As an employee, you need to stay up to date with your company’s incident reporting procedure and report any work-related accidents as soon as possible. Reporting an incident promptly provides the company with enough time to look into the cause while ensuring the affected workers get proper medical attention. Injuries are considered to be related to work if any exposure or event in the work environment contributes to or causes an injury, illness, or condition.
In case a work-related accident occurs, workers need to:
- Ensure the safety of the scene before they ended
- Provide first aid if needed
- Take photos of the equipment involved, location, and incident scene
- Notify the significant personnel about the incident
According to professional work injury lawyers, here are some reasons why you need to report workplace injuries quickly:
Improved medical care
An injured worker might be unsure whether or not they require medical care. Even if an injury appears to be minor at first glance, it’s best to get the help of a healthcare professional. Remember, injuries don’t always show all their symptoms simultaneously. Arranging access to a medical professional as soon as the injury is reported can help the employee get a proper medical examination. It’s also easier to implement further care and evaluation in case the injury needs more than a first aid kit.
An early response will ensure that an employee gets proper care and reduces the risk of escalating a symptom. It can also help them get a proper guide for returning to work as well. This results in fewer lost workdays, and the organization can show how much it cares about its workers. It’s a win for everyone involved.
Better investigations
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, only the injuries that meet certain criteria, like requiring professional medical treatment, days off from work, or fatalities, need to be reported. However, if you report workplace injuries to the internal management first, they’ll be able to collect more data and help OSHA with the root cause analysis and accident investigations.
This data can be extremely valuable when it comes to identifying and addressing workplace hazards that might lead to more injuries in the future.
Avoid penalties
Work-related injuries tend to impact the company’s bottom line through increased operations costs or lost production. However, these costs might be more severe if the injuries aren’t reported within the appropriate time frame. Some insurance companies might even deny providing compensation due to late reporting.
Hire the best workers’ comp lawyer in Chico, CA
Reporting workplace injuries is only the first step. If you’re facing any issues with getting your workers’ compensation, such as delays, denials, or more, it’s time to talk to professional worker compensation lawyers at the Law Office of Harley Merritt! We’ll help you get through the process smoothly and without any further delays. Our goal is to help you get the justice that you deserve!
You can get in touch with us for a free consultation.
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