/ Management System / Manual / Type/Number
WHS / WHS002
Program
Policy

WHS002 – RETURNTO WORK PROGRAM FOR INJURED WORKERS

Design & Constructis committed to the rehabilitation of injured workers. The company aims to conduct injury management in the workplace to ensure that all injured workers have the opportunity to recover and return to work by:

  • Providing full support throughout the rehabilitation process to minimise the effects of the injury and will ensure that an early return to work is a normal practice and expectation
  • Ensuring early access to rehabilitation services such as accredited rehabilitation providers for injured workers if required
  • Providing suitable duties for an injured worker as an integral part of the rehabilitation process
  • Consulting with workers and where applicable any industrial union representing them to ensure that the return to work program operates smoothly and effectively
  • Informing workers of their rights in relation to a Workers Compensation claim including the choice of doctor and accredited rehabilitation provider
  • Providing access to interpreter services as appropriate
  • Ensuring that participation in return to work program will not in itself prejudice an injured worker
  • Ensuring no worker is dismissed within six months of injury, solely or principally because of that injury, and
  • Advising workers that participation in rehabilitation is voluntary,although non-participation may result in reduced weekly benefits.

The confidentiality of rehabilitation records shall be maintained. Reports and records will only be available to those persons directly involved in the injured workers return to work. The injured worker will receive copies of provider reports and return to work plans.

/ Management System / Manual / Type/Number
WHS / WHS002
Program
Policy

DEFINITIONS

SERIOUS INCIDENT

An incident where there has been a fatality, serious injury or illness such as when a person is placed on a life support system; loses consciousness; is trapped in machinery or confined space; or an incident where there is an immediate threat to life such as major damage to machinery or buildings (refer to Section 35, 36 & 37 of the WHS Act 2011 and document WHSR001 – Accident/Incident Reporting Procedure).

SIGNIFICANT INJURY

Estimated duration of incapacity 7 or more calendar days or any other incident as detailed within Section 36 of the WHS Act 2011 and document WHSR001 – Accident/Incident Reporting Procedure.

SUITABLE DUTIES

Alternate duties identified as suitable for an injured worker while making a graded return to pre-injury duties. Suitable duties will be considered with regard to the worker’s capacity for work, the demands and nature of tasks within the workplace and how readily these tasks can be matched to help upgrade and improve the worker’s capacity for work to achieve a safe return to the worker’s normal pre injury duties.

RESPONSIBILITIES

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Senior Management has the responsibility to:

  • Ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all workers
  • Maintain a current workers compensation insurance policy covering all workers

/ Management System / Manual / Type/Number
WHS / WHS002
Program
Policy
  • Provide workers with adequate information on return-to-work and compensation procedures
  • Notify the insurer within 48 hours when a worker has a significant injury (see definitions) or within seven days for all other injuries
  • Ensuremeaningful duties are available to injured workers who are certified fit for suitable duties

WORKERS

All workers have the responsibility to:

  • Take reasonable care, in the performance of work, so as to prevent injuries to self and others
  • Cooperate in reasonable workplace changes designed to assist in the return to work of work colleagues
  • Notify the employer/PCBU of an injury as soon as possible
  • Cooperate with reasonable efforts by Design & Construct to rehabilitate injured workers
  • Make all reasonable efforts to return to work as soon as possible

NOMINATED REHABILITATION PROVIDER

In consultation with staff, Design & Construct has nominated the following companies as their preferred rehabilitation provider.

ACT

Company:
Address:
Ph:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Internet: / Active Rehab Consultants
Unit 5, 59 Tennant Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609
0414 375 166
02 6100 9299

N/A / Healthe Work Pty Ltd
Unit 3, 9-11 Napier Close, Deakin ACT 2600
02 6282 4822
02 6282 4646


NSW

Company:
Address:
Ph:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Internet: / RTW Rehab
PO Box 114, West Ryde NSW 1685
1300 680 696
1300 680 697

/ Recovre
GPO Box 4819, Sydney NSW 2001
1300 550 276
1300 723 405


QLD

Company:
Address:
Ph:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Internet: / IPAR Rehabilitation Pty Ltd
44 Bayswater Rd, Hyde Park QLD 4182
07 3253 5000
07 3112 4099

/ Work Rehab Pty Ltd
PO Box 1028 Noosaville QLD 4566
1300 856 440
1300 856 441


TAS

Company:
Address:
Ph:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Internet: / Return To Work
PO Box 709 Kingston TAS 7051
0417 052 759
03 6107 9427

N/A / Peopleworks Pty Ltd
PO Box 91 New Town TAS 7008
03 6210 6800
03 6210 6877


VIC

Company:
Address:
Ph:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Internet: / IPAR Rehabilitation Pty Ltd
Level 1, 287 Collins Street Melbourne VIC3000
03 8648 0900
03 8640 0903

/ Return to Work Management
PO Box 155, Albert Park VIC 3206
03 9636 0350
03 8677 6505

N/A

WA

Company:
Address:
Ph:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Internet: / IPAR Rehabilitation Pty Ltd
56 Melville Parade, South Perth, WA
08 9367 9166
08 9367 9144

/ Recovre Pty Ltd
Unit 3, 24 Osbourne Park WA 6017
08 9340 9555
08 9340 9500


SA

Company:
Address:
Ph:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Internet: / Applied Innovative Services (AIS)
186 Prospect Road, Prospect SA 5082
08 8342 6488
08 8342 3622

/ Recovre Pty Ltd
1 Greenhill Rd Wayville SA 5034
08 7421 1777
08 7421 1783


The Rehabilitation Provider has the responsibility to:

  • Assist the injured worker complete relevant Workers Compensation documentation and provide information of their rights, responsibilities and entitlements
  • Determine the injured worker’s needs
  • Obtain written consent from the worker to obtain, disclose and use relevant injury management information
  • Identify suitable duties for the injured worker
  • Coordinate and monitor return to work plans
  • Liaise with all parties including the Director, Insurer and nominated treating doctor as appropriate
  • Provide information and support to the injured worker, and
  • Maintain confidentiality.

INSURERS

Design & Constructworkers compensation insurers are as follows:

ACT

QBE Insurance Australia (Limited)

Address: Level 7, 220 Northbourne Ave, Braddon ACT 2612

Phone: 02 6201 3333

Fax: 02 6201 3398

E-mail:

Internet:

NSW

QBE Insurance Australia (Limited)

Address: Level 5, 2 Park St, Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: 02 9375 4444

Fax: 02 9375 4666

E-mail:

Internet:

TAS

QBE Insurance Australia (Limited)

Address: Level 7, 85 Macquarie St, Hobart TAS 7000

Phone: 03 6237 3866

Fax: 03 6237 3933

E-mail:

Internet:

VIC

QBE Insurance Australia (Limited)

Address: Level 2, 628 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Phone: 03 9246 2444

Fax: 1300 793 521

E-mail:

Internet:

SA

WorkCover Corporation of SA

Address: 400 King William St, Adelaide SA 5000

Phone: 08 8233 2574

Fax: 08 8233 2990

E-Mail:

Internet:

QLD

WorkCover Queensland

Address: PO Box 2459, Brisbane QLD 4001

Phone: 1300 362 128

Fax: 1300 651 387

Internet:

WA

Zurich Australia Insurance Limited

Address: Level 3, 66 Kings Park Rd, West Perth WA 6005

Phone: 08 9261 1599

Fax: 08 9321 2826

E-Mail:

Internet:

This return to work program is consistent with the Insurers Injury Management Program for the workplace.

All return to work plans for injured workers will be developed in accordance with the Insurersinjury management plan for that individual. Other responsibilities of the insurer include:

  • Commencing provisional payments of workers compensation weekly benefits and medical expenses within 7 days of being notified of a significant injury, or notifying the injured worker of why they will not make payments
  • Contacting the injured worker, employer/PCBU and nominated treating doctor within 3 days of being notified of the injury and developing an injury management plan based on this consultation, informing the injured worker of the consequences of non-compliance with the injury management plan.
  • Where a return to pre-injury duties is not medically appropriate and suitable duties are no longer possible, the insurer will ensure vocational retraining/redeployment assistance is provided to the injured worker.

RETURN TO WORK PROCEDURES

For any work related injury or illness the following procedure will apply:

  • Design & Construct will ensure that the injured person receives appropriate first aid and/or medical treatment as soon as possible and will conduct an accident investigation to help prevent any recurrence of the same incident
  • The incident must be reported as soon as practical to the relevant supervisor. It is the worker’s responsibility to notify their supervisor/manager as soon as is practicable, preferably on the day of injury
  • Document WHSRT001 – WHS Incident/Near Miss Report Form is to be completed by the injured worker and submitted to their supervisor/manager for action
  • The supervisor must as soon as practicable notify the Director of any injury occurring within their team
  • Once an injury is reported that is likely to result in a workers compensation claim the Director will notify the appropriate Insurance Agency within 48 hours (refer to document WHSR001 – Accident/Incident Reporting Procedure)
  • For a serious incident (refer to definitions above) WorkCover must be notified immediately by telephone:

ACT 02 6207 3000

NSW 13 10 50

TAS 1300 366 322

VIC 1800 136 089

SA 13 18 55

QLD 1300 362 128

WA 1300 794 744

(refer to document WHSR001 – Accident/Incident Reporting Procedure)

  • For a significantinjury (refer to definitions above) WorkCover must be notified giving such information as may be requested of the caller (refer to document WHSR001 – Accident/Incident Reporting Procedure)
  • A WorkCover NSW medical certificate, if provided by the injured worker, is to be submitted to the Return to work co-ordinator. The Return to work co-ordinator is required to submit this document to QBE Insurance within seven (7) days
  • Ongoing medical certificates, receipts and accounts for medical or other treatment, are to be submitted to the Return to work co-ordinator. The Return to work co-ordinator is required to submit such documents to QBE Insurance within seven (7) days

/ Management System / Manual / Type/Number
WHS / WHS002
Program
Policy
  • Design & Construct’s Preferred Rehabilitation Providers can be contacted to assist an injured worker return to pre injury duties.
  • Design & Construct will arrange for a suitable person in the organisation or, where this is not practicable, their workers compensation insurer, to provide advice to the injured worker to:
  • Assist in filling out Workers Compensation forms/notifying WorkCover NSW and the insurer of the incident
  • Explain rights, obligations, benefits and rehabilitation procedures to the injured worker
  • Ensure that the worker is offered the help of Design & Construct Rehabilitation Provider who shall be given reasonable access to the workplace and where appropriate, arrange a return to work plan on the advice of the treating doctor.
  • The Director will maintain a case file and protect the confidentiality of the information on this file.

PROVIDING SUITABLE DUTIES

When the injured worker is, based on medical judgement, in a condition to return to work on suitable duties Design & Constructwill, as far as practicable, provide suitable duties in all cases. Suitable duties will be approved by the nominated treating doctor on the individual’s Return to Work Plan. The Return to Work Plan is developed by the Rehabilitation Provider in consultation with the supervisor, treating doctor and injured worker. The Rehabilitation Providerin consultation with the injured workers supervisor identifies suitable duties within the workplace. Suitable duties will be meaningful, time limited, and reflect the WorkCover Hierarchy for Return to Work based on medical evidence for each case.

/ Management System / Manual / Type/Number
WHS / WHS002
Program
Policy

CONSULTATION

Design & Construct will consult with the injured worker and other workers on the rehabilitation process and on work health and safety issues.

RESOLVING DISPUTES

Rehabilitation disputes that cannot be resolved by mediation in the workplace may be referred to the insurer or the Workers Compensation Commission for further assessment. The Claims Assistance Service at WorkCover may also be utilised.

RIGHTS OF WORKERS

Each worker who sustains an injury has the choice of selecting a treating doctor and an accredited Rehabilitation Provider. Access to an interpreter where necessary will also be provided. Participation of an injured worker in rehabilitation is voluntary, but non-participation may result in reduced weekly benefits.

Cheryl Bolanos / Ephram Stephenson
Operations Manager– Design & Construct / Director – Design & Construct
July 2014 / July 2014