By Chris Schukies, HR Services Client Representative
Ambulatory surgery centers are home to both dangerous equipment and imperfect humans. ASC workplace injuries manifest themselves in many forms, including falls, misuse of equipment, or, most commonly, needle sticks. So how does your ASC ensure OSHA compliance when these scenarios inevitably arise? Follow these four steps to protect your workers and smoothly handle workplace injuries:
File an Occurrence Report
A supervisor must be notified immediately after any workplace injury occurs. Once the supervisor is made aware of the situation, an occurrence report must be filed that includes the basic logistics and details of the incident–the who, what, where, when, why and how.
Obtain Medical Clearance
If necessary, the employee should seek medical attention regarding his/her injury. The doctor should inform the worker’s supervisor of his/her work status to affirm whether he/she may return to work or requires further time to recover. The doctor must then send a note to the supervisor to document this encounter.
Notify HR
After receiving the previously documented information from the workplace supervisor, the human resources staff may ask further questions to complete an additional worker’s compensation form. This form will also clarify HR-related material, such as the employee’s title, salary, etc. Once completed, HR staff will notify the company handling worker’s compensation to file the first report of injury.
File an OSHA 300 Form
After filing the incident under worker’s compensation, an OSHA 300 must be completed and filed. This form, which classifies worker-related injuries and illnesses, is required to evaluate workplace safety and, more broadly, potential industry hazards.
For more information on workplace injury and OSHA Compliance, please contact info@medhq.com.