Procedure Number: 29 | Effective Date: 06/28/96 |
Title: Job Related Injuries/ Injured Employees | Revised: 07/01/97 |
Approval Date: 04/19/06 | President’s Signature: on file |
STATEMENT:
The University provides a safe and healthful work environment and promotes a positive campaign to make employees aware of the need to practice proper health and safety measures. Every employee should be aware of and concerned with the health and safety of fellow employees, students, and visitors to the campus. Employees must be alert in performing their duties so as to prevent the “unexpected” accident. Reasonable care and common sense will eliminate many hazards and potential problems.
Keeping alert to dangers, such as fire, accidents, disease, and illness, will help prevent such events from occurring. Hazardous conditions should be reported at once to the person responsible for the operation of the unit or department in which the hazardous condition is observed.
PROVISIONS:
Each employee must report job-related injuries regardless of severity to their immediate supervisor as soon as possible after they occur. This reporting is for the employees’ benefit in the event a Workers Compensation Claim is filed. Forms for the recording of injuries are available from each department and/or from the Human Resources Department. All accidents on University property must be reported, regardless of whether they result in a compensation claim or lost-time away from work.
l. MINOR INJURIES OR ACCIDENTS
A. Minor injuries should be handled as follows:
1. During regular business hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 pm, the employee should report the injury as soon as practical to the immediate supervisor. If the injury is such that it is advisable for the employee to seek medical attention, the employee should advise the supervisor and leave for medical treatment.
2. After regular business hours: An employee should contact a private physician or treatment facility if treatment is determined to be necessary.
3. In both of the above cases, an employee must notify the immediate supervisors regarding the time, place and nature of the injuries. An Incident Report Form must be completed and returned to the Human Resources Department whether or not treatment is sought.
II. SERIOUS INJURIES OR ACCIDENTS
A. When an employee has been seriously injured:
1. Immediately notify Campus Safety (ext. 8021) and state the apparent nature of the injury and location of the injured or ill employee.
2. Campus Safety will notify the West Liberty Emergency Squad for pick-up, treatment and transport of the employee to a local area hospital.
3. Campus Safety will complete an Incident Report Form and forward a copy to the Human Resources Department for notification of the employee’s supervisor and for recording purposes.
4. An employee is not to transport an injured person in a private vehicle.
III. EXPOSURE TO SERIOUS OR LIFE-THREATENING DISEASE
A. Consistent with OSHA’s Bloodbourne Pathogen Standards, when an employee incurs an exposure incident, the incident must be reported to his/her supervisor and an incident report (OSHA/WLU Incident Report – see attached), completed and sent immediately to the Human Resources Department. This report will be maintained by the University and appropriate parties will be notified as necessary.
B. Any employee who incurs an exposure will be offered post-exposure evaluation and follow-up in accordance with the OSHA standard. This follow-up will include the following under the “OSHA Standard”:
1. Documentation of the route of exposure and the circumstances related to the incident.
2. If possible, the identification of the source individual and, if possible,the status of the source individual. The blood of the source individual will be tested (after consent is obtained for HIV/HBV infectivity).
3. Results of testing of the source individual will be made available to the exposed employee and be informed about the applicable laws and regulations concerning disclosure of the identify and infectivity of the source individual, in accordance with applicable state laws.
4. Offering the employees the option of having his/her blood collected to determine HIV/HBV serological status. The blood sample will be preserved for up to 90 days to allow the employee to decide if the blood should be tested for HIV serological status. However, if the employee decides before that time that testing will or will not be conducted, then the appropriate action can be taken and the blood sample discarded.
5. An employee will be offered post-exposure prophylaxis in accordance with the current recommendations of the U.S. Public Health Service. The post-exposure medical follow-up will be performed at Doctors Urgent Care, 24 Homestead Avenue, Wheeling, WV 26003, (304)232-1020 as contracted by West Liberty University.
6. An employee will be given appropriate counseling concerning precautions to take during the period after the exposure incident. The employee will also be given information on what potential illness to be alert for and to report any related experiences to appropriate personnel.
7. The Human Resources Department has been designated to assure that the Procedure outlined here is effectively carried out as well as to maintain records related to this Procedure.