger at work, you have the right to protect yourself. This could mean reporting it to your boss, or leaving work until the immediate danger is fixed.
Complete the necessary paperwork
You should see a doctor even if your injury doesn’t seem serious – the doctor can record the medical details of your accident. After seeing a doctor and understanding the extent of your injury, you should inform your employer in writing about what is happening. You should also tell your boss how long you expect to be out.
Document personally how you got hurt, what you did, and when. Make a note of the dates, topics, and outcomes of the conversations you have with your boss, your doctor, and the insurance company,
Take note of everything your employer is doing to fix the problem that led to your injury, especially if there was negligence on their part. Having documentation will be very helpful if seek legal action.
In addition to the recovery time, dealing with the psychological stress, and adjusting to any changes that have resulted from the injury, you could face an entirely new layer of potential problems working with insurance companies, your employer, and the differing laws that need to be applied to help you make your claims.
Dealing with auto accidents at work
If you work with large machinery, drive a construction vehicle, or transport goods for your employer, you cannot be careful enough. Transportation accidents are one of the most common causes of work-related injuries. A work-related auto accident may only differ from the average crash because you were on the clock at the time.
No matter whose vehicle you were in or who caused the accident, if you were hurt during working hours, you need to notify your employer right away. The complexity of your case or your employer’s response to your injury can determine the need for legal assistance. Learn more about negligent auto accidents to know your rights and the best action to take.
Third party negligence
Not all injuries are caused on-premise at your employer’s business site or office. In some cases, on-the-job injury can be caused by the negligence of a third party. If you are injured while at work due to the negligence of another party, you may have the right to bring a claim against that person or entity.
Going back to work
In many cases, you might be able to go back to work doing lighter duties, or fewer hours. Speak to your doctor to find out how long you need to stay away from work and report to your employer about the situation.
If your accident has caused a long-term injury, your employer has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to help you get back to work if you want to. To help injured or ill employees become productive again as quickly and safely as possible, companies should plan and implement a return-to-work or transitional modified job program.