Despite regulations and numerous health and safety training, accidents still happen in the workplace, resulting from employee negligence or mistakes, in most cases. These accidents can range anywhere from a minor to a severe injury, and depending on where you work, this can be a typical prodigy.
However, what matters is how it’s handled. Many people (employees and employers alike) don’t know how to handle workplace injuries. For this reason, we’ve curated four important ways to cope after a workplace.
1. Try to get an attorney.
Thanks to the Justice systems today, you’re entitled to apply for worker’s compensation as an injured worker. In a case where the injury leads to death, your family can receive death and bereavement benefits. While you don’t necessarily need an attorney to handle all these, the process can sometimes be challenging, and you may need legal advice on how to file a personal injury case. This is why it’s crucial to get a qualified personal injury lawyer.
A personal injury lawyer will help you gather all the necessary evidence and documents, conduct investigations, and negotiate with your company or insurer for an amicable settlement. For instance, the WIN injury network has a high injury network that consists of qualified legal, medical, and financial professionals who’ll assist you from the start to the end of your injury recovery process.
2. Focus on your recovery.
The severity of a workplace injury differs, and in some cases, you may need surgery. For instance, where you damaged your cervical disc and had to undergo an anterior cervical discectomy (ACDF neck surgery), it may take a couple of weeks for you to recover, depending on your condition. That’s because this type of surgery affects your spinal cord, and the doctors will have to implant an artificial disc to replace your damaged cervical disc.
Ideally, you should be able to return to light activities after two weeks, but it may take a total of six weeks to recover fully and return to normal activities. During the first week of the healing process, you’ll be given pain medication like Ibuprofen and Colace. Ibuprofen will help ease the pain and discomfort you feel, while Colace will help with your bowel movements to avoid constipation.
Ensure you visit a physical therapist (if recommended), as physical therapy will help speed up your recovery process. Also, eat healthily, and avoid tobacco products. If you would like to know more about this, you can read this cervical neck surgery recovery guide.
3. Take care of your mental health.
Some injuries don’t only affect you physically; they also affect you mentally, especially a severe injury that requires a surgical procedure. However, you must make deliberate efforts to ensure that you remain in a positive state of mind.
You can use a form of art like music, painting, or journaling to distress and distract you from the pain and sadness you may be feeling due to this injury. Before embarking on any activity, ensure you consult with your doctor to confirm its safety and avoid aggravating your injury.
4. Establish a return to work plan.
With the example used above, spine surgery can result in weeks or months away from work. The longer you have to stay away, the more careful you will have to be when you return to work.
If you’re interested in returning to work, you must first ensure that your employer has a return-to-work program set up to help ease you back to normal work activities.
This could mean having to modify your role and job function or rationing your working hours to ensure you don’t interrupt your recovery. A program like this will help you maintain your confidence and connection with the company.
