SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION
The City of Austin strives to provide a safe, hazard free working environment. You share
responsibility for the prevention of accidents. You should develop and maintain safe work
habits. Observe all safety rules and regulations, and contribute in every way possible to your
safety, that of your co-workers, and the general public.
Administration of the safety program should be the job of the supervisor. They should be
constantly on the alert to observe and report unsafe working practices or existing hazardous
working conditions with the aim of immediate correction. Each department head or supervisor
shall make sure that the employee under his/her supervision is well acquainted with the existing
safety rules and shall see that the rules are uniformly enforced. Safety education of all
employees shall be promoted by supervisors adhering to all safety rules.
It is the responsibility of all employees to cooperate in making the safety program work.
Employees must:
1. Be informed of and observe established safe practices.
2. Notify supervisors of any unsafe conditions discovered.
3. Use personal protective equipment such as steel toed shoes, safety vests, safety glasses,
hearing protection, and hard hats where required.
4. Not remove guards or other protective devices from machinery and equipment.
5. Not engage in "horseplay."
6. Attend any required training or orientation to increase safety awareness.
7. Not report to work under the influence of alcohol or drugs that alter normal behavior or
ability to function safely.
8. Report all job-related injuries or illnesses to supervisors promptly.
9. Assist supervisors in their investigation of any accident of which they have knowledge;
accident investigation is fact finding, not fault finding.
10. Refrain from smoking in "no smoking" areas.
11. Refrain from operating, modifying, adjusting or using equipment in an unauthorized manner.
The Safety Committee meets to review accidents that have occurred, discuss
recommendations for improved safety and formulate safety rules and procedures. Employees
are encouraged to provide safety material for the safety meetings.
WORK RELATED INJURIES TO EMPLOYEES
All work-related personal injury accidents shall be reported to the employee's supervisor
immediately following or as soon as possible after the occurrence of the injury, regardless of
severity.
Serious Accidents - The following procedures should be followed in the event of serious injury
which will require emergency treatment rather than non-emergency treatment (i.e. heart attack,
unconsciousness, grand mal seizure, severed limb, serious laceration, serious puncture, etc.)
• Dispatch someone to call 911 to call for an ambulance.
• Do not move the individual.
• Apply first aid as quickly and as well as possible.
• Comfort the individual by assuring that help is on the way.
• Should there be a severed limb, ensure it is included when transporting the injured
person.
• Notify supervisor.
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Call CorVel Managed Care as soon as possible.
Upon arrival and determination of the problem, the ambulance attendants will transport the
injured person to the Austin Medical Center for treatment. Depending upon the circumstances,
the injured person may be transported to other medical facilities, such as a facility in Rochester,
Minnesota.
Non-Emergency Injuries - The following procedures should be followed in the event of nonserious injury which will require a medical evaluation (i.e. possible broken bone, painful sprain
or strain, severe bruising and swelling, cuts requiring stitches, etc.)
• Apply first aid as quickly and as well as possible.
• Contact CorVel Managed Care as soon as possible and send the injured person to
Austin Medical Clinic via city vehicle or available transportation; do not send the injured
person in their own vehicle by themselves; if possible, telephone the medical facility
prior to transporting.
• Remain with the injured person until treatment is rendered.
• Obtain Return-to-Work Release form signed by treating physician when applicable.
• Notify supervisor.
Supervisor's Report of Accident Form - The employee's supervisor shall completely and
accurately fill out this form and submit it to the Human Resources Department within 24 hours
of learning of an injury. (The employee may be asked to fill out the report for supervisor's
signature).
• This form should be completed even if the injury did not require immediate medical
treatment.
• The information required is important in the determination of a worker's compensation
claim so it is essential to provide as much detail as possible.
• A copy of this form is submitted thereafter to the Safety Committee Chair for distribution
to the Safety Committee.
• The Safety Committee shall review the Supervisor's Report of Accident form and make
recommendations as appropriate.
First Report of Injury Form - The Human Resources Department shall complete this form
according to information obtained in the Supervisor's Report of Accident form.
The Human Resources Department will inspect the form and contact the supervisor or
employee regarding any additional information necessary for a thorough and complete
explanation of the injury.
One copy of the Supervisor's Report of Accident form and First Report of Injury form are
forwarded to Berkley Administrators (the City's worker's compensation insurer) for processing.
Berkley will make a determination as to denial or payment of claim within fourteen (14) days
from the date of injury.
Return to Work Decision - The health care provider will make decisions regarding the
employee's ability to return to work. The City may require a separate assessment of the
employee's condition. The following will be determined by or in cooperation with the City's
physician: if additional treatment is required and a return-to-work date shall be determined by
treating physician(s). A Return to Work Release form must be signed by treating physician
when an employee returns to work after receiving additional treatment and/or therapeutic
services.
LIGHT DUTY
Consistent with public service needs, the City may assign light duty to employees who are
temporarily disabled and unable to provide full performance of all work duties assigned to their
job classification. The City reserves the sole right to determine, on a case by case basis,
whether light duty will be assigned and, if assigned, what duties the employee will be expected
to perform in the duration of the assignment.
The procedure for applying for light duty assignment will be as follows:
1. An employee or the employee's supervisor may apply for light duty. The Request for Light
Duty Form shall state the nature and extent of the temporary disability and the job duties
which the employee is unable to perform, along with the expected length of the disability
and any work restrictions related to the disability. This request should be accompanied by a
physician's report containing diagnosis, current treatment and physician approval for light
duty assignments with any restrictions thereon.
2. The City may require an independent evaluation by a physician selected by the City to verify
the diagnosis, current treatment, work restrictions and expected length of disability.
3. Determination regarding light duty assignments will be made on a department-bydepartment, case-by-case basis. The department head, in consultation with the City
Administrator, will consider such factors as public service needs and budgetary
considerations, the need for work which may be assigned as light duty, the employee's
capability of performing the work, the number of employees not available for work due to
injury or illness, and other relevant factors.
4. The City will determine what job duties the employee will perform. These duties may
include those currently assigned to the employee's job classifications or any other duties the
City considers to be appropriate. The duration of light duty should be limited to three
months, but may be extended by the Council up to an additional three months.
5. Assignments to light duty will be reviewed on a monthly basis or more often as deemed
necessary by the City. The City, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to terminate a light
duty assignment at any time based on, but not limited to, the factors set forth in number
three above.
City Liaison to Injured Employee - If the employee is unable to accept a transitional a light
duty position or the City is unable to offer one, the Human Resources Director will maintain
contact with the injured employee and work with the employee's supervisor and treating
physician to determine an expected return-to-work date as ascertained by the employee's
recovery status.
VEHICULAR ACCIDENT - PROCEDURE FOR EMPLOYEE
1. Render first aid, if necessary.
2. Immediately notify the Police Department.
3. Remain at the scene of the accident until proper authority has arrived. Offer no information
to anyone except the police officer regarding responsibility for the accident or what should
have been done to avoid the accident.
4. The driver of the city vehicle must report the accident to his/her supervisor as soon as
possible.
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OTHER INCIDENTS
If a member of the public is injured on City property, the staff person most closely associated
with the accident/injury should provide the injured person with any necessary or requested
assistance. Never admit liability for the accident or incident but refer all injury claims to the
Administrative Services Director.
Regardless of the seriousness of the injury, immediately complete a City Accident/
Incident Report and submit to your supervisor. Supervisors should distribute copies of the
report to the applicable department head, Administrative Services Director and Human
Resources Director.
Employees shall notify their supervisor if any equipment, machines, tools or vehicles have been
stolen or appear to be damaged, defective, or in need of repair.