Case 4: Knee injury following slip on wet floor

Organisation

Leading bakery retailer with over 1,000 shops nationwide. The business has a divisional structure with central bakeries around the country each supplying the shops in their surrounding areas.

Accident

In October 2006 a 59 year old occupational health nurse slipped on a wet floor, injuring her back and right knee.

Intervention

OHA were notified of the accident forthwith. The employee was referred for physiotherapy treatment which commenced a week after the accident. After several weeks her symptoms failed to respond to physiotherapy so an orthopaedic consultation was arranged for November 2006, followed by an MRI scan in December 2006. The MRI scan confirmed a medial meniscus tear requiring arthroscopy surgery that was carried out in December 2006.

Employee returned to her normal job at work in February 2007.

Cost of treatment and savings

£2995 for orthopaedic consultation and follow up, MRI scan, arthroscopy and physiotherapy.

Return to work occurred up to 15 months earlier than if the OHA had not been involved (13 weeks saved in relation to orthopaedic consultation and 12 months in relation to the MRI scan). No claim against the company was intimated.