AboutMike Brown CSP Retired Expertise I specialize in the professional management of occupational safety and health as well as workers` compensation to reduce losses and improve production and address related issues through a comprehensive approach by senior management using proven principals.I worked for over twenty (20) years in the management of occupational safety, health and workers` compensation and safety training (Retired from employment in 1996 due to a stroke, which prevented the extensive travel required).
Recently we had an employee that knelt down during his regular course of busines and put his knee in some cactus. Thinking nothing about it he pulled the cactus out and continued working. The problem is about a week later he noticed some discomfort, took what he said were tweezers and dug into his knee removing some more small pieces of cactus. About three days later his knee started to swell up and was uncomfortable. He went to the emergency room and was seen by a doctor who prescribed some antibiotic medication and told him to stay off the leg for a week.
We have subsequently filed a Workers Comp report and this was directed under Workers Comp. My question is: Is this considered a lost time accident? He was off work for a week because of the infection in his knee.
Answer Subject: Lost time accident
Question: Mike, recently we had an employee that knelt down during his regular course of business and put his knee in some cactus. Thinking nothing about it he pulled the cactus out and continued working. The problem is about a week later he noticed some discomfort, took what he said were tweezers and dug into his knee removing some more small pieces of cactus. About three days later his knee started to swell up and was uncomfortable. He went to the emergency room and was seen by a doctor who prescribed some antibiotic medication and told him to stay off the leg for a week. We have subsequently filed a Workers Comp report and this was directed under Workers Comp. My question is: Is this considered a lost time accident? He was off work for a week because of the infection in his knee.
Answer: Hoby, yes since there seems to be no question about the cause of the infection (resulting from the cactus) then the accident will be lost time and thus recordable. This type of situation is not rare. I would suggest the employee in this case did what most of us would do and/or have done. What seems to be a very minor injury results in an infection and becomes a more serious situation. I have seen this type of injury go bad due to the poor hygiene habits of the employee – that becomes much harder to take since an employer can’t readily control the employee away from the worksite and the failure to follow the doctors instructions and keep a wound clean will drive a manager up the wall when suddenly a very minor injury becomes more serious and expensive. No system can cover all the events which can and will happen. Accident reporting is not perfect in many ways but every so often it is revised and some improvements are made. This is an example of one of the areas our current system is weak. I use to see the same or similar cases develop in our plywood plants with slivers of the veneer and finished sheets. Over time we were able to reduce the problems but were never able to totally eliminate them. I wish I could find and suggest a way out – but I am not aware of any.
