If we could predict the future, we would know that ‘Thomas’ would trip over the brick on the ground, and we could remove the brick, and Thomas would not have tripped, fell, and broke his arm. If we could predict the future, we could prevent all workplace injuries and accidents, but we cannot.
Because we cannot predict the future, we do the next best thing we ensure we are covered under, The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993, when an injury occurs. Through this, we ensure the employee can receive the required medical care promptly.
Is this enough?
“Experience has shown us that when dealing with Injury on Duty cases, there are a few critical factors for both the employer and the employee,” says Richard Moodie, Relay EMS Operations Manager.
- Location and response time injuries can occur at the employer’s premises or another job site. If we know the exact location to respond to, it saves valuable time in the response.
- The right response and ensuring the right people and equipment for an injured employee are vital for emergency care to start soon after the injury.
- Paperwork as with most things in life, there is some administration and forms you need to complete. An IOD is no different. To have a completed employer’s report of the accident (WCl2) significantly reduces the time taken to admit the patient to the emergency unit.
One of our core values at Relay EMS is INNOVATION. We have first-hand experience of the delays caused by a slow response time, having no or incorrect IOD paperwork and the knock-on effect for all the other medical service providers who need to treat the employee. We asked, “How can we assist? How can we add value to our clients and the wider medical service provider network?” Looking for a solution started our journey to develop an IOD service offering.
“We had a clear understanding of the problem”, said Richard Moodie. We needed to transition this into a solution. RRZ Innovations, a Gqeberha based company providing professional and personalised software solutions, stepped in to assist. The initial brief to RRZ Innovations was that we require a system that can provide:
- A database for client information.
- The location of the company.
- The relevant contact details.
- An easy-to-use system for our Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), allowing them to use our current dispatching system.
- Communication to a client confirming the IOD and the dispatching of an ambulance.
- The electronic completion of the WCL2 (Employers Report of an accident).
- IOD paperwork is to be sent electronically to the receiving hospital.
- A monthly report function for clients to receive information on IOD incidents.
- The system must require minimal intervention from the client. Clients simply need to contact our EOC to report the IOD.
We took time with the initial development and testing, both internally and externally, and we are proud to say that the system is now live and fully operational as of the 1st of September 2022.
In meeting the critical factors, firstly, response time:
- Clients are pre-loaded onto the system with their correct location and contact people.
- The system allows our EOC to share the location with the emergency vehicles responding to the incident.
- Clients can provide special instructions, such as specific access routes or gates to use.
- Our EOC can quickly dispatch our crew to the correct location with all the relevant information.
- Clients pre-confirm the medical facility where their staff need to go.
- Clients receive an immediate SMS confirming the IOD, the dispatch of an ambulance, and a case number as a reference.
Secondly, paperwork:
- Once you report the IOD, we dispatch an ambulance.
- Telephonically we assist in the electronic completion of the WCl2 form whilst the ambulance personnel take care of the injured employee.
- Once complete, the system sends a secure link to the authorised person on the employer’s side to sign the WCl2.
- The completed and signed WCl2 document will be submitted to the receiving hospital or doctor by Relay EMS.
- When the patient arrives, they can be admitted immediately and receive the medical treatment they require.
All of this is done with minimal intervention from the client. Once registered, you simply need to call our EOC to report the IOD.
“This system is available to clients, not just within our areas of operation, but to national clients”, says Richard Moodie. We provide two service models. Firstly, to clients within our area of operation, we dispatch one of our ambulances and complete the WCl2. Secondly, to clients outside of our area of operation, we can provide the completion of the WCl2 document. These clients will call our EOC to report the IOD, and the EOC will then contact the relevant EMS service where the client is located to dispatch an ambulance.
With this end-to-end solution, Relay EMS can assist and guide the employer to register the IOD with the Compensation Fund and receive a claim number for the case, assisting with the adjudication and acceptance of the claim by the CF.
With our innovative system, we cannot predict the future. However, we can assist both employers and employees in dealing with injuries and the administration of the IOD, ensuring that employees receive the medical care they require to recover quickly and return to their daily lives and duties.
For additional information, please email us at iod@relayems.co.za