Analyzing the Cost-Effects of Delayed Incident Reporting
Reporting an incident is the trigger that initiates a chain of events that helps you see, identify, and take preventive actions to eliminate hazards.
While delays in reporting incidents is mostly unintended, it can potentially endanger human lives and take a chunk out your bottom-line due to lawsuits or permanent damage.
Cost-Impact of Delayed Incident Reporting
Higher Compensation Costs:
Delayed reporting can inadvertently hike worker’s compensation costs – going up to over 50%, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). While it is important to encourage employees to report incidents immediately, punishing employees for late reporting can create bad blood that can impact your work culture and business relationship.
Delayed Medical Treatment:
Delayed reporting of an accident can deny prompt medical treatment to an employee – exacerbating fears such as how they will receive medical reparation and wage replacement payments that could lead to lawsuits.
Refusal for Medical Compensation:
Procrastinating on reporting accidents like overexertion that cause delayed symptoms, can force you to bear the entire medical cost and dilute key shreds of evidence when claiming medical compensation. Interestingly, overexertion is one of the largest contributors to workers’ compensation costs while also being one of the most under-reported incidents.
Non-Compliance Lawsuits:
Employers can be subjected to ugly legal battles with employees over dissatisfaction with medical care and compensation benefits due to delayed reporting. While this can hinder the unity of your work culture, employers should also be aware that certain jurisdictions can levy hefty fines over non-compliant safety processes caused due to delayed reporting.
When should an incident be reported?
Ideally, the moment it takes place. Seize a digitized incident management software that makes reporting user-friendly, instant, and intuitive for employee interactions.
What should be reported?
- Details of the incident, injury, or accidents
- Name of the victim with contact details
- Names of witnesses of the injury
- Date and time of the incident
- Location of the incident
Prompt incident reporting can help your organization benefit from huge cost savings, removal of harmful or injury-causing environments or objects, and proper training protocols to prevent potential injuries.
A fast and easy–to-report safety incident reporting software propelled by a transparent claims and injury management process that highlights your commitment to an inclusive work culture where employee health and well-being is of paramount importance.
Read our detailed article on how to write an incident report.
This post first appeared in the Safetymint Newsletter. To get the newsletter articles delivered to your email, sign-up below:
Joshua Martyn was a content manager at Safetymint, crafting helpful contents that enlighten readers and EHS professionals alike, about fresh trends, technologies and perspectives from the world of safety.
