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When you run a business, you have a responsibility to keep your employees safe in the workplace. If you are not providing a safe environment, you may be in breach of health and safety regulations and that can invite legal problems. But even if you are on top of your health and safety, there is always the chance that an employee may be injured at work. When that happens, you need to deal with the situation and respond in the right way, but a lot of employers are completely unprepared for this. If one of your employees is injured at work, these are the steps that you need to take.
Understand The Cause
The first thing that you need to do is understand the cause of the accident because it makes a big difference. If they were injured because they were not following proper procedure or if it was just a complete accident that is nobody’s fault, you don’t hold any responsibility for that. However, if they were injured because the workplace was unsafe and you were not following proper health and safety procedures properly, you are liable and it could cause you some big problems. It’s important that you launch an investigation right away and determine the cause of the accident so you can decide how to move forward.
Pay Compensation
If the fault does lie with you, there is a possibility that your employee will launch a compensation claim against you. In most cases, you will not win the case if health and safety standards have not been met, so it is often best to pay the compensation through your workers compensation program and settle the matter right away. This will help you to avoid a lengthy and expensive court case, which will most likely end with you paying the money anyway.
Contribute To Their Care
You don’t want to lose a good employee, so it’s important that you help them to make a full recovery so they can return to work as soon as possible. That’s why it’s a good idea to contribute to their care as much as possible. If they sustained a serious injury and they are living with a disability, whether permanent or not, you should find a service that offers a person centred approach to care and contribute to the costs. If you help them to find access to the right care and cover some of the costs, you can make sure that they make a good recovery and return to work quickly.
Update Health And Safety Policies
If somebody was injured in the workplace, that suggests that you may have some health and safety issues. That’s why you should take the opportunity to improve your health and safety around the office. Look at the reasons for the accident and you will be able to identify where the gaps in your health and safety are. If you can improve things, you can avoid the same situation again in the future.
It’s important that you deal with injuries in the right way so you can maintain a good relationship with the employee and help them get back to work as soon as possible.
