Frequently Asked Questions
What you need to know if you suffer an injury at work
Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility March 2022 Drake International
Contents
If I’ve Had an Injury At Work, Who Do I Contact?....................................................01 How Do I Report an Injury?.............................................................................................01 What happens once I have reported a work-related injury?.............................02 What is the process once my claim has been lodged?.........................................02 What happens if my claim is accepted?.....................................................................03 What compensation payment will I be entitled if my claim is accepted?.....03 Do I need to work whilst I am on a WorkCover claim?.........................................04 Will I need an injury management plan?...................................................................05 Do I need to do anything else during my WorkCover claim?.............................06
We have collated some frequently asked questions along with answers on the injury management process and policies of Drake International.
If I’ve had an injury at work, who do I contact? Key Contacts: Initial Injury Notification
Injury Assist hotline
1800 965 104
Medical Certificates and other information
Melanie Meyrick
melanie.meyrick@dhs.net.au
Rostering and payment enquires
Drake Consultant
13 14 48
How do I report an injury? In the unlikely event that you suffer an injury at work, you need to follow the process of reporting the occurrence to all relevant parties as soon as reasonably practicable, including: 1. Notify your on-site supervisor of the event and if First Aid is required, the supervisor will arrange this for you. You may also need to complete the company’s incident report form. 2. Call Drake’s 24 hours / 7 days a week Injury Assist hotline on 1800 965 104 (if not already done). Your call will be answered by a Registered Nurse, that will provide additional medical advice and arrange a priority medical appointment (if required) for you. 3. Notify your Drake consultant or After-hours of the event, by calling 13 14 48. Your consultant will also assist with completing Drake incident report form, which is required for all injury events. This is the first part of the injury management process.
01
What happens once I have reported a work-related injury? •
The Injury Assist consultant will record initial details of the injury being reported and provide this information to Drake’s Injury management team for processing.
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Drake will commence the claims lodgement process and will advise you if you need to complete a claim lodgement form or anything else you may need to do (this will depend on the relevant State/Territory).
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The claim is lodged with the relevant Workers Compensation authority.
What is the process once my claim has been lodged? •
All injury claims will be investigated prior to being accepted.
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You may need to provide additional information, including medical records, physio reports, hospital discharge report or any other relevant information related to your claim.
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Once this has been completed, Drake needs to provide various information to the relevant Workers Compensation authority, including payment history, CCTV footage of the event, witness statements and any other information relevant to your claim.
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Once all this information has been provided, the relevant Workers Compensation authority will make a liability decision, which can take up to 21 days (from the date of lodgement).
02
What happens if my claim is accepted? •
Once Drake is notified that the relevant Workers Compensation authority has accepted your claim for Worker’s Compensation, Drake will arrange an initial payment to be made to you in the next scheduled pay run, which generally occurs each Thursday (for the previous week).
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This initial payment will be backdated to the date of injury (or in some cases, the date listed on your WorkCover medical certificate).
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You can choose to attend your own doctor; however, you may need to pay the consultation fee and other medical expenses up front (which will be reimbursed to you upon your claim being accepted).
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An initial consultation fee generally ranges from $60.00 - $180.00 (depending on the consultation required). If you choose to attend one of Drake’s approved network of medical treatment providers, you will not need to pay anything up front.
What compensation payment will I be entitled if my claim is accepted? •
Compensation payments are calculated based on your pre-injury average weekly earnings (PIAWE). You will initially be entitled to up to 95% of the calculated average weekly earnings, which will be processed and paid into your nominated account, in the following week’s pay run. As your claim progresses, this figure will/may reduce down to 80% at set claim milestones, depending on the relevant State or Territory. For example: if your average gross wage is $800.00 per week – your gross weekly entitlements would be $760.00.
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If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may be able to receive an emergency payment, however this is subject to prior approval by relevant Workers Compensation authority and Drake.
03
Do I need to work whilst I am on a WorkCover claim?
It has been proven that you will recover from a workplace injury much sooner and more effectively if you remain at (or return to) the workplace. This is where suitable duties form an important part of the rehabilitation process. Therefore, Drake has an obligation to arrange Suitable Duties (wherever possible) on your behalf, to assist in your rehabilitation and return to work goals. These duties may be at your normal workplace, an alternative workplace or within a Drake office closest to your home. The duties that you will be completing will vary depending on the medical recommendations provided by your doctor, including your work capacity, the number of days / hours you are able to complete the suitable duties and any other restrictions that may be relevant. You are required to undertake the suitable duties where they are offered to you. Where the opportunity is at an alternative workplace, your need to treat this opportunity the same as you would at your usual workplace. You need to comply with all safety requirements of the site and always conduct yourself in a professional manner whilst at the workplace. Please note: Your weekly payments may be suspended if you unreasonably fail to comply with your obligations to make reasonable efforts to return to work in suitable employment, either within your pre-injury workplace or a new workplace, under section 48 of the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998.
04
Will I need an injury management plan?
If you require time off work or medical treatment to recover from you work-related injury, you will need an injury management plan. These plans are designed to identify actions to assist you achieve your rehabilitation and return-to-work goals. It is important that you participate in the development of an injury management plan and commit to any actions identified during the plan development process. Development of your Injury Management plan will be required consultation between several parties, including: •
You;
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Drake (as your employer);
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Your doctor and/or physiotherapist;
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The relevant Workers Compensation authority.
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Do I need to do anything else during my WorkCover claim? There will be things that you will need to do during your rehabilitation and return-to-work pathway, including:
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Providing accurate information to Drake (when reporting an injury) and to your medical practitioner about your injury, including:
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Describing other potential activities that may have contributed to your injury.
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Being specific about the nature of the injury - saying “back pain” or “muscle soreness” is not enough.
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Accurately describing your pain level at your medical examination milestones.
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Follow the recommendations of your medical practitioner, including completing stretches and/or exercises, designed to assist with your recovery.
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Ensure you (or your doctor) emails a copy of your medical certificate(s) and other related information to Melanie - melanie.meyrick@dhs.net.au. Delays in sending your current medical certificates and other relevant information can result in your weekly compensation payments being suspended until these documents are received and verified by Drake and the relevant Workers Compensation authority.
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Remain contactable during your WorkCover claim, as you may be contacted by your Drake consultant, Drake’s Injury Management team and/or the Workers Compensation case manager. You may be contacted by a private number, therefore, if you don’t answer this call, you will need to call the number left on your voice mail asap. If you are not contactable you may be deemed non-compliant which can affect your claim.
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Remain focussed on your injury recovery and actively participate in your rehabilitation pathway throughout the duration of your WorkCover claim. It can be easy to focus on the injury itself, however the rehabilitation pathway is designed to return to you to pre-injury duties as soon as possible.
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Comply with any reasonable request, as directed by Drake, your medical practitioner and/or the relevant Workers Compensation authority.
If you have any questions or concerns about your rehabilitation progress, your return-to-work goals or if you need additional support during your WorkCover claim, you need to call Drake on 13 14 48 immediately. Drake is more than happy to support you in any way possible during your recovery.
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