Safety Watch: What You Need to Do in the Event of a Work-Related Accident
Job safety has always been a priority for those who own a business. If you think about it, the incentive for employers to keep their employees trained for safety purposes is necessary because no business wants to lose an employee to an accident.
The only problem is, many employees don’t follow proper safety guidelines, and many supervisors may lack in the enforcement of those guidelines.
At the end of the day, work-related accidents come in all shapes and sizes, and though many of these accidents might be avoidable, there are also specific protocols for you to follow in the event of a work-related accident.
Whether you’ve been hit by a car while performing work-related tasks or if you’ve injured yourself on a job site, it’s important to know what to do after the fact. Here, we’ll outline a few common work hazards and what to do after an accident.
Auto Accidents
One of the more common accidents that can occur on the job is an automobile or a trucking accident. As there are many businesses that have delivery services or those that hire employees as couriers, many employees find themselves in a collision performing work-related tasks while out on the road.
The first thing that you need to do in the event of an auto accident while on the job is to notify the authorities and report the collision, then you need to notify your employer. Your employer will then take the necessary steps to file insurance claims and handle the legal aspects of the accident. But this process will vary from company to company.
For example, if you live in Kansas City and were involved in an accident with a big truck, you or your employer will most likely need to call a Kansas City truck accident lawyer immediately.
Slips and Falls
Many accidents which occur on a job site or at a workplace involve slipping and falling, and this is often largely due to improper climbing in and out of equipment.
Some employers do have training programs available that detail how to maneuver around equipment without getting injured. But, again, many employees get in a hurry and skip these safety steps which ultimately results in a slip and fall resulting in serious injuries.
If you’ve slipped and fallen while on the job, you might be entitled to compensation of some sort, but this could also come with a legal battle as well, being that many employers might try to pin the fault on you instead of allowing compensation for the accident.
In the event of a slip and fall, file for workman’s compensation through your employer if applicable. And if this doesn’t work, then it’s time to enlist the help of an attorney.
Improper lifting
Another all too common workplace accident involves improper heavy lifting. Once again, this is an injury that can be otherwise avoided entirely if proper safety guidelines are followed.
Many businesses require a worker to lift a certain amount of weight in order to qualify for the job. And many of these types of jobs do require heavy lifting from time to time. The only problem is, if you don’t adhere to safety guidelines while lifting, you could seriously injure yourself and be out of work for a significant amount of time.
In the event of an injury due to lifting, the first thing you need to do is to report the accident to your employer, then seek medical treatment immediately. After you’ve sought medical attention, it’s then time for you to file an insurance claim.
Accidents happen. This is a simple fact of life that we all have to deal with from time to time. But you’re going to end up worse off after an accident both financially and physically if you don’t follow up appropriately.
Following the above steps in a timely manner will ensure that you handle your accident appropriately, and receive compensation so that you can recover and get back to work.
