VI. Investigating Injuries and Illnesses

Injury Reporting

Employees who are injured at work must report the injury immediately to their supervisor. Students who are not employees who are injured or involved in an accident should report the incident to their instructor. In either case, if immediate medical treatment beyond first aid is needed, call 911. The injured party will be taken to the appropriate hospital or medical center. If non-emergency medical treatment for work-related injuries or illnesses is needed, call the Tang Center’s Occupational Health Clinic (510-642-6891) or Urgent Care Clinic (510-642-3188).

The supervisor of the injured employee must work with Logan Baldini in Cory Hall or Chris DelliGatti in Soda Hall to ensure that the “Employer’s Report of Occupational Injury or Illness” and a “Workers’ Compensation Claim Form” are completed properly and submitted to the Workers’ Compensation Office (Tang Center, Suite 2100).

If the injured employee saw a physician, the supervisor should obtain a medical release form before allowing the employee to return to work. The health care provider may stipulate work tasks that must be avoided or work conditions that must be altered before the employee resumes his or her full duties.

Injury Investigation

The employee’s supervisor or student’s instructor is responsible for performing an investigation to determine and correct the cause(s) of the incident. Specific procedures that can be used to investigate workplace accidents and hazardous substance exposures include:

• Interviewing injured personnel and witnesses
• Examining the injured employee’s workstation for causative factors
• Reviewing established procedures to ensure they are adequate and were followed
• Reviewing training records of affected employees
• Determining all contributing causes to the accident
• Taking corrective actions to prevent the accident/exposure from reoccurring
• Recording all findings and actions taken

The supervisor’s findings and corrective actions should be documented and presented to the Safety Committee using the “Occupational Accident, Injury or Illness Investigation Report” (IIPP Form 5). If the supervisor is unable to determine the cause(s) and appropriate corrective actions, other resources should be sought. Available resources include the department s Safety Committee, EH&S, and other campus safety organizations (see Section X).

The Safety Committee will review each accident or injury report to ensure that the investigation was thorough and that all corrective actions are completed. Investigations and/or corrective actions that are found to be incomplete will be routed back to the supervisor for further follow-up, with specific recommendations noted by the committee. Corrective actions that are not implemented in a reasonable period of time will be brought to the attention of Department Chair by the Department Safety Coordinator.