6 Steps for Determining Causation
Workplace accidents can have a serious effect on employees, their families, and the business as a whole. For an issue to be solved and future events to be avoided, it is critical to understand the source of an injury! Here is a concise guide to assist you to determine causation for the origin of a workplace injury. And the best part, we have it down to 6 easy steps.
Step 1 — Gather Info
The first step in determining the cause of a workplace injury is to gather info. Having as clear a picture as possible can aid in the causation process. This includes details about the employee, the injury, and even the events surrounding the injury. Relevant information could include the employee’s job description, medical history, and any relevant training they have received. Even the type of injury can be helpful in this phase. It’s also good to collect any witness testimonies and photographs of the injury and the surrounding area.
Step 2 — Analyze the Circumstances
Once you’ve obtained as much of the information pertaining to the workplace injury, it’s time to look at the details surrounding the injury. Examine all potential contributing factors, such as employee behavior, equipment usage, and working circumstances. Let’s look at an example, if an employee was hurt while operating a piece of machinery, you would investigate the machinery’s service records, the individual’s training on how to operate it safely, and any previous problems involving the item or persons.
Step 3 — Identify Possible Causes
Based on your analysis of the circumstances, you should now be able to identify possible causes of the injury. Equipment failure, a lack of training, bad working conditions, or human error are all possibilities. It is important to keep an open mind and explore all possible causes in order to obtain a complete picture of what occurred.
Step 4 — Evaluate the Evidence
When determining causation the next step is to assess the evidence to see which of the possible reasons is most likely. This may involve reviewing extra information, conducting additional investigations, or consulting with experts in the relevant field. Consulting with professionals in causation could potentially lead to lower overall costs in workers’ compensation and employee healthcare costs.
Step 5 — Forming a Conclusion
After reviewing the evidence, you may be able to come to a verdict about the cause of the injury. MTOEM highly recommends consulting a professional in causation before any final decisions are made. Develop a conclusion on what caused the damage based on the evidence. But, it is critical that your conclusion is supported by evidence and that you have considered all potential causes mentioned in the previous steps.
Step 6 — Take Corrective Action
The final step is to take corrective action to address the origin of the injury and prevent future incidents. This may include updating training programs, performing maintenance, or adjusting the workplace to improve safety. Though it is not necessary, relevant parties, including employees and management, should be involved in the process of corrective action. This ensures that everyone understands the significance of avoiding future incidents and is committed to making the necessary changes.
It is important to know that you may need a licensed causation professional to help you to determine causation. At MTOEM we have those professionals. We are Licensed in 19 (about to be 20) different states throughout the U.S. We want to help you determine causation and save you money. If you are experiencing these problems be sure to Contact Us!
If you want to learn more about causation, we recommend these articles that may help you in your research!
Causation Analysis: Five Things Your Occupational Health Provider Should Know
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