Workcover Injuries: What to do in the first 72 hours? 

Suffering an injury at work can be a confusing and disorienting, not only are you dealing with the pain and frustration of the injury itself but also feeling the added pressure not knowing what to do or who to go to make sure you receive the right help in your rehabilitation.

So, I've just hurt myself at work, what do I do?

First and foremost, you need to make sure you are stable and the injury isn't an emergency. If it is, contacting emergency services or getting yourself to hospital is priority number one.

If it's not an emergency and you and everyone around you is safe, your first point of contact is your manager/supervisor to let them know what's happened. Once you have gone over the event with your supervisor/manager, you need to fill out an incident report;

Workcover requires:

"This must be done no more than 30 days after (a) the workplace injury occurs or (b) ‘the person becomes aware of the injury".

Ideally the sooner you do this the better so that you can start collaborating with your workplace regarding your recovery and gradual return to work.

You also will need to book in with a doctor to start the Workcover process. Again, doing this as early as possible to help start you on your recovery earlier is better. Your GP must fill out your first Certificate of Capacity which states to what level you are able to perform your duties at work or if you require rest from these duties.

Alright, I've filled out the incident report and booked a doctor's appointment, what do I do now?

Hopefully this has been done in the first 72 hours after your injury, in the meantime your priority needs to be protecting your injury from further damage and taking care of yourself. If you're unsure of what needs to happen or how to manage your injury, this is a fantastic time to get in contact with your physiotherapist. This is when they can help guide decision making, such as if you need medical imaging, if you should be resting or staying active, exercises and manual therapy to help start the recovery process.

This first 72 hours can be significant for the outcome of your injury and speed up your return to work!

Call our friendly reception team if you have a claim number ready to go, and we can assist in getting your treatment started with us here at TSIC | 03 9783 9990