Remember the old Boy Scout motto they have used for over 100 years:Be Prepared.The fact is, when an employee is injured on the job, many employers don’t know where to start. From taking care of the injured worker to filing the claim, to figuring out what happened, a workplace injury can be overwhelming. Like dealing with a flat tire without a spare, getting caught unprepared for an injury will make the experience more difficult than it has to be.You can’t know the details of an accident before it happens, but there are some simple steps you can take now that will make the process go more smoothly when an injury does occur:• Designate medical providers – To comply with Colorado law starting in 2015, you must designate at least four medical providers to treat your injured workers. Just as important, you need to let your employees know who those providers are, before and after an injury. Martin Insurance Group has template letters and forms that make this step easy.• Ask employees to report injuries within 24 hours – You may not always be on the jobsite, so make sure your employees and supervisors know that all injuries should be reported immediately to ensure the injured worker gets the care they need. Reporting the injury promptly will also help your employee get back to work safely and quickly, and keep claims costs in check.• Distribute important follow-up resources – Following an injury, it’s important to talk with the employee about what happened, and conduct your own analysis of what caused the accident. That way, you can determine if any preventive measures could keep the same thing from happening again. Martin Insurance Group has an Employee Accident Report and an Accident Investigation Report to mitigate the hazards. You might consider printing these forms out and have them handy on every job site.By following the steps above – and informing your supervisors and employees about your expectations – you’ll be prepared to handle a workplace injury quickly and effectively.