For those with a policy of having supervisors drive injured employees to health care in their personal vehicles, what is your policy regarding vehicular accidents that could occur while transporting that injured employee?  I think the original question was about those supervisors' concerns for taking on that liability.

In the scenario below, where yet another employee comes along to work the cell phone, what relief does the employer offer the driver/car owner if the two passengers are injured in a vehicular accident while driving to or from the medical facility? 

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Our transport policy for non-life threatening injuries is to have a supervisor drive the injured employee to the local occupational health clinic (about 4 mi).  We require that another employee with a cell phone ride along.  This employee can attend to the injured employee and call 911 if there are complications in-route.

Brian Mueller, CCHO

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From: "Debbie M. Decker" <dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**UCDAVIS.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 9:40:12 AM
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] accident transport policies

A cab driver isn't going to want to take someone who is bleeding or ill in their cab.

 

It's the employer's responsibility to make sure the injured employee gets to health care.  The injured employee must not drive themselves.  Supervisor is the default choice =E2=80" whether personal vehicle or company car.  The well-being of their employees is their responsibility.

 

Someone from your first aid/CPR team would also be a good choice.  Perhaps a rotating "on-call" for the people on that team to be available to transport to medical care.

 

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Don Abramowitz
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 4:38 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] accident transport policies

 

I agree that driving to the ER with a cut hand in need of stitches qualifies as distracted driving.   I'm assuming you don't have in-house security staff who could do the driving.  We are fortunate to have a local occupational health clinic that has a shuttle van service that will come pick up injured employees for both minor emergencies and routine appointments.   I suspect these are not common.   Other ways to avoid the personal liability exposure of supervisors driving their personal vehicles is to make company-owned vehicles available for this purpose, or to call a cab.  In areas where cab service is not readily available, it may pay to check around for local entrepreneurs who offer transportation services and pre-arrange services/billing.  

Donald Abramowitz
Environmental Health & Safety Officer
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA

 

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We are in the process of revising our accident/incident response policy.  Currently it states that if a person is injured and cannot transport him or herself, then the supervisor should contact emergency personnel to have them transported to a medical facility. 

 

However, what we have found is that most minor injuries (e.g., cut finger requiring stitches, etc.) that have occurred would be something that would inhibit someone from driving but most people do not want to call 911 for such a minor injury.  Some supervisors do not want to take a chance with another employee driving the injured person for treatment, in case something happens.  Other people have the immediate reaction to help and think that they can be the quickest route to treatment. 

 

We do have a first aid/CPR team, but they are not EMTs or anything like that.

 

I have been asked to find out what other companies do in similar situations.  If anyone has any suggestions, please email me.

 

Michele

 

Michele L. Wallace, LCACP, NRCC-CHO

Director, Product Integrity

6399 Weston Parkway  Cary, NC 27513
P: 919-678-2417 E: MWallace**At_Symbol_Here**cottoninc.com