For a lot of people in 2024, it seems like time had stopped for a moment. With lockdowns and trying to minimize human contact, a lot of people have lost jobs. But we know farming is not one of those industries, especially in Perth, Western Australia. We are always going to need food on our tables. However, agriculture can be a hazardous undertaking. It is a physical job that requires the use of heavy machinery. That can often lead to danger. Sometimes accidents cause only minor injuries, but serious injuries can occur as well, not to mention that death can also be a result. In an ideal world, this would never happen, but what should we do when it does happen. The most significant is not to panic. There needs to be a plan and steps you can follow effortlessly. You should never be in a situation where life is on the line, and you are uncertain about what is your next move.
Luckily there are sites online that can help you in your times of need, and if you need farm accident compensation lawyers, check Foyle Legal. There you can find a lot of useful information that can help you if you don’t know what to do next. Nevertheless, we also have some advice that can help you prepare as best as you can.
1. Medical help
If one of your workers is injured, your first step is the most vital one. His life could be at risk, so you need to get him adequate medical attention as fast as possible. There are too many examples of what could have gone wrong. And that will, of course, influence your immediate action. But one thing is definite, either a doctor should attend the patient right there, or that person needs to be at a doctor’s office. That is why it is necessary to have a plan for transportation ready.
2. Prepare in an advance
It could just be the case that the situation you have is too urgent. If your worker is in a condition that can’t wait for him to get to the hospital, what then? That is why all farms need on-site first aid kits with an abundance of band-aids. It is always best to have a way to stop bleeding. It is also a good idea to have as many workers as possible to train in giving first aid help. Ideally, all of them are also in the position to make a 911 call.
3. The scene of the accident
Wherever did the accident happen, that place should be secured as fast as you can. That is done for investigative reasons and dealing with the authorities. It would be best if you could restrict entree to the scene. That way, you are avoiding another possible incident.
Furthermore, you are reducing the risks of anyone altering something on the scene. Also, look to secure equipment and other elements that were part of the accident.
4. The investigation
Maybe the authorities will do this as well, depending on the type of the accident, but anyway, you should still investigate the scene of the accident. If there were any witnesses, you should question them, take as many photos as you can, try to find out how and why the incident occurred.
5. Keep the records
Gather and organize all that data in a written record of what happened. You will need to present it to the insurance company. Make multiple copies of everything and keep it in digital form as well. Different insurance firms will have diverse conditions for what type of gathered information the need to continue with a claim.
6. Paperwork
Once all of the before mentioned is over, you need to proceed with the paperwork. It is ordinarily needed to file the report of the incident in the first 24 hours since it happened.
That is why it is crucial to act fast if you want to do everything as regulations and rules want from us. It is a solid idea to keep records of all accidents, injuries, and illnesses that happened to your employes. Bear in mind that there are Workers’ compensation carries that offer plans to assist in helping workers in these circumstances. You should probably be aware of what supports are accessible to you.
7. Cooperation
There are a lot of different complications that could ensue between your worker recovering in a hospital and him returning to work. It doesn’t matter what type of insurances you and your employe have. Always expect that some problems with the bureaucracy will happen. When it does, remember to cooperate with him fully, it is in both of your interests to work together.
8. Lawyers assistance
Alas, sometimes lawyers need to be involved in these affairs. When you are writing down your report, clearly state the facts that occurred. You are under no obligation to admit any guilt in that document. Remember to sign the document and ask the worker to sign it too. It is always smart, but notably, if the injury was grave, to tell your lawyer about everything. Lawyers should be able to provide you additional suggestions in your legal actions.
9. Return to work plan
Likely, your injured employee will not be able to work for weeks or even months. The longer they can not return to work, the worse it is for them and their livelihood. That is why we should try our best to aid them in any way possible in returning to shape in which they can return to their state before the accident. It would be wise to achieve a return-to-work or similar transitional adjusted work system. These methods will assist them in returning to the job, faster and therefore, can even lower your costs as a manager.
10. Commit to a better working environment
Some accidents are inevitable, but most of them are not in this category. One thought that should occur to us when something goes awry is how can we make sure that this never happens again. There are too many possible incidents that could have transpired, and each of them would entail different measures to be taken, in order so that never happens again. What is imperative is to make that commitment and take those actions.
So as we see, there is a lot of procedure to be followed. Some of them take place before the possible incident, some right after, and some quite afterward. Nonetheless, in these tough times that are troubling us, we need to value human life and work more than ever before.
