Injury management is “the management of workers’ injuries in a manner that is directed at enabling injured workers to return to work” (Section 5 of the Workers’ Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981. It is the responsibility of employers and injured workers to cooperate in this process, where it is medically supported.

Under workers’ compensation law, you must establish an injury management system in your workplace. WorkCover WA has issued a Code of Practice (Injury Management) 2005 The Code explains your legal responsibilities.

An injury management system describes the steps you need to take when a workplace injury occurs. It allows you to commence injury management quickly and properly, so that injured workers can remain at work or return to work at the earliest appropriate time.

Requirements for the establishment, content and implementation of an injury management system are set out in the Code. Where there is a requirement in the Code that an employer “has to” do something that relates to an injury management system, it is mandatory.

The structure of the system will depend upon the particular characteristics of the business and the resources available. In most cases, a fairly simple process will be sufficient. The key is to be prepared and know what to do. Some large organisations may have a number of people responsible for more complex arrangements in many different workplaces.

WorkCover WA has developed a template injury management system which can be accessed from the right hand panel of this page.

Information is also available from insurers, as the Act requires that they ensure their insured employers are aware of their obligations to establish and implement injury management systems in accordance with the Code.

You must describe your injury management system in writing and make a copy of the document available to any worker who asks for it.

The Code does not specify how information is to be made available to people in the workplace, so you could provide it in different ways. For example, the information may be posted in the workplace, be available via a computer system or be provided on request.

The Code, the supporting Guidance Notes, and WorkCover WA’s template for an injury management system are available by clicking under the publication section on the right hand panel or by contacting WorkCover WA’s Infoline on 1300 794 744.