Once identified, your injury coordinator needs to inform staff of the workplace’s post-injury response procedure. This should be written down.
Procedures should list steps each participant must take at the time of a work-related injury. Roles can include actions for the following:
1. Employee
2. Supervisor
3. Witnesses
4. Physician
The injury coordinator then coordinates the paperwork process when employees are injured, including receiving, processing, and archiving the work ability form, the witness report of injury, a supervisor report and an employee report as well as all subsequent documentation.
Next, the injury coordinator needs to implement a communication program to include:
1. Communicate workers’ compensation policies to the employee population through posting a transitional duty policy, providing employee brochures or offering wallet cards.
2. Inform in-service employees on post-injury response procedures.
3. Stay in touch with injured employees with a first-day phone call and a get well card.
4. Structure the company’s communication program using documents found in the injury management manual or develop your own documents. Employee (workersxzcompxzkit) communications may need to be translated into additional languages. Contact your insurance resource to determine how to proceed.
Author: Robert Elliott, J.D.
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