How Can Employers Categorize Workplace Injuries

It is vital to have established incident reporting policies in the workplace. The foundation is developed by composing an incident report. Workplace leaders must be well versed in the variety of safety categories and encourage positive observations. By having strong communication and being proactive, businesses can facilitate prompt reporting on a consistent basis. Doing so will help prevent and manage occupational hazards. The success of businesses depends on the leaders understanding the nature of different workplace injury categories. This knowledge can strengthen company safety culture and develop methods to predict risks.

Understanding the Incident Categories

Workplace accidents are categorized based on status, severity, or how often they occur.

• A minor injury is an injury that is not severe enough to require the employee to take time off from work.
• Near misses are instances where no one was injured, but they came very close to being injured (suggesting the chance of a more severe incident to occur in the future).
• Unsafe acts are scenarios that do not directly lead to danger but bring attention to something that should be fixed.
• Fatalities are the most severe workplace incidents that can occur while lost-time injuries are an injury that keeps an employee out of work either permanently or non-permanently and could range from sprained ankles or broken bones to amputations.

Positive Observations

Be sure to institute a workplace that observes and highlights acts of safety. It is just as important to note the safe behavior in the workplace, as it is to pay attention to the dangerous ones. For instance, taking note that everyone is wearing required safety gear, employees show how knowledgeable they are about the exit routes at a work site or their familiarity with company safety policies. Leaders must show sincere interest in employees’ safety and are prompt to fix issues. There should also be comprehensive instructions on how to report the different types of observations. Be sure to document as much as possible to reduce the frequency and severity of future incidents. Avoid placing blame and focus on noticing what the positive safety and security efforts are. Gathering this information will also help avoid uncertainty and bring about a clearer understanding of what a good safety culture is. You can contact your NJ workers comp insurance  agent to learn how to protect your greatest assets.

About David G. Sayles Insurance Services

At David G. Sayles Insurance Services, we help our clients decide which of these options is best for them based on their current situation and risk factors.  Contact us at 1-855-977-1842 or insureme@dsayles.mysites.io for a consultation!