When an incident occurs at work, an employer must provide any necessary support to enable a worker to either safely remain at work or return to work as soon as possible. It is also important that employers consult with workers, health and rehabilitation professionals to ensure that rehabilitation programs and procedures operate effectively, and where possible, in conjunction with work activities. In this blog post, we will explore what to do when an incident occurs at work and what measures need to take place.
Incident Accident ProcessÂ
- Incident occurs
- Reporting of incident
- Treatment
- RTW Planning
- RTW Arrangements implemented
- Review of worker’s capacity
Incident Occurs
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If an incident occurs at work where abn individual sustains an injury or illness, it is important to remain calm and take control. If an incident has occured, it is imperative that you take the following steps:
- Take steps to ensure that you do not put yourself in any further danger of risk.
- Assist any injured person(s) and ensure that the injured persons(s) received the appropriate first aid and seek help immediately by dialling 000 if needed.Â
- Make sure the area is safe, isolate equipment, lock out, barricade hazards etc. It is important to seek help if needed.
- Prohibit access and preserve the area for further evidence collection if required.
- Check to make sure that there are no new hazards that have been created when securing the area.
- Verbally notify people in the immediate area of the incident and actions taken. You need to also notify other businesses or neighbours if the incident may affect them e.g. a chemical spill, equipment or something is on fire.
Once these steps have been taken, and it is safe to do so, the incident needs to be reported to their manager via an appropriate method of communication (email, phone call or in person). If the worker wants to see a Doctor, they are able to see their own at their own discretion.
Reporting
Additionally, once safe to do so and the affected worker(s) have been provided with medical treatment, the incident must be recorded as soon as practically possible. After the incident is reported, Notification emails will also be sent to the relevant management team. If a Doctor’s appointment has been made by the worker(s), relevant staff members should also be notified.
An Incident & Investigation Report must also be completed to record all incidents, including Near Miss, Accidents, Incident and First Aid event. All incidents must also be entered into the Incident and Injuries Register.
Furthermore, within 24 hours of the injury being reported, a relevant team member e.g. People and Culture team member will contact a RTW Broker to notify them of the injury that occurred. If this becomes a claim, an Insurer & RTW Broker should be notified of the escalation to claim as soon as possible.
Treatment
After an incident has occurred, the injured worker(s), at their own discretion, can organise to see a doctor of their choosing. Moreover, once a People and Culture responsible person receives an injury report, they will contact the worker to follow up on how they are and if they need any additional support. During this time, a RTW Broker will dial into the appointment or will attend where available with the P&C Responsible person. In this case, a worker has the right to refuse a manager’s attendance if they wish to do so. The RTW Broker and P&C representative will discuss suitable duties with the medical provider. A worker will also obtain a Certificate of Capacity during this appointment.
RTW Planning
After a worker’s capacity has been determined by a doctor, the worker needs to present their Certificate of Capacity to their Manager/Supervisor. Then contact will be made with the RTW Broker and P&C Team and the manager or supervisor will engage support from them.
RTW Arrangements Implemented
Afterwards, a manager or supervisor will be required to provide full support and accommodation of return-to-work arrangements to the worker. Subsequently, the worker will undertake appropriate return-to-work arrangements. During this time the manager or supervisor will regularly contact or monitor the worker and remain a key point of contact for them. The RTW Broker and P&C representative will also seek updates from the manager or supervisor and the worker on their progress. This will be done through regular contact and planned reviews. The manager or supervisor, and injured worker will also ensure that suitable duties and return to work arrangements are adhered to.
Review of CapacityÂ
Finally, the worker will attend a medical review for an updated Medical Certificate and provide the medical certificate to the manager or supervisor. If the worker has been cleared for normal duties, the worker will resume pre-injury duties and the injury management process will conclude. Alternatively, if the worker continues to be certified for suitable duties, the above process continues until the worker is cleared for pre-injury duties.
How we can help
Injury Reporting Centre (IRC)
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Recovery Partners operates an Injury Reporting Centre (IRC) that operates as a 24-hour service managed by our team of experienced allied health consultants dedicated to assisting injured workers. Our team will streamline all aspects of the reporting process and ensure that all your legal obligations, including safety compliance reporting and occupational injury reporting, are efficiently met. The Injury Reporting Centre (IRC) team will directly contact individuals in the aftermath of incidents. Our Online Injury Reporting Centre enables us to swiftly develop recommendations for action. They can also liaise effectively among all parties, including you, your staff member, and other stakeholders such as insurers, treating doctors, and treatment providers. Through our robust employee safety reporting mechanism and workplace incident management, we ensure timely and comprehensive communication, facilitating seamless collaboration for incident documentation.
Incident Investigation
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As much as you try to avoid the risk of injury and illness, unfortunately, accidents still happen in the workplace and these need an incident investigation. Workplace injuries can be costly if not attended to appropriately.Â
We can provide a comprehensive incident investigation to determine root cause and develop solutions to prevent reoccurrence. We also provide advice and direction if the state safety authority is involved. If an incident occurs at work, it is crucial to be informed of the necessary steps to take to ensure your compliance and diligence with legislation and the health and wellbeing of those involved in the incident. We perform investigations from minor incidents to serious incidents in small businesses and huge corporations.
Want to find out more?
Our services are available nationwide. Our consultants love to have a chat, so go ahead and give us a call on 1300 OHS RTW (647 789) or email enquiries@rrp.com.au
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Disclaimer – these articles are provided to supply general safety information to people responsible for OHS in their organisation. They are general in nature and do not substitute for legal and/or professional advice. We always suggest that organisations obtain information specific to their needs. Additional information can be found at https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/Â