Injured at Work? 3 things you need to know in the initial stages of a work injury.
Sustaining a work injury can be overwhelming, particularly in the days and weeks following a the injury.
We recently produced an article for the North West edition of the COALFACE Magazine (Vol 1 No 1: Autumn 2019) providing some tips for those initial stages following a work injury. Whilst the process can be daunting, there are key things to keep in mind to ensure that your injury management process commences in a positive way:-
Reporting – as an injured worker, you have an obligation to report the injury or illness to your employer. It is important to provide as much detail as possible including the date, time, details of the injury and a description of how the injury occurred. If the injury is due to the nature and conditions of your work over a period of time, this should be included in any report of injury.
Chose own Doctor – as an injured worker, you have the right to chose your treating doctor. You may think you are obligated to see the doctor who is recommended to you by your employer. This is often referred to as the ‘company doctor’. Be aware that you can choose whichever doctor you feel most comfortable with including your regular family GP. It is also important to note that if you have been seeing the company doctor, you can change doctors at any time.
Case Conference – often an appointment is arranged between yourself, your doctor and a representative from the employer, the insurer or a rehabilitation provider – or a combination of these people. The purpose of a case conference is so the parties can understand your injuries and assist with your return to work. A conference should not be a means for any person to put pressure on your doctor to change your restrictions or hours of work contained on your medical certificate. You have the right to discuss these matters with your doctor in private prior to the commencement of the case conference.
If you have sustained an injury and want to know where you stand, get in touch with the team today.
For more information regarding the COALFACE Magazine, go to www.thecoalface.net.au