As a small business owner, most of your assets and dreams are invested in your business. Because of this, it is vital you insure yourself and your business against anything that could go wrong. Business owners need to know how to prevent employee injuries, how to take responsibility for them, and how to follow up with clear communication when they do happen.
How to Prevent Them
Many business owners fail to see the risk employees take each day in their offices. There are numerous physical and mental obstacles employees face each day. The most important thing you can do to prevent injuries is to train your employees to practice OSHA standards. This includes putting up the proper signage, wearing proper attire, and reporting anything that could be potentially hazardous. Proper training within the workplace limits the number of incidents and reduces your liability if an injury does occur.
Source: https://www.goldmandaszkal.com/small-business-owners-need-know-workplace-accidents/
Prepare to Take Responsibility
As an employer, the most important thing you can do when an accident does happen is to take responsibility. Employers are required to buy workers’ compensation insurance in case of employee injuries on the job. This will help protect you, your business, and your employees. Investing in insurance to help cover medical costs tells an employee that you value and care about them, while also helping you avoid major bills and possible lawsuits later on. Taking responsibility for an injury also means evaluating the situation that it occurred in and making proactive changes to ensure it will never happen again.
Source: https://barnesdisability.com/workers-comp.php
Follow up with Clear Communication
If an employee is injured at work, there will be a lot of paperwork going back and forth between the workers’ compensation insurance, the employee’s insurance, and your business. It is vital you stay on top of the paperwork and maintain a clear path of communication. Being open to communication and quick to fill out necessary documentation will speed up the claims process. It also helps protect your business and lowers claim costs when issues are handled immediately. Clear communication establishes trust between all parties and helps avoid any additional conflict.
Source: https://www.insureon.com/small-business-insurance/workers-compensation/employee-injury
Unfortunately, injuries happen every day. Even if you create a safe work environment, injuries can happen anywhere in or out of the office in business-related events. Protect yourself and your employees by knowing how to prevent injuries, how to take responsibility, and the importance of following up with clear communication.
Read this next: How to Manage an Influx of Manufacturing Orders
