When an accident at work strikes, your organisation has a responsibility to make it right.
You have a duty to make your workplace as safe as possible. No one arrives at work in the morning expecting that they’re going to be hurt that day. But accidents do happen. And they’re even more likely to happen if you work in certain industries, such as construction or manufacturing.
This is what you should do if someone is injured on company time.
Take an accident at work seriously
If someone has been hurt at work, you owe it to them to take it seriously. Brushing it off as a minor thing won’t help anyone. Your company relies on its employees to make it successful so it’s vital to keep them as engaged as possible. And this means taking accidents seriously if they happen.
React quickly by getting the injured worker medical attention. Record the incident in your accident book and offer a copy of the record to the employee. Don’t forget the injured person’s colleagues. If they witnessed the accident, they might need some attention or time to come to terms with what happened, depending on the severity of the injury.
Offer support
Make sure you offer the injured person as much support as possible. The same is true for their colleagues. React with compassion and understanding and ensure that anyone involved in the incident is taken care of.
While the injured person is recovering, keep in contact to check how they’re doing. Make sure you offer them anything within your power to aid their recovery.
Phased return to work
Offering your injured employee a phased return to work – if needed – is one way of showing that you care about their wellbeing. If they’ve been off work recovering for a particularly long time, they might find it difficult to get back into the workplace. This is when a phased return to work is beneficial.
Consult with them on how many days a week they’ll want to come in and how long their days will be. You may also have to amend their workload, depending on what they’re now capable of after their injury. But it’s important that you not make decisions on their behalf – check with them and establish together what their return to work plan will look like.
Address the issue
As much as you might want to focus on the person who suffered the injury and help their recovery, perhaps the most important thing is to address the issue that caused the accident. Without the necessary attention paid to what went wrong, it could occur again.
The only thing worse than having an employee suffer an injury in the workplace is having it happen again to someone else. Think about what this would do to your organisation’s reputation externally, as well as the way it would likely erode any trust your workers have in your company. Making a renewed commitment to employee safety will help to strengthen the relationship your business has with its workers.
After an accident, you might feel as if your business is facing a potential catastrophe. But with the right care and attention, you can help to keep everyone onside.
