As an employee, regardless of industry, you do your best to remain safe at all times. You never go to work with the idea that you will suffer an injury that requires medical attention.
The impact of a workplace accident is far reaching. In addition to your injuries and medical costs, there are other things that come into play. Consider the following:
- Insurance costs for the employer
- Company morale (such as other workers who are now afraid to do their job)
- Impact on coworkers, friends and family
- Loss of productivity
- Skill replacement
- Costing of training or hiring a new employee
In other words, a workplace accident and injury can impact both the employee and employer. It’s easy to believe that simply treating the injury is the only thing that matters, but nothing could be further from the truth. Even if the employee is able to make a full recovery, it will still have a long-lasting impact on that person and the company as a whole.
If you are part of a workplace accident, you need to receive immediate medical attention. You also need to share details of the accident and your injuries with your employer.
Once you do this, it won’t be long before you’re turning your attention to the workers’ compensation system. Depending on your injury, the cause and how long you will be away from your job, there is a good chance you’ll want to file a claim for benefits. The money you receive could be just what you need to give yourself financial comfort during this difficult time.
Source: Work Safe, “Hand and Power Tools,” accessed Dec. 21, 2017