Are Your Supervisors Prepared for a Workplace Accident?

Are your supervisors prepared for a workplace accident? Sounds like an easy question, right? But, you certainly don’t want to wait for an accident to happen to answer it. Here are some questions that will help you know if your supervisors are prepared:

Do your supervisors know what information to gather if a workplace accident occurs?
Do they know where to send the documentation and/or report the injury?
Should they obtain witness statements?
Does your company have internal accident investigation forms?
Do your supervisors know who to call for answers regarding an Ohio workers’ comp claim?

If you can’t answer yes to all of these questions, your company should evaluate the need for Supervisor Training. This can help your supervisors become familiar with the necessary steps to take when a workplace accident happens. Your MCO can assist you in planning and providing the training. The training should include these topics:

What to do when an injury occurs
What information to gather and document
Your Preferred Medical Provider for initial treatment
A review of your Accident Investigation Report
Process for gathering witness statements
BWC forms needed
Injury Reporting packets

Your supervisors are your organization’s frontline and the MCO relies on them to assist with claim investigations, information about the employee activities, and the employee work history. This data is vital when determining the company’s position regarding any new claims. A proactive supervisor makes a difference in the potential outcome of a claim, including the associated costs, successful return to work outcomes, and minimizing or preventing lost time.

Your supervisors likely have many duties in addition to focusing on workers’ compensation. However, when a workplace accident occurs, they need to be ready with the proper procedures so they can handle the situation in a timely and effective manner. You can rely on your MCO to walk your supervisors through every step of the process when a workplace injury occurs.