1. Provide immediate access to or referral for medical care. You must provide emergency medical care for all work-related injuries.
2. Prepare the Employer’s Report of Occupational Injury or Illness (DWC Form 5020) and file it with the Department of Industrial Relations, or with your insurance carrier if you are an insured employer.
3. If an incident results in a serious injury or illness or death, you must report it immediately by telephone or email to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA). Cal/OSHA recommends telephonic reporting within 24 hours of the incident. Telephonic and email reporting instructions are available on the Cal/OSHA website at the Cal/OSHA website.

1. Notify the employee’s emergency contacts if the employee is unable to do so.
2. If the illness or injury will obviously result in time lost beyond the date of the illness or injury or results in medical treatment beyond first aid, then immediately provide the employee with the Workers Compensation Claim Form - DWC 1. The employer is required to provide the employee with a claim form, either personally or by first class mail, within one working day of notice or knowledge of an injury.

• Workers Compensation Claim Form - DWC 1

1. Prepare your internal company required reports, if any.
2. Designate the time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or California Family Rights Act (CFRA), if applicable. FMLA/CFRA gives the employee up to 12 weeks of continued health benefits. Workers’ compensation insurance covers the medical costs of the workplace injury only. For more information, see FMLA and CFRA Qualifying Reasons.
3. Communicate with the employee on a regular basis to make sure that the individual receives medical treatment and the required benefit payments in a timely manner.
4. Follow up with the doctor or medical facility and obtain and review the Form 5021 - Doctor’s First Report of Occupational Injury or Illness. Note the following:
• The employee’s written description of how the injury or illness occurred to help you investigate the claim and/or the reason for the injury or illness. Is there a disparity in the history of the injury? Do you need to investigate more fully and talk to witnesses?
• The employee’s ability to return to their regular job or modified duty. Determine if you can accommodate any listed work restrictions. A return to full duty or modified duty reduces the payments that the workers’ compensation carrier makes to the employee and reduces the impact on your future insurance premiums.

• Doctor’s First Report of Occupational Injury or Illness
• Employer’s First Report of Occupational Injury or Illness
• Workers Compensation Claim Form - DWC 1

1. Investigate the accident, identifying the cause and preventative action(s) that will avoid recurrence. Your Cal/OSHA-mandated Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) requires that you investigate each accident. Document the investigation.
2. Prepare any required Cal/OSHA records, such as:
• Injury and Illness Incident Report.
• Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Log - Form 300.
• Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses - Form 300A.
• Use the OSHA Log 300 - Guidelines for Determining Recordability to determine what you must record. The Optional Worksheet to Help You Fill Out the Annual Summary - Form 300A can help you complete Form 300A.
• Workers’ Compensation Checklist.

• Injury and Illness Incident Report - Form 301
• Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Log - Form 300
• Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Summary - Form 300A
• OSHA Log 300 - Guidelines for Determining Recordability
• Optional Worksheet to Help You Fill Out the Annual Summary - Form 300A
• Workers Compensation Checklist

Certain California employers are required to electronically submit their Form 300A information to a federal OSHA database annually, which is in compliance with federal OSHA requirements. For more information, see Recording Work-Related Injury and Illness.