Your warehouse employee slips on a wet floor and sprains their wrist. Or your office worker reports wrist pain from typing. Or your driver gets rear-ended at a stoplight. If an employee gets injured at work, the first steps after a workplace accident can set the tone for everything that follows.
Every injury, whether it seems minor or severe, deserves your full attention and the same careful management. This employee-first approach doesn't just demonstrate your commitment to their wellbeing—it builds trust, prevents misunderstandings, keeps you in regulatory compliance, and ultimately controls costs by keeping claims on track from the start.
Important note: This guide covers general principles that apply across most states, but workers' compensation is regulated at the state level and requirements vary significantly. Always confirm reporting deadlines, benefit rules, and procedural requirements with your carrier or broker for your specific state(s).
Understanding Workplace Injuries: What You Need to Know
According to industry data, more than 75% of nonfatal work-related injuries or illnesses, that involve days away from work, stem from three causes:
- Exposure to harmful substances or environments. Health care and social assistance sectors face the highest risk from exposure to contagious diseases, radiation noise, traumatic and stressful events to name a few.
- Overexertion and bodily reaction. Transportation and warehousing industries lead in these non-impact injuries caused by lifting, pushing, and repetitive microtasks that strain muscles and joints over time.
- Falls, slips, and trips. These incidents result in sprains, strains, and tears, with transportation, warehousing, and agriculture sectors seeing the most frequent occurrences.
When an employee injury occurs, you're juggling three priorities: getting your employee the right medical care, maintaining your workplace culture, and staying compliant with regulations. Miss any of these, and you're dealing with bigger problems down the line.
This checklist walks you through response protocols for on-the-job injuries, ensuring you're prepared to protect both your people and your business.
Before an Injury Occurs
Most organizations don't handle workplace injuries frequently. That means when one happens, critical steps may get missed. The solution? Set up your response process now, before you need it.
Here's what your response plan should include:
- Post injury reporting protocols prominently for employees. Display who employees should report an injury to, when they should report it, and Nurse Triage details in a visible location.
- Designate a claims process owner. Pick one person—typically an HR manager or operations leader—to oversee claim filing and response coordination. This person ensures nothing falls through the cracks and identifies gaps that need fixing.
- Post your carrier's claim reporting details in an area easily accessible by your designated claims owner. Display the phone number, website portal, account information, and Nurse Triage contact details where managers, HR, and other claim owners can quickly access them.
- Create a documented step-by-step checklist. A written protocol keeps everyone on track. Include supporting documents like:
- Medical treatment consent forms and insurance claims documentation
- Explanation of workers' compensation benefits and employee rights
- Preferred healthcare providers and medical panels by location
- Return-to-work release forms for physicians to complete
- Company light-duty policies detailing accommodations for recovering employees
Your First 24 Hours: What to Do After a Workplace Injury
Time matters. The actions you take in the first hours after a workplace accident significantly impact both your employee's recovery and your claim costs.
Immediate Actions (First Hour)
- Prioritize emergency medical care. If the injury is life-threatening or severe, call 911 immediately. Don’t wait.
- For non-emergency injuries, call Nurse Triage. If you have Nurse Triage and the injury isn't immediately life-threatening, call them first. Nurse Triage professionals can help determine the appropriate action and initiate claim reporting. Without Nurse Triage, you and your employee will have to decide if treatment is warranted. If appropriate, your employee will take themselves to the provider.
- Present provider options clearly. When the employee opts for treatment, give them your preferred provider list or medical panel (where required by state law). Directing care to in-network providers typically results in better outcomes and lower costs as well as more clarity around work status.
- Secure a treatment refusal if applicable. If the employee declines medical care, have them sign a refusal of treatment form. This protects both parties if symptoms develop later. Keep this document in your internal records.
- Report OSHA-reportable incidents promptly. You must report fatalities immediately, and no longer than 8 hours after you know. Severe injuries—such as amputations, loss of an eye, or inpatient hospitalizations—must be reported within 24 hours. There are significant penalties for late reporting.
- Mitigate environmental hazards immediately. If a physical hazard caused the injury, fix it now. Cordon off dangerous areas or install safeguards to prevent another incident.
- Document comprehensive incident details. While everything's fresh, write down what happened and have your employee review and sign the report—this ensures you both have the same understanding of the incident. Capture details like:
- The date, time, and location
- A detailed narrative of what happened
- Witness statements
- Photographic evidence of the scene or injury
Same-Day Actions (Within 8 to 24 Hours)
- File the workers' compensation claim without delay. Submit your workers' compensation claim as soon as possible, even if you're still gathering information. Best practice is to report an injury within 24 to 48 hours. Delayed reporting represents one of the most common, and costly, mistakes organizations make.
- Obtain initial medical status updates. Contact the employee after their treatment to get medical documentation and work status reports. You need to know their restrictions as soon as possible to plan appropriate accommodations.
- Re-establish treatment after an ER visit. If the employee received initial stabilization at an emergency room, tell them they must follow up with a preferred network provider within 24 to 48 hours to establish ongoing care and determine work status.
After the First 24 Hours: Sustaining Your Response
- Maintain consistent communication channels. Keep an open line of dialogue with your injured worker. Don’t leave them wondering what happens next.
- Establish a return-to-work plan. Create a workers' compensation return-to-work (RTW) plan that fits your business needs and the restrictions of your employee. Have sedentary or modified roles ready to accommodate these restrictions. Data consistently shows that employees who remain connected to the workplace recover faster and return to full duty sooner.
- Utilize carrier resources. Ask your insurance carrier for assistance. Some carriers offer specialized claims technology to help you close claims effectively.
- Continue the conversation throughout recovery. Stay connected during the entire recovery. Verify they're attending all follow-up appointments. Make sure you receive work status updates after every physician visit.
Common First-Day Mistakes That Increase Claim Costs
Understanding what to do after a workplace injury means also knowing what to avoid. These mistakes derail claims and inflate costs:
- Do not forget to report your claim. Late reporting consistently correlates with higher costs, missed opportunities to investigate the incident, and increased risk of litigation.
- Dismissing the injury's significance. Never assume an incident is minor based on your perception. What seems trivial to you might be a major life event for the employee. Treat every injury with care and attention.
- Leaving employees to navigate alone. Don't just hand over a Nurse Triage number or preferred provider list and walk away. Make sure they seek treatment or formally decline it. Offer your assistance. This is likely brand new territory for them. Be their guide.
- Failing to establish Return-to-Work mechanisms. Organizations without structured light-duty programs see longer claim durations and higher indemnity payments.
Key Takeaways: First Steps After a Workplace Accident
Knowing what to do after a workplace injury protects everyone involved. The first 24 hours after a workplace accident establish the foundation for successful claims resolution, employee recovery, and cost management. By following this checklist, you'll navigate these first steps after a workplace accident with confidence:
- Prepare comprehensive response protocols before injuries occur
- Prioritize immediate medical needs based on injury severity
- Document thoroughly while details remain fresh
- Report claims to your carrier within 24 hours
- Maintain consistent communication with injured employees
- Establish Return-to-Work plans that accommodate restrictions
For a comprehensive, active claims strategy, review our Claims Management Guide for Employers.
Frequently Asked Questions About the First 24 Hours After a Workplace Injury
Safety talk information is for general guidance only and should not be relied upon for medical advice or legal compliance. Recommendations provided are general in nature; unique circumstances may not warrant or may require additional safety procedures and considerations. Kinetic, its affiliates and employees do not guarantee improved results upon the information contained herein and assume no liability in connection with the information or the provided suggestions. Kinetic does not make any warranty, expressed or implied, that your workplace is safe or complies with all laws, regulations, or standards.