An insurance industry publication says it makes sense for employers to take a different approach to employee injuries. Business Insurance says that today employers should be proactive from the moment that a worker sustains an on-the-job injury.
The publication says that when someone is injured in the workplace, a supervisor should accompany the worker to the hospital, clinic or doctor’s office for treatment.
A corporate director of environmental, health and safety and risk management for Circor International Inc. said at a recent industry conference that there are important obstacles to overcome to returning injured workers to their jobs. He said company policies must be observed as well as any union rules or contract issues.
He said it’s time for companies to require a supervisor to go with injured workers to receive medical care.
He said some employers might worry that access to employee health information is banned under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, but it doesn’t apply to workers’ compensation cases.
He said companies should be careful to only access information directly related to the on-the-job injury. They should not access any protected information about the employee’s health.
So what do employers gain by having a supervisor accompany the worker to a hospital or clinic? He says that by doing so, they show that they care about their workers. He adds that the worker will then tell supervisors and employers about their medical treatments and whether they are prescribed painkillers and in what dosage.
The Circor International director also said that supervisors who accompany workers will also see firsthand the importance of employee use of safety tools such as goggles.
For those Florida employees who are denied deserved workers’ compensation benefits, it is important to immediately speak with an attorney experienced in overcoming denials. Contact The Accident Law Group, P.A. for more information.
