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Employer

Employers in Western Australia have a legal obligation to provide a safe and healthy working environment for their employees. Despite their best efforts to prevent injury or illness in the workplace, injuries can still occur. When an employee sustains an injury at work, workplaces have legal obligations they must meet to comply with legislation.

WorkCover WA is the government agency responsible for overseeing the workers' compensation system in Western Australia. WorkCover WA provides resources specific to workplaces to assist with understanding injury management.  

Best practice injury management involves a proactive approach to prevent workplace injuries and early intervention when an injury occurs.

Top 5 tips to ensure effective injury management:

1. Communication: Maintaining regular open and transparent communication is essential in supporting an injured worker back to work. Set expecations early on how you will keep communication with an employee when they have an injury. Ensure you allow time to listen to how they are feeling in the process and link them with contacts who can provide them with information on their claim, medical management and rights and obligations.
2. Prevention: identify and address potential hazards in the work place through risk assessments, regular safety training and implemention of appropriate control measures. Proactively reviewing higher risk tasks to work towards reducing the risk of injury can significantly reduce the likelihood of a workplace injury
3. Reporting and investigation: establishing clear procedures for reporting workplace injuries and near misses can assist workplaces with identifying where the risk of injury can be and where to place resources for prevention. Prompt reporting allows for timely intervention, investigation and review of incidents to work towards correct actions and reduction of injuries.
4. Early intervention: when an employee sustains an injury, early intervention is crucial to ensure timely and appropriate medical treatment is provided. Utilising the Early Intervention notification program can facilite prompt access to medical care and rehabilitation services.
5. Return to work programs; employers should develop comprehensive return-to-work programs that focus on what an employee can do, not on what they can't do. These programs should be staged to show a pathway towards returning to productive duties in line with medical requirements. LGIS can provide support services to develop staged return to work programs for members to support timely return to work.

By following these best practice tips on managing injuries and supporting your employees back to work, as well as resources from Work Cover WA, workplaces can effectively manage workers compensation injuries.

For more information, see our resources page.

Introduction to Western Australia's Workers Compensation System for Injured Workers

As an injured worker, you have certain rights and responsibilities within the Workers Compensation System. It is important to be aware of these to ensure you receive the support and benefits you are entitled to. Work Cover WA provides detailed information on the rights and responsibilities of injured workers.

If you have a work-related injury or illness you are required to submit specific forms to ensure your claim is processed smoothly. WorkCover WA provides a comprehensive guide on their website that outlines the steps involved in submitting a claim. You can find detailed information on this process, including the necessary forms and documentation, by visiting the Workers section of the WorkCover WA website: WorkCover WA Workers Section.

In addition to the information mentioned above, the WorkCover WA website offers a wealth of resources to assist injured workers (Guide-for-Workers-June-2021-WEB.pdf (workcover.wa.gov.au). These resources include frequently asked questions, fact sheets, and guides that cover various aspects of the Workers Compensation System. By exploring the Workers section of the website, you can access these resources to gain a better understanding of your rights, responsibilities, and the support available to you.

LGIS has a suite of services which can support your recovery and return to work. At LGIS we value early intervention in return to work and can provide a number of complementary services to support a smooth recovery and transition into productive work. If you need more support on lodging a claim or gaining increased access to support, contact LGIS directly: imconsultant@lgiswa.com.au.

Treating Doctor/Health Provider

As part of the LGIS values we believe in working collaboratively with treating medical and allied health providers to support return to work. LGIS believe the role of a treatment provider is vital in supporting sustainable return to work outcomes for our injured workers. 

General practitioners play a crucial role in the workers' compensation process, and the Work Cover WA website offers specific resources to assist them in providing appropriate medical treatment and support to injured workers (WorkCover WA).

Treating health providers are essential within the workers compensation system and provision of support to our injured workers. LGIS supports active recovery within the guidelines of the clinical framework for the delivery of health services Clinical Framework - WorkCover WA. To support productive management and recovery of workers, LGIS has a team of licensed and qualified allied health professionals who provide direct support to LGIS members, workers, medical and allied health treating providers. For further information regarding these services please contact IMconsultant@lgiswa.com.au.