Section 3
The Injury Management Team
&
Role of the Return-to-Work
Coordinator
The Injury Management Resource Pack 2nd Edition –April 2002 – Meat and Livestock Australia
Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
1
Section 3 Injury Management Team and the Role of the Returnto-Work Coordinator
3.1
3.2
3.3
Injury Management Team
Return-to-Work Coordinator Actions
3.2.1 Notifications and Essential Documentation
3.2.2 Employee Support and Involvement
3.2.3 Creating a Case File
3.2.4 Developing Plans – the Injury Management Plan and the
Return-to-Work Plan
3.2.5 Implementing, Monitoring and Upgrading the RTW Plan
3.2.6 Workers Compensation Responsibilities
Trouble-shooting
Information
References
3.1 Injury Management Team
The Injury Management Team must work together with the injured
employee if return to work is to be successful. Sections 3 and 4 of
the IM Resource Pack describe the roles and legal obligations of
various members of the team.
List your Injury Management Team:
 Return-to-Work coordinator
 Workers compensation officer
“Guidelines For
Employers Return
To Work Programs”
WorkCover NSW
describes the
obligations of team
members
For detailed roles
see OHS
Reference Guide
for Australian Meat
Industry Appendix
30
 Doctors
 Company Doctor
 Nominated Treating Doctor
 Treatment Specialists
 Injury Management Consultants
 Accredited Rehabilitation Provider(s)
 Insurance Company
 Account Manager
 Injury Management Adviser
 Claims Officer
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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3.2 Return-to-Work Coordinator Actions
The Return-to-Work (RTW) coordinator is a key person in the injury
management process. He/she is a nominated employee, or
contractor, who is immediately accessible to an injured employee
and who ensures that all the activities stipulated in the plant’s RTW
Program are followed. His or her main role is the coordination of all
the return to work activities, as well as liaison with the employee, the
workplace and all relevant parties. The role of the RTW coordinator
in return to work planning and management of injured employees
should be described in your RTW Program.
See Section 1 of
the IM Resource
Pack for
information about
RTW Programs
The person selected for the RTW coordinator position needs to have
a balance of administrative and interpersonal skills, including the
ability to communicate effectively at all levels and an adequate
knowledge of the legislative requirements. It is recommended that
the position of a RTW coordinator be carefully defined through a job
description and that an equally careful selection process is
undertaken prior to appointment.
3.2.1 Notifications and Essential Documentation
If an employee is injured at work, the RTW coordinator must make
sure that certain documents are completed and various Injury
Management Team members are notified.
1. Register of Injuries and Treatment
Section 2 of the IM Resource Pack refers to the need for an
employer to keep a record of injuries and any first aid/treatment
provided to an injured employee. This function is usually the role of
the RTW coordinator/OHS nurse and can be completed in 2 ways:
 RTW coordinator regularly checks that the first aid officers
are filling in the treatment paperwork, the supervisors are
investigating the accident and the employee is filling in the
Register of Injuries book.
RTW coordinator/OHS nurse keeps the Register of Injuries book in
the first aid room where injured employees must attend for treatment
and completion of the Register.
2. Early Notification to Insurance Company
If an injury is likely to be significant, that is, the employee will not
be back to full pre-injury duties within a continuous period of more
than 7 days, the injury must be reported to the insurance company
within 48 hours of the employer becoming aware of the injury.
If the injury does not appear to be significant, it must be reported
within 7 days.
Have the
paperwork ready!!
Register of Injuries
and Treatment
Injury Notification
Form to Insurer.
Definition of
significant injury
from Workplace
Injury Management
and Workers
Compensation Act
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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1998
Your insurance company will have a preferred format for notifying of
injuries. Some insurers will accept a copy of your Register of Injuries
and Treatment form, others will accept a telephone call and many
accept fax or email notification.
Note a recent amendment to the workers compensation law. An
injured employee or a third party who represents the employee, can
also directly contact the insurer in order to make a first notification of
a workplace injury. This notification is enough for the insurer to start
payments to the injured employee. Ensure that you maintain control
of notifications by having a tight system for the completion of your
Register of Injuries so that you can be the first to notify the insurer
and begin the injury management process.
You be first to
notify your insurer
of any injuries.
3. Incident Report to WorkCover
If an injury to an employee, a visitor or a contractor is significant,
WorkCover NSW also has to be notified. Obtain Incident Report
Forms from your nearest WorkCover office.
3. Consent Form
The RTW coordinator must gain permission from the injured
employee to obtain or release information about their injury
management.
In January 2002 WorkCover NSW revised the standard Information
Consent Form. The new version follows in Section 3.2.3 “Creating a
Case File”.
4. Letter to Doctor
Many processors have a system whereby the RTW coordinator
/OHS nurse gives the injured employee a letter to take to their
nominated treating doctor, introducing the RTW Program and
inviting involvement in injury management. Sample letters from
Bindaree Beef and Cargill Food Australia are attached in Section
3.2.3, “Creating a Case File”.
5. Claim Forms and Medical Certificates
When requested by an employee, the RTW coordinator must notify
your insurance company that the employee wants to claim workers
compensation, even if you might not think that the injury is work
related. In some cases the insurance company will request that a
claim form be completed. Since January 2002, without a claim form
being lodged, the notification of the injury to the insurer is sufficient
for the insurer to start paying and processing the claim.
WorkCover Incident
Report Form, as
described in OHS
Regulation 2001
Part 12.1 and OHS
Act S86.
Definition of
significant injury
from OHS Reg.
Part 12.1
New WorkCover
NSW Information
Consent Form
Letter to nominated
treating doctor
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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From January 2002 a revised WorkCover Medical Certificate was
released. The new one page certificate replaces the old 3 page one
and the injured employee must provide the RTW coordinator with
either the old or the new certificate if they wish their claim for
workers compensation to be processed. The new version is
attached in Section 3.2.3, “Creating a Case File”.
To be on the safe
side, encourage the
injured employee to
complete a claim
form if they wish to
claim workers
compensation
New one page
WorkCover Medical
Certificate
3.2.2 Employee Support and Involvement
When employees return to work as soon as safely possible after an
injury, they recover faster and are more likely to return to full preinjury duties faster. It is critical that all team members understand
this and how non-adherence to early return to work impacts on the
company.
The team must also understand how their own behaviour can either
hinder or enhance this process. Therefore, for employees to
successfully return to work as early as possible, support must come
from management, the employee, supervisors, doctors, RTW
coordinator, service providers and fellow employees.
The employee
Critically, research shows that the employee must feel supported.
This is one of the most important challenges for the RTW
coordinator. The employee must trust the RTW coordinator and the
employer if they are to feel that return to work is in their best interest
as well as the company’s.
1. When an employee makes a claim for workers compensation it is
important that the RTW coordinator gives them information about
the system and about the emphasis on injury management.
WorkCover NSW produces various brochures for employees about
the workers compensation system and early return to work. You
OHS Reference
Guide for
Australian Meat
Industry
Appendix 32
WorkCover
Pamphlet for
Injured Workers.
January 2002
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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may wish to put your company letterhead or logo on the sample
Employee Information Sheet which follows.
An example of a carefully worded description of the actions of the
company following injury comes from the Junee Abattoir, NSW:
“If an employee receives a significant injury, that is,
they are to be away from work for more than 7 days
the Company’s RTW coordinator will make contact
within 24 hours to ensure that all procedures as
outlined have taken place and anything else that
can make circumstances for the injured employee
more comfortable are instigated. The RTW
coordinator will maintain regular contact throughout
their rehabilitation so as to ensure that the injured
employee has access to appropriate treatment. If
need be, he will communicate with the injured
employee’s treating doctor and other health
professionals. He will ensure confidentiality of all
the employee’s case files and records, liaise with
the insurer and its case managers and actively
participate in the identification of changes that are
required to prevent work place injuries.”
Junee Abattoir has
got it right!!
Doctors
There are many different doctors in the workers compensation
system and they are described in Section 4 of the IM Resource
Pack.
If the nominated treating doctor(s) are to cooperate with injury
management they need to feel confident that your meat processing
plant can accurately interpret the medical restrictions and find
activities that will not aggravate the injured employee’s condition.
Doctors are often unfamiliar with your worksite and cannot make
decisions about safe return to work without the input from the RTW
coordinator. With good communication the doctor can encourage
the employee to cooperate and return to work.
Supervisors
Supervisors are critical players in implementing successful RTW
Programs – they are the ones who will have to search for suitable
duties, adapt schedules and possibly pacify fellow employees. The
RTW coordinator needs to inform, and constantly update them, on
the employee’s progress and include them as early as possible.
Fellow employees
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
6
Fellow employees need to be assured that the return of injured
employees to work before they are fully fit is in everyone’s best
interest and that they will not be disadvantaged by the injured
employee’s return. This is just one of the reasons why a strong
consultative process needs to be in place and why the RTW Plan
needs to be regularly reviewed. Fellow employees will soon lose
patience if they feel the injured employee is on ‘light’ duties longer
than they need to be while they are doing all the heavy jobs and not
getting paid more for it!
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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Employee Information Sheet on Return to Work
Source: OHS Reference Guide for Australian Meat Industry Appendix 32
The following is important information for employees if injured at work. It outlines employees rights and responsibilities under
the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998.
General
After initial training about the Return-to-Work Program, employees should maintain familiarity with the contents of the Program
so you are clear what to do if you are injured.
The company's Return-to-Work Program promotes honesty, fairness, responsibility and commitment and caring for an injured
employee. To this end an employee who is injured at work is specifically supported by
(insert name of RTW Coordinator---------------------------) through:

regular contact

assistance with formal processes and documents

provision of suitable duties

maintenance of confidentiality

facilitating effective communication and decision-making.
Employees also need to co-operate in reasonable workplace changes designed to assist in the return to work of fellow
employees.
If an injury occurs:
 at the time of a work-related injury notify your supervisor as soon as possible

first aid will be administered by a qualified first aid attendant if required

complete the accident/incident form

attend your doctor of choice for appropriate treatment if required. The doctor must be prepared to assist with your return to
work, and complete a WorkCover medical certificate.

notify the workplace of your medical status

visit the RTW Coordinator with medical information, accounts and workers compensation claim forms

maintain contact with the RTW Coordinator

help to negotiate with the insurance company your injury management plan

help to negotiate with the RTW Coordinator your return to work plan

co-operate with the injury management plan and return to work plan

choose an accredited rehabilitation provider and access an interpreter if necessary
Assistance may cease:

normally when the employee returns to pre-injury duties

support may also be withdrawn if the employee fails to co-operate with a reasonable injury management plan or return to
work plan.
If you are concerned about any part of the Company Return-to-Work Program, you can contact:
(Return-to-Work Coordinator) and/or
(WorkCover Assistance Service) and/or
(Union representative).
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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3.2.3 Creating a Case File
The paperwork involved in being a RTW coordinator is not intended
to be onerous, however, the RTW coordinator is expected to keep a
record of the case management of each injured employee. The
contents of a return to work file would include:
Extract from
WorkCover
accredited 2-day
course
“Introduction to
RTW Coordination”
 names and contact details of all involved parties, for example,
doctor, physiotherapist, rehabilitation provider
 Notification forms – insurer and WorkCover
 Consent form #
 Letter to nominated treating doctor #
 Workers Compensation forms
 WorkCover Medical Certificates as received #
 Medical reports from injured employee’s nominated treating
doctor
 Copy of the injury management plan
 Copy of the RTW plan #
 Progressive case-notes #
 Copies of all correspondence.
Sample copies of the # documents follow.
Try to have your administration system set up prior to the RTW
coordinator interviewing an injured employee. If you do then the
system of paperwork “walks” team members through the return to
work process. It helps the coordinator to keep focused and ensure
that all administration is completed.
For example:
 a mock case file with section dividers, ready to be completed
 the 2 envelope system – one set of paperwork that the
manager/supervisor needs to complete and another for the
injured employee.
 a checklist
 a RTW “kit” of paperwork that needs to be completed by the
employee, and by other stakeholders.
The RTW file is to be kept separately from the employee’s
personnel file and confidentiality is to be maintained.
The file should be officially ‘closed’ once the employee has
successfully achieved their return to work goal (hopefully back to
pre-injury duties). Once closed, ensure that the file is stored
confidentially and securely.
Newsflash!!
WorkCover NSW
publication
“Confidentiality of
Rehabilitation
Information:
Guidelines for
Employers” was
revised in January
2002.
Find it in the “Guide
to Employers’ RTW
Programs”
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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Company Logo
WORKCOVER NSW INFORMATION CONSENT FORM FOR INJURY
MANAGEMENT
I …......................(name of employee) of….......................……(address) hereby
give permission to ………………………………(name of employer or provider)
to collect, use and disclose information for the purpose of my injury
and claims management.
Injury Management involves the treatment, rehabilitation, retraining, claims
management and employment practices that assist an injured employee to
return to work.
There are 4 main categories of persons where the transfer of information about my
injury management may be needed.
1. Health professionals need to obtain or release information about the
treatment of my work-related injury or illness
2. Employers / Supervisors need to obtain or release information about
suitable duties and work performance
3. The Insurance Company needs to be notified of the injury or illness, and its
cause, my treatments and costs and suitable duties options to manage my
claim
4. Legal practitioners need to obtain information about my claim
I give consent that information can be collected, used or disclosed in order to
manage my workers compensation claim and for WorkCover NSW to undertake
its statutory functions.
I understand that the information collected, used and disclosed will be treated as
confidential and that I have access to this information if I so desire.
I understand that I may change this consent at any time.
This consent is valid for the term of my workers compensation claim.
Signed:………………………………………………..
Date:………/………/…………
Signature of interpreter:……………………..….
Name:………………………………
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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Sample letter to nominated treating doctor (1)
BINDAREE BEEF PTY LIMITED
“The Natural Beef Company”
Date:
Dear Doctor,
We understand that you are treating our injured employee. While we strive to avoid workplace
injuries, an injury has occurred and we will support our injured employee through effective
workplace injury management.
The Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation legislation provides for the
payment of all reasonable costs of rehabilitation, programs or services in relation to workplace
injury. As well as placing responsibility for rehabilitation on employers and insurers, the
legislation imposes a responsibility on injured employees to participate in occupational Returnto-Work Programs which include undertaking suitable duties provided for them.
Attached to this letter please find:
 Information about our employee’s normal position and associated duties.
 Information about suitable duties offered at our facility subject to your medical opinion.
 A sample Return-to-Work Plan.
 An authority document signed by our employee.
We would like to work as closely as possible with you and seek your help and support to assist
our injured worker’s return to work by:
 Discussing our employee’s workplace injury, respecting confidentiality.
 Facilitating contact and communication between all parties involved in the return to
work process.
 Working with you to determine early, suitable and safe Return-to-Work Plans.
The contact person at our company, who has injury management / return to work co-ordination
responsibilities is ………………..
We look forward to working with you in the interests of our employee. An open invitation is
extended to you to visit our plant at any time during our employee’s recovery.
Yours faithfully,
Human Resources Manager.
Bindaree Beef Pty Limited.
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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Sample letter to nominated treating doctor (2)
Cargill Foods Australia attach a checklist to the letter to the nominated treating
doctor, requesting information about the injured employee’s ability to work in a meat
processing environment. The doctor completes the checklist and returns it to Cargill’s
with the accompanying WorkCover Medical Certificate.
Activities and Working Conditions
Permitted
Restricted
Sitting
Climbing Stairs
Standing
Walking
Feet
Right
Left
Both
Legs
Right
Left
Both
Arms
Right
Left
Both
Right Hand
The Injury Management Resource Pack 2nd Edition –April 2002 – Meat and Livestock Australia
Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
Left Hand
12
Sample new WorkCover Medical Certificate
Note to publisher - The certificate has been saved as a separate
document which is too big to cut and paste. It needs to be printed off
and inserted here.
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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Sample Return-to-Work Plan
Company Logo
Source: adapted from OHS Reference Guide for Australian Meat Industry Appendix 43
Name of Processor
Return to Work Plan
The following Return to Work Plan has been developed for: ____________________________
Job Title ________________________________
Usual work location __________________
Supervisor _________________________
Return to Work location _______________
Commencement date ______________________
Goal ______________________________
Medical Approval _____________________________________________________________
Anticipated length of plan __________________
Hours to be worked __________________
Dates/Weeks
Days
Hours
Duties to be Performed
Duties to be avoided
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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Other Considerations (times and dates of medical and other appointments, training, other
employee limitations)
___________________________________________________________________________
Company Logo
Sample File Note Template
Source: OHS Reference Guide for Australian Meat Industry Appendix 46
REHABILITATION CASE FILE NOTE
Employee Name:
Injury Date:
Date:
Time:
Comments:
Initials
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3.2.4 Developing Plans – the Injury Management Plan and the
Return-to-Work Plan
The RTW coordinator is involved in the development of 2 types of
written plans – one is drawn up by the insurance company and is
called an Injury Management Plan and the other is written by the
RTW coordinator and is called a Return-to-Work Plan.
See OHS
Reference Guide
for the Australian
Meat Industry
Appendix 34,35,36
Injury Management Plan
After the insurer has been notified by the RTW coordinator that an
employee is injured and cannot return to their pre-injury duties within
7 days, the insurer has 3 days in which to make contact with the
RTW coordinator, the injured employee and the nominated treating
doctor.
The purpose of this early contact is to obtain information which will
enable the insurer to develop an Injury Management (IM) Plan for
the employee. This plan will outline all the services which will be
required to return the injured employee to the workplace, including
proposed treatment and the offer of suitable duties.
The insurer must advise both the RTW coordinator and the
employee of the contents of the IM Plan and they are then obliged to
comply with obligations imposed by the IM Plan once it has been
developed.
There is no prescribed format for an IM Plan. Ask your insurer to
show you one.
Return-to-Work Plan
This is a plan specified by WorkCover NSW that is developed by the
RTW coordinator. It outlines the suitable duties that are offered to
and accepted by the injured employee. It describes the work the
returning employee will do including: tasks to be done; tasks to be
avoided; over how many days/weeks; specific hours; any
equipment/training required.
More details are
provided in Section
5 of the IM
Resource Pack
The RTW coordinator develops a RTW Plan based on the
instructions given by the employee’s nominated treating doctor. The
RTW Plan is agreed to by the employee and their supervisor, so that
everyone is clear about the duties the injured employee is required
to do.
The RTW coordinator needs to inform employees that if they
unreasonably refuse to co-operate with their Injury Management
Plan and their employer's Return-to-Work Plan, the insurance
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
16
company may reduce or stop their weekly benefits.
3.2.5. Implementing, Monitoring and Upgrading the RTW Plan
It is critical that on the day the employee returns to work all parties
are clear about the RTW Plan. This means that the RTW
coordinator will visit the workplace to clarify any points and ensure
the plan is being implemented as agreed.
It is also critical that the employee’s progress is regularly and closely
monitored. This will be done by a team of the involved parties
through daily informal assessments and at least weekly formal
assessments of progress and the plan appropriateness. A sample
format for a Return to Work: Weekly Review follows.
Overall progress of all injured employees, both on and off work, also
needs to be monitored by the RTW coordinator. A sample format
Daily Monitoring Report follows.
OHS Reference
Guide for the
Australian Meat
Industry
Appendices 42, 44,
45
“Guidelines for
Employers’ Returnto-Work Programs”,
WorkCover NSW.
Exacerbation of injuries may occur as hours or duties are upgraded
so it is particularly important that employees are closely monitored
during upgrades. Other strategies that can be used at this stage
may include increased physiotherapy treatment sessions. However,
any signs of exacerbation need to be investigated as soon as
possible and the RTW Plan modified if required. Any investigations
and modifications must be documented.
The RTW Plan should be reviewed as part of a formal review of the
overall Injury Management Plan – monthly or bi-monthly is the usual
timeframe for this activity.
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
17
Sample RTW Weekly Review Format
Company Logo
Source: OHS Reference Guide for Australian Meat Industry Appendix 44
Return to Work: Weekly Review
Period Ending
___________________
Employee Details
Name: _____________________________ Supervisor
___________________
Usual Work Location _________________ Return to Work Location
_______________
Hours
Day
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Total
Hrs Worked
Planned Hrs
Duties
Any variations in duties planned:
Communication
Discussion with employee:
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
Discussions with supervisor:
18
Company Logo
Sample Daily Monitoring Report
Source: OHS Reference Guide for Australian Meat Industry Appendix 45
Name of Processor: Daily Injury Management Report
To:
From:
Date:
Unfit for any duties:
Name
D.O.I
Dept
Wks
Injury
Certificate
Review Date
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3.2.6 Workers Compensation Responsibilities
Many processors choose to separate the functions of the RTW
coordinator and workers compensation obligations by employing a
separate Workers Compensation Officer.You do not have to do this,
and many small processors combine the function. If this is the case
in your company, the following responsibilities apply to the sole
RTW coordinator as well.
Do not under-resource this function. A tight control on the
processing of workers compensation claims and building a
relationship with your workers compensation insurance company
can directly save costs to the plant. This is not a job that can be left
to a junior staff member, though a junior person can certainly assist
with the administrative aspects.
Workers Compensation Responsibilities:
1. Monitor and assess outstanding claims estimates and provide
information that may influence decisions on claims
2. Monitor and confirm premium estimations
3. Organise and attend regular claims meetings with insurer (at
least 2 per year)
4. Liaise with the local insurance claims manager to:
 ensure effective management of Workers' Compensation
claims;
 ensure efficient management of Workers' Compensation
payments;
 notify referrals of injured employees to rehabilitation provider;
 inform of ongoing communication re individual plans and
 efficiently manage injury management accounts.
Check out the new
“Claims Estimation
Manual” on the
WorkCover website
See Section 4 for a
list of employee
benefits
5. Ensure that appropriate Workers' Compensation Records are
maintained
6. Provide statistics to OH&S Committee through either:
 regular written reports, quoting injury/rehabilitation statistics;
and/or
 attend Committee meetings and report on the status of the
RTW Program.
7. Monitor Injury Management Process by:
 monitoring pay arrangements, according to the legislation.
 monitoring the early and appropriate referral to medical
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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specialists by the RTW coordinator/accredited rehabilitation
provider.
 advising arrangements for necessary transportation of the
employee undertaking injury management.
 monitoring all injury management documentation to
minimise any delays and inconvenience to injury
management.
8. Manage legal claims by:
 establishing a relationship with solicitors representing your
company
 liaising with investigators/assessors
 attending all court hearings
 advising solicitors/barristers on expectations. Discuss
strategy and supply information at the hearing and before
 ensuring your company’s requirements are met (for
example, by ensuring that responsibility is shared between
the solicitor and the insurer).
The “Benefits
Guide” WorkCover
NSW is updated
each April and
October and
contains
information about
employee
entitlements
3.3 Trouble-shooting
Try these questions to see how much you know about the role
of the return-to-work coordinator.
1. Describe the contents of a return-to-work file on an injured
employee.
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
2. The RTW coordinator is, as the name implies, the chief
coordinator of injury management. Who are the other parties
and how does the coordinator keep them on side?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
3. What are the timeframes for injury management and workers
compensation that an employer and insurer must comply with?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
It is in this Section
It is in this Section
Look in the back
pages of the IM
Resource Pack.
(They are also in
the WorkCover
Safety Kit)
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Section 3 Injury Management Team and Role of RTW Coordinator
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