An injury sustained by an employee can only be taken over by its employer if it happened during working hours at the workplace or in the course of duty.
(What Qualifies as a Workplace Injury?)
Not every discomfort experienced by an employee during working hours is classified as a workplace injury. Certain things must happen to qualify an injury as a workplace injury to be taken care of by the employer or organization.
1. INJURIES SUSTAINED.
There must be physical injury and body cuts to qualify it as an injury. A certified health personnel in the organization or a medical establishment must valid the claims of an injury and also prescribe treatment.
2. EQUIPMENT FAULT, DAMAGE OR DESTRUCTION.
If the injury was sustained while working on a machine, there must be an evidence. Either seeing the damaged/affected machine or observing a fault that led to the injury.
This will also enable the employer the evaluate the cost of the accident.
3. APPROVED LOCATION OF OFFICIAL DUTY.
It’s one thing for staff to be injured during working hours; it’s another thing for him to be injured at an approved and authorized working place.
There must be evidence and witnesses to verify and ascertain that the injury occurred at an authorized workplace; only then can it be a workplace injury that the organization must foot its bills.
4. APPROVED LOCATION FOR MEMBERS OF STAFF.
A workplace injury is the organization’s responsibility if it occured at a place in the business premises where the employee is supposed to be during working hours.
A staff sustaining injuries in a prohibited place in the working premises during working hours may not be considered a workplace injury.
It’s advisable to staff members not to go or stray into prohibited area of the working premises. It’s for the safety of employee and the security of the company.
5. FIRE ACCIDENT SPOT.
Anywhere on an organization’s premises where a fire outbreak occurs should be treated as a workplace injury, and affected staff members should be adequately taken care of.
It is in addition to having equipment that will forestall fire outbreaks and accidents.
6. ABSENCE OF NEGLIGENCE.
No party must be contributory to the accident that led to the injury.
Proper findings must be carried out to ensure that no member of staff was careless or negligent with office equipment that led to the accident.
It must also be proven that the staff used the necessary safety materials while working before the accident occured.
7. NOT SELF INFLICTED.
Some employees could get mischievous and inflict one another with injuries like getting into an argument that leads to a fight, thereby using some company properties as weapons, thereby destroying them and inflicting injuries on each other.
This will not be considered or treated as a workplace injury even if it happened during working hours because disagreements are not meant to lead to fights, they should lead to a higher level official in the organization for amicable resolution.
