An employee getting injured while working is a nightmare situation for any employer. While good health and safety measures can help to protect your staff and prevent the majority of such disasters, there may still be instances when a workplace accident occurs.
Knowing what to do when this happens is crucial. Below are a few tips on what to do as an employer when one of your employees gets injured.
Provide Necessary Medical Assistance
The first thing to do is to provide medical assistance. It is recommended that there is always someone on site with first aid training – this could be you or an employee. You can take a test now online to get first aid qualifications. You should also have a first aid kit on site that is regularly stocked up. This allows you to apply emergency plasters or bandages if necessary (this guide lists all the items you should have in your workplace first aid kit). Serious injuries will obviously require professional medical assistance, however it’s worth knowing what to do to help employees while paramedics arrive.
Record The Accident
All accidents – no matter how big or small – should be recorded in an accident logbook. This is a legal requirement for all UK businesses. By recording all accidents, you can work out accidentally how much time off to give an employee if required, as well as taking measures to prevent such an accident occurring again.
Report The Injury To HSE
If any injury prevents an employee from being able to carry out their work duties for 7 days or longer, this injury must be reported to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive). This is the national government regulator for workplace health and safety. Heavy fines and even prison sentences have been handed out to employers for not reporting serious injuries to HSE – if you have any doubts whether to report an injury, it’s probably best to report it anyway just to be safe.
Pay Necessary Compensation
All employers are legally required to take out insurance so that they can pay compensation to employees in the event of a work injury. An injured employee may decide not to file a claim in many cases, however if an employee does decide to seek compensation, you will need to contact your insurer and give them the compensation they deserve. If you don’t think the injury is your fault, you can always hire a lawyer to defend your case, although in most cases this isn’t necessary.
Take Steps To Avoid Repeat Injuries
Once a workplace injury occurs, you should take immediate measures to prevent this injury occurring again (especially if it’s a severe injury). For example, if an employee trips on a loose cable and gets injured, you should take steps to make sure all loose cables are relocated so that they’re not a possible trip hazard. If an employee injures themselves while using a machine, it could be worth looking into a way of making this machine safer to use such as making sure employees wear safety equipment, buying a new machine or putting in place strict protocol when using it.
