Injuries
Injuries
”’NOTE:”’
Each employee involved in incident should be drug tested as soon as possible.
Types of Injuries
The severity of the injury determines what steps are needed and in which order they should be completed. Injuries can range from severe to “near-miss,” so please take note of how to handle each type of incident.
Life Threatening
The first concern is safety. Seek medical attention immediately by calling 911 and/or go to nearest Emergency Room. Once injured party is being treated (or en-route to ER) supervisor or witness should contact Safety Admin (or HR) to report the injury. Once the injured party is in safety, supervisor or witness should complete [http://office.fdc.com/staff/index.php/Injuries#Reporting_Injuries incident report] as soon as possible.
Non-Life Threatening
Notify FDC office 321-254-8011. Safety Admin (or HR) will assign a medical facility to report to. Bring your W/C card with you to provide necessary information to medical staff.
Near-Miss or Incidents
Incidents are accidents or instances that should be reported that don’t necessarily result in injury. Once it is established that there is no serious injury, incident should be reported in same manor via Incident Report so that it can be documented in the case that later investigation is required.
”Vehicular Incidents”
Please see https://offices.fdc.com/knowledge-base/vehicular-incidents/
Reporting Injuries
Supervisor should immediately call Safety Admin (or HR) to report injury. It is also imperative that supervisor provide completed Incident Report Form with all relevant details of what happened. Information to include: name, date/time of injury, location of injury, witness names, description of incident, cause of incident, & description of injuries.
Returning to Work
If injury is severe enough to seek medical attention then employee needs to get a Physician’s note to return to work. We DO provide light duty as needed, so inform physician of this during your visit.
Accident Investigations
Accident investigations are a key component in understanding why an accident occurred and in determining the appropriate corrective actions to be taken to prevent reoccurrence. If the conditions that led to the accident go uncorrected, the chance for recurrence exists. All aspects surrounding the accident should be examined. Investigations should be conducted by a supervisor who has been trained to recognize root causes of accidents. They should not be conducted for the purpose of placing blame. This approach will prevent the full disclosure of facts and hinder determining the real cause(s) of the accident.
Investigation Procedures
* Preserve the scene by taking the necessary steps to maintain its integrity until the investigation has been completed. Once the investigation is complete, remove any key accident elements from service and store them in case they are needed for further investigation. Check with your claims adjuster and legal counsel before discarding any equipment or materials associated with the accident.
* Conduct interviews with everyone in the vicinity at the time of the accident. Include in your interview process everyone associated with the workflow of the accident scene. It is important to understand all of the contributing factors of the accident to determine why it occurred.
* Take detailed notes during your interviews. Stick to the facts. Obtain answers to Who, What, Where, Why and How questions. The use of standardized accident investigation forms can assist you in organizing your information. Sample forms are found on the following pages.
* Analyze the information that has been collected. Identify the root cause and the corrective action needed to prevent recurrence.
* Implement the necessary corrective actions to reduce the potential for reoccurrence.
Identifying Cause
Identifying the cause of the accident allow the development of corrective action to prevent recurrence. Every accident deserves an investigation. Even “near miss” incidents that might have caused death, serious injury, or property damage are equally important and should be investigated.
”’Conducting accident investigations plays an important role in claims management:”’
* To discover the root cause of the accident
* To establish the facts for future reference and records
* To document the employees and witnesses statements or reports of the accident
Refer to Step 6 of this manual for more information on how to conduct an accident investigation.
Fighting Fraud
Fraudulent claims can have a long-term effect on the cost of your company’s insurance. Fighting fraud begins with detecting possible fraudulent claims and then working with the FCCI claims adjusters to help them determine if the claim is valid. Warning signs that a claim may involve fraud:
* An injury is not promptly reported.
* The injury description is vague or non-definitive.
* The symptoms are not specific; there is no visible trauma or injury.
* The injury occurred late on a Friday or early Monday.
* The notice of claim was made after employee is terminated or laid off or the visitor has left the premises.
* The claimant is never home when you call.
* You received a tip that a totally disabled person is employed elsewhere.
* The claimant demands made for a quick settlement.
* The claimant changes doctors when released to work.
* The claimant has a history of filing claims or is already on disability.
* High mileage reported on transportation reimbursement form.