In the construction industry, employees lift heavy supplies and perform physically demanding tasks, making workplace injuries possible. After an injury, doctors overseeing workers’ compensation claims may allow employees to return to work on light duty before completely healing.
When considering transitional duties, the following options decrease the chance of construction workers reinjuring themselves.
1. Perform ground-level work
Many construction jobs require workers to perform tasks on scaffolding or at elevated heights. Recovering employees may need to avoid climbing. One option for those employees is to stay on the ground level and assist other workers in collecting and handing up supplies, allowing the overhead employees to perform their jobs more efficiently.
2. Inventory supplies
Construction work involves many different supplies for various aspects of the job. Conducting inventory to ensure the crews have all the necessary products to complete the job is something injured workers can do safely.
3. Supervise other employees
Construction workers with years of experience may consider supervising other employees when recovering from an injury. While this keeps them from performing physical labor, they can still offer expertise and knowledge to ensure the jobs get completed correctly.
4. Assist with paperwork
While construction work is laborious, another vital part of the job is managing important paperwork. From accounting to filing permits with the authorities, assisting with the paperwork is not physically demanding and safe for recovering workers to do.
Returning to work on light duty keeps employees engaged in their jobs and allows them to earn a living. Even in highly physical careers, such as the construction industry, knowing that light-duty transitional tasks exist may encourage more injured employees to return as soon as possible.