Injuries can happen at any job site—no matter what type of work you do. This creates a stressful moment for everybody involved, leading to mistakes happening. This is what you should do if an employee experiences work-related injuries in Oregon. The first step is to remain calm. Next, follow these steps to make sure you do what is best for your employee and your company:
Act Fast – When an employee needs immediate medical attention, your top priority is to help them get it. Call 911 in emergency situations or get an ambulance to take them to the hospital.
Follow All Occupational Safety & Health Administration Recommendations – OSHA requires employers to notify the agency when severe work-related injuries occur. Hospitalizations, eye loss, or amputations need to be reported within 24 hours, while employee deaths must be reported within eight hours.
Review Your Emergency Plan – Follow all of the steps outlined in your company’s personal plan for work-related injuries. If you don’t already have one; now is the time to consider creating one as it can make a big difference when an emergency does occur.
Move Employees to a Safe Place – Move any other employees in the area to a safe place to reduce the risk of additional injured workers.
Review the Situation – Determine how severe the injury is and what caused it. This will help you determine if injury compensation will be needed.
Get Information, Evidence, & Photos – Document the injury with photos—even if they say they are fine. You will want as much information as possible in case they file a claim in the future.
Maintain Open, Honest Communication – Be transparent with your employee and the insurance company as you go through the workers’ compensation claim process.
