Contact your workers' compensation insurance carrier and state labor board to find out what forms are required to file a claim. In addition to an incident report, this may include a claim form, a booklet explaining how workers' compensation insurance works, and a written explanation of the employee's rights. It is important that all paperwork is distributed, completed, and processed in a timely manner. Most workers' compensation insurance carriers require that they are contacted within twenty-four hours of an injury.

Have a system in place to ensure that medical care is authorized by the company. Part of your workers' compensation paperwork packet should include a medical authorization form that must be signed by an authorized representative of the company. A hospital or physician's office should not be billing a company for medical services based solely on an employee's instruction to do so. If billing is to be sent directly to the insurance carrier, include the following on the authorization:

• Company name and address

• Name of insurance company

• Billing address of insurance company

• Telephone number of insurance company

• Policy number

If an employee is seen by a doctor, a First Report of Injury form will be prepared by the physician. This is an important document and a copy (or the original) is to be forwarded to the insurance company. It will give an evaluation of the employee's injury, treatment, follow up, and indicate if the employee may return to work and under what conditions.

Incident Reports

An incident report should be kept on file for every work-related injury. The treatment can be as simple as giving the employee a bandage or ice pack, but the injury should still be recorded on paper. It is helpful to have a supply of preprinted forms to be filled in when an incident occurs. Here are some things that should be included:

• Employee's name and social security number

• Date and time of incident

• Location of the injury

• What the employee was doing when injured

• How the injury occurred

• Body part affected

• Description of the injury

• Treatment given to employee

• Names and statements of witnesses

• Signature lines for employee and manager

If the injury endangers the life of an employee, puts him at risk for losing a limb or ability to function, or involves heavy bleeding or intense pain, transport him to a medical facility immediately. Every second counts, and the paperwork can wait until he is stabilized. Do what you can to start the claim with the insurance company in the meantime, even if it's just a phone call with the employee's name to let them know that there has been an injury. If the employee's condition enables him to answer questions for the incident report and complete paperwork, do this before he is sent for medical treatment. When a minor injury occurs that does not involve outside medical care, complete an incident report and file it appropriately. This is known as a nonmedical incident and may not need to be reported to your insurance company unless the employee has complications later. Ask your insurance company if nonmedical incidents should be reported.

When filling out an incident report, be very specific about the injury. If an arm was injured, indicate whether it was the right or left arm and if it was the forearm, bicep, or other area. Witnesses should be interviewed to report what they saw. If equipment was used, report whether or not it was used properly. If the employee is at fault for the injury, she will still receive benefits, but for documentation, training, and possible discipline purposes, you'll want to know if the employee caused her own injury.

Files

Paperwork from a work-related injury should not be filed in the employee's personnel file or medical file. Ideally, these forms and reports are filed in a separate workers' compensation file that is set up with the employee's name and date of injury. Like other files for employees, it should be kept in a locked area and treated with confidentiality.

Incident reports for nonmedical injuries can be kept in one file. Store the incident reports in order by last name or date of injury. One file for the entire year is sufficient.