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When an employee is injured as a result of work,
supervisors have certain basic responsibilities:
- If the employee requires emergency medical treatment, ensure that
he or she receives immediate care.
- If the employee's injury results from a specific event or series
of events during one day or shift, provide him or her with a Form CA-1, Federal Employee's
Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/Compensation. If the employee
develops a condition due to prolonged exposure lasting more than one day or shift, provide
him or her with a Form CA-2, Federal Employee's Notice of Occupational Disease and Claim
for Compensation. Advise the employee to complete and return the form to you as soon as
possible, but not later than 30 days after the injury.
- If the employee has a traumatic injury (a specific event or series
of events during one day or shift), provide him or her with a Form CA-16, Authorization
for Examination and/or Treatment. This form should be issued within four hours of the
injury, whether or not the claim appears valid. For questionable claims, box 6b should be
checked to indicate its doubtful nature. Only one Form CA-16 may be issued per traumatic
injury. A Form CA-16 may not be issued for past medical care, except within 48 hours after
emergency treatment.
- When you receive the employee's completed Form CA-1 or CA-2, check
to see that it is complete and that the facts are consistent. You need not have witnessed
the injury to agree with the stated history. Complete the supervisor's section of the form
and forward it to your designated Injury Compensation Program Administrator (ICPA)
immediately, whether or not you feel that the claim should be approved. If you have
specific information which casts doubt on the claim's validity, you may challenge it and
supply supporting information, but you must still forward the claim promptly. Failure to
do so can result in a fine, imprisonment, or both, under 20 CFR 10.23(c).
- If the employee has a traumatic injury, explain that he or she is
entitled to Continuation of Pay (COP) for absences due to disability or obtaining medical
treatment, for not more than 45 calendar days following the injury. Any such absence needs
to be supported by medical documentation. The specific COP periods should be clearly
indicated on the time and attendance sheets, whether the employee loses entire days or
only a few hours of a day. If you are unfamiliar with the COP provisions, contact your
personnel office for further information.
- If the employee's physician indicates he or she can perform only
limited duty, try to accommodate the medical restrictions. Keeping a partially disabled
employee in the work place tends to speed his or her recovery, which benefits the employee
and reduces agency costs. If the employee is totally disabled, or if you are unable to
accommodate the restrictions, maintain contact with the employee during his or her absence
from work.
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