Authors (including presenting author) :
PANG SH (1)(2)(3), WONG SL (2)(3), SO HP (1)(2)(3)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Occupational Medicine, Kowloon West Cluster, (2) Kowloon West Cluster Occupational Safety & Health Committee, (3) Kowloon West Cluster
Introduction :
Today’s employers recognize the value of making changes to accommodate a safe and timely RTW for injured workers. Coming back to work early helps employees remain functional as they recover while providing our organization with the valuable use of employees’ talents. In June 2017, the KWC OSH Committee, in collaboration with OM Department, Local Hospital OSH Coordinators and Human Resource Team, has launched a new practical workflow of Injury Management to promote more extensive use of OH services in RTW. The reduction of IOD incidents and decreasing trend of IOD with long sick leave are resulted.
Objectives :
In KWC, cluster direction has a commitment to helping employees RTW after sick leave due to occupational injury or diseases, and encouraging their RTW through adjustments with occupational health interventions rather than prolonging sickness absence. The primary aim of the IOD management flow (modified based on CMC 2015 version) is to speed up RTW and reduce the sickness absence by establishing formal written guide to ensure the consistency and sustainability of the RTW program.
Methodology :
KWC OSH Committee has adopted a clear & supportive protocol (endorsed by Hospital Management Committee in 6 April 2017) following up staff injuries with sick leave 9 days or more. It advocates injured employees receiving Occupational Medicine care arrangement. Besides, it promotes a workplace culture that supports work rehabilitation or work trial to minimize the impact of work-related injuries. To gain widespread understanding of and anchor the change of practice, “IOD Management Briefing” sessions in both cluster & hospital level; “IOD Management cue card” for supervisors; “Caring card” for injured staff; occupational health booth in OSH road show and revamping of KWC OSH web page etc. are implemented by phase. The employers or supervisors, with multidisciplinary approach from OM Case Managers with therapists, OSH Coordinators & HR Team, can find potential accommodation measures or transitional job options that will allow the employee to remain at work during his or her recovery.
Result & Outcome :
Commitment and support from an organization's management are keys to establishing an effective Early RTW program. In 2018 - 2020, there is increasing nos. of injured staff participated in RTW program voluntarily. Following the RTW Program, the nos. of injured staff with long Employee Compensation Sick Leave (ECSL >30 days) is recorded a 20% decrease from 2017 to 2019. The incident per hundred employees of KWC fell from 4.84 to 4.37. IOD SL rate of 2019 (96.88) is 22% lower than that of 2018 (124.34). The Successful RTW Rate (Returning in 30 calendar days) is 90% & the Re-injury Rate is less than 2% in 2019.
