(Electrical and communications industry)

CONTENTS

1. INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE 
          1.1 INTRODUCTION 
          1.2 COMPONENTS 
          1.3 HOW TO USE THE SUITABLE DUTIES MANUAL 
2. SUITABLE DUTIES FORMS - INJURED BODY PART 
          NECK 
          DOMINANT SHOULDER 
          NON-DOMINANT SHOULDER 
          DOMINANT ELBOW 
          NON-DOMINANT ELBOW 
          DOMINANT WRIST, HAND AND FINGERS 
          NON-DOMINANT WRIST, HAND AND FINGERS 
          BACK AND HIPS 
          DOMINANT KNEE 
          NON-DOMINANT KNEE 
          DOMINANT ANKLE AND FOOT 
          NON-DOMINANT ANKLE AND FOOT 
3. RETURN TO WORK & RECOMMENDATIONS 
4. TASK ANALYSIS & WORK DEMANDS ASSESSMENT 
5. APPENDICES 

1. INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Employers have a moral and legislative obligation to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees in the workplace. Other legislation requires the employer to take steps to assure the early return-to-work of any injured worker. It is noted that the injury management requirements for each state and territory may differ. The specific requirements for this organisation are identified in the Company’s Injury Management Policies and Procedures. This manual provides a range of suitable duties that exist in the electrical and communications industry. Suitable duties are short-term activities taking into account any limitations the injured worker may have while recovering from the injury. The identification of suitable duties is an important step in the injury management process ensuring the prompt, safe and durable return-to-work of an injured worker. These duties assist with the injured worker’s rehabilitation and expedite the recovery process, as the worker maintains a link to the workplace. When an employee returns to work following an illness or injury that required medical treatment or time off then we require a Medical Certificate. Where restrictions apply the Medical Certificate should be accompanied with an appropriately completed Suitable Duties Form. The Medical Certificate and Suitable Duties Form are used to assist in the preparation of the Return-to-Work Plan for the injured worker.

1.2 COMPONENTS

The following sections provide specific information on suitable duties:

SECTION 2: SUITABLE DUTIES FORMS

These are the forms that the Nominated Treating Doctor (NTD) utilises to identify the most appropriate returnto- work duties for the injured worker. Separate forms providing potential suitable duties for a given location of the injured body part. Note that FDF means “Final Distribution Frame” and NTD means the “Nominated Treating Doctor”. The duties on these forms are ranked in relation to the work capacity required to perform them safely as High, Medium and Low Capacity:

HIGH CAPACITY
These duties are suitable for employees who are functioning well and have very limited physical restrictions. Employees who have a High Capacity would also be able to perform those duties identified as Medium and Low Capacity.
MEDIUM CAPACITY
These duties are suitable for employees who have some functional limitations and have moderate physical restrictions. Employees who have a Medium Capacity would also be able to perform those duties identified as Low Capacity; they should not perform any duties rated as High Capacity.
LOW CAPACITY
These duties are suitable for employees with limited functional capacity and significant physical restrictions. Employees who have a Low Capacity should not perform any duties rated as High or Medium Capacity.

SECTION 3: RETURN TO WORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS

These sheets are to be given to the injured worker and their Supervisor / Manager to ensure that the employee is given information and recommendations regarding the duties chosen for return-to-work. Each sheet details a different body part, therefore, only the sheet with the relevant injured body part should be used. The Return-To-Work Coordinator should incorporate the recommendations from this section into the Return-to-Work Plan.

SECTION 4: TASK ANALYSIS AND WORK DEMAND ASSESSMENT

This information is the basis for the development of the Suitable Duties Manual. Each task has been assessed and the work demands of each body part have been recorded. The task analysis information can be used to provide the Nominated Treating Doctor with additional information regarding the return-to-work tasks.

1.3 HOW TO USE THE SUITABLE DUTIES MANUAL

PRELIMINARY

A copy of the Suitable Duties Manual may be held at the office of the Company with the person who coordinates the injury management function. This person is known as the Return-to-Work Coordinator. The doctor that is selected to treat an injured worker is known as the Nominated Treating Doctor (NTD). It may be convenient for the Company to provide a selected local doctor with a full copy of this manual. Such a doctor may be known as a Preferred Medical Practitioner and becomes the Nominated Treating Doctor when selected.

Any Nominated Treating Doctor that does not have ready access to the manual will be provided with a copy of the relevant Suitable Duties Form and a letter from the Company, at the time of attendance of the injured worker:

• The relevant Suitable Duties Form is chosen from Section 2 and is applicable to the body part/s relating to the injury.
• The letter requests that the form be completed by the Nominated Treating Doctor and returned to the

Company for its use in preparing the Return-to-Work Plan (see proforma in Appendix 1).

INJURY REQUIRING MEDICAL TREATMENT OR TIME OFF

When an incident has been reported that requires treatment or time off of an injured worker:

1. The Supervisor / Manager arranges for the injured worker to go to a Preferred Medical Practitioner or to the doctor of the employee’s choice. Note the nature of the injury and doctor’s name and phone number.
2. The Supervisor / Manager calls the Clinic to inform that the injured worker is on their way to the Clinic for treatment and confirms that the Clinic has a copy of the Suitable Duties Manual at the time of treatment.
3. The Supervisor / Manager calls the Company Return-to-Work Coordinator to advise of the incident and details of the injury and Nominated Treating Doctor.
4. If the Clinic does not have a copy of the Suitable Duties Manual then the Return-to-Work Coordinator prepares a Suitable Duties Letter (per Appendix 1). The Return-to-Work Coordinator sends both the letter and a copy of the relevant Suitable Duties Form to the Clinic.
5. The Return-to-Work Coordinator contacts the Clinic to ensure that the treating Doctor has received the Suitable Duties Letter and Suitable Duties Form.
6. If the employee is going home from the Doctor, request that a copy of the Medical Certificate and Suitable Duties Form be sent to the Return-to-Work Coordinator.

NOMINATED TREATING DOCTOR

If the Clinic is contacted by our Company and informed that an employee will be attending due to injury:

1. Confirm that the Suitable Duties Manual is available and passed on to the treating Doctor. If not then the Company will send an explanatory letter and a copy of the relevant Suitable Duties Form to the treating Doctor.
2. Provide priority treatment to the Company employee upon arrival.
3. At completion of the consultation with the injured worker, complete a Medical Certificate, and copy and complete the Suitable Duties Form for the injured body part.
4. Copy the completed Suitable Duties Form: Place original in the employee’s file and attached the copy to Medical Certificate for the injured employee to return to the Return-to-Work Coordinator.
5. Confirm that the Medical Certificate and Suitable Duties Form can be faxed to the Company, if requested.

EMPLOYEE RETURNS TO WORK FOLLOWING ILLNESS OR INJURY

When the injured worker reports for duty and before commencing their return-to-work:

1. The injured worker shall provide the Medical Certificate and Suitable Duties Form to the Return-to-Work Coordinator for preparation of the Return-to-Work Plan, processing and placed in the Company employee record.
2. If these documents are not available then the employee will need to return to their Nominated Treating Doctor with a letter and relevant Suitable Duties Form before commencing work. The procedure for obtaining medical documentation is provided above, under INJURY REQUIRING MEDICAL TREATMENT OR TIME OFF.
3. The Return-to-Work Coordinator drafts the Return-to-Work Plan and consults with the Supervisor / Manager and injured worker as appropriate.
4. The Supervisor / Manager obtains a copy of the Return-to-Work Plan and Suitable Duties Form and the appropriate sheets from Section 3 which outlines restrictions and recommendations for the duties that the injured worker will be allowed to perform.
5. The Supervisor / Manager consults with the injured worker with regard to the information provided by the Return-to-Work Coordinator so the injured worker has a clear understanding of the restrictions and recommendations for the duties that they will be performing.
6. The Supervisor / Manager takes the employee through all of these documents prior to the commencement of their return-to-work. It is important that the injured worker is provided with instruction on how to perform the identified duties safely to prevent any aggravation of their current injury.
7. If necessary, seek professional advice on appropriate work practices for the injured worker from a qualified rehabilitation provider.
8. The Supervisor / Manager shall arrange duties for the injured worker as per the instructions on the Return-to-Work Plan.
9. The injured worker returns to work subject to the information and instruction detailed above and the Company’s Injury Management Policy and Procedures.
10. The injured worker must attend all relevant reviews with the Nominated Treating Doctor and other practitioners and keep the Return-to-Work Coordinator informed.

RETURN-TO-WORK COORDINATOR

The Return-to-Work Coordinator will coordinate activities with the injured worker, Supervisor / Manager, Nominated Treating Doctor and the Workers’ Compensation Insurer, including:

1. Provide a Suitable Duties Manual to the Preferred Medical Practitioner and any necessary instruction.
2. Prepare letters addressed to the Nominated Treating Doctor and provide Suitable Duties forms to the clinic as required.
3. Brief the Supervisor / Manager on procedures for the administration of suitable duties at the workplace including the use of appropriate forms from Section 3 of the manual so that the injured worker can return-towork at the earliest opportunity.
4. Manage new injury notification as per the Company Injury Management Policies and Procedures.
5. Draft the Return-to-Work Plan utilising both the Medical Certificate and Suitable Duties Form as provided by the Nominated Treating Doctor as well as the recommendations and restrictions outlined in Section 3 of this manual. This will be done in consultation with the injured worker, Supervisor / Manager, Nominated Treating Doctor and the insurer as required.
6. Monitor rehabilitation through to return to full pre-injury duties or a satisfactory conclusion.
7. Ensure that all notifications, reviews and records as required under the injury management plan and procedures are actioned, processed and on file.

2. SUITABLE DUTIES FORMS

3. RETURN TO WORK & RECOMMENDATIONS

4. TASK ANALYSIS & WORK DEMANDS ASSESSMENT

5. APPENDICES