Work Injuries

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.