(303) 555-0190 · Return to Work Program
1 Case at a Glance
2 Injury and Reporting Facts
While securing a load at the customer's dock, the employee pulled a chain binder overhead with his right arm and felt immediate pain in the right shoulder. He completed the securement with assistance from the yard spotter, notified dispatch by phone within approximately fifteen minutes, and did not continue driving that day.
| Location of injury | Customer dock, Meridian Building Supply, Commerce City, CO |
| Task at time of injury | Load securement, chain and binder |
| Witness | Yard spotter, Meridian Building Supply (statement obtained Sep 30) |
| Supervisor investigation | Completed Sep 30 by R. Castillo, Operations Supervisor. Contributing factor identified: binder length required overhead reach on a high side rail. Corrective action: cheater bars issued and overhead-reach method retrained at the Oct 8 safety meeting. |
| Post-accident testing | Not required. No DOT-recordable crash and no reasonable suspicion criteria met. Company post-injury testing policy: not triggered. |
| Near-miss history, same task | One prior near-miss reported on the same securement method, Aug 2026, same terminal. |
3 Medical Status and Work Restrictions
Transcribed verbatim from the Work Status Report dated October 16, 2026, issued by Alan Reyes, MD at Northglenn Occupational Health, the authorized treating provider. No company representative modifies, interprets or summarizes these restrictions.
| Function | Restriction | Effect on assignment |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting / carrying | 15 lbs maximum, waist to chest only | No freight handling, no strap or chain work |
| Overhead reach, right arm | Prohibited | No securement, no tarping, no climbing rails |
| Push / pull | 20 lbs maximum | Hand truck use limited to empty returns |
| Climbing, ladders and equipment | Prohibited | No deck or trailer-top access |
| Operating a commercial motor vehicle | Prohibited | Driver not dispatched; no road calls |
| Sitting / standing / walking | Unrestricted | Full office and yard-level work available |
| Medication affecting function | None prescribed as of Oct 16 | No additional driving or machinery bar |
| Hours | 8 hours per day, 5 days per week | No overtime without written approval |
| Next appointment | October 26, 2026, 10:15 a.m. · transportation arranged, time paid |
| Maximum medical improvement | Not reached. Provider estimates re-evaluation for full release at 6 to 8 weeks post-injury. |
| DOT medical certificate | Current, expires March 14, 2027. Provider has not voided certification; a release to drive is still required before dispatch (49 CFR 391.45). |
4 Transitional Duty Assignment
Assigned tasks, matched to the restriction category
| Task | Restriction cleared | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatch phone coverage and driver call-backs | Sedentary, seated | Within restrictions |
| Driver Qualification file audit for missing documents | Sedentary, no lifting | Within restrictions |
| In-cab camera event review and coaching tags | Sedentary, seated | Within restrictions |
| Fire extinguisher, triangle and first-aid kit inventory | Lift under 15 lbs, ground level only | Within restrictions |
| Safety meeting material preparation | Sedentary | Within restrictions |
Excluded while restrictions are in place
Operating any commercial motor vehicle · roadside work in live traffic · load securement, strapping, chaining or tarping · climbing on or under equipment · overhead work with the right arm · any task the Work Status Report prohibits. Supervisors may not assign an excluded task even at the employee's request.
5 Compliance and Documentation Check
- ✓Employee Injury Report signed and datedReceived Sep 29, same day as injuryComplete
- ✓Supervisor Injury Investigation completedR. Castillo, Sep 30, corrective action assignedComplete
- ✓Claim reported to the workers' compensation carrierReported Sep 30, one day after noticeComplete
- ✓Work Status Report obtained after each visitThree on file: Sep 29, Oct 2, Oct 16Complete
- ✓Transitional duty offer made in writing and signedOffered Oct 3, accepted Oct 3Complete
- ✓OSHA 300 log entry madeLine 4, classified as job transfer or restrictionComplete
- ✓Medical information filed separately from the personnel fileComplete
- !Required state workers' compensation poster current and posted at the terminalPoster at the Northglenn terminal lists the prior carrier. Must be replaced.Due Oct 24 · D. Harmon
- !Transitional duty assignment log signed by the supervisor weeklyWeek of Oct 12 is unsigned, entries present.Due Oct 22 · R. Castillo
6 Communication Log
| Date | With | Method | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29 | Employee | Phone | Injury reported, directed to authorized provider, transportation arranged |
| Sep 30 | Adjuster | Claim filed, first report of injury and witness statement sent | |
| Oct 2 | Provider | Fax | Work Status Report received, restrictions transcribed |
| Oct 3 | Employee | In person | Transitional duty offer reviewed and signed, copy provided |
| Oct 13 | Employee | In person | Weekly check-in, reported no difficulty with assigned tasks |
| Oct 20 | Employee | In person | Weekly check-in, mild soreness at end of shift, no task change requested |
Program standard: the RTW Coordinator contacts the employee at least weekly while the employee is off work or on transitional duty, and documents each contact here.
7 Observations and Risk Notes
| Severity | Observation |
|---|---|
| Attention | The securement method that caused this injury is still in use at two other terminals. The corrective action was delivered at the Northglenn safety meeting only. |
| Monitor | End-of-shift soreness reported Oct 20 without a task change. If it continues at the next check-in, send the employee back to the provider before the scheduled Oct 26 visit. |
| Monitor | Day 17 of a 90-day transitional duty ceiling. If no full release by the Nov 16 review, the case needs a management decision on extended accommodation. |
| Positive | Same-day reporting, next-day investigation and a two-day turnaround to a written offer. The early-offer pattern is what keeps the wage-loss exposure down. |
8 Next Actions
| Action | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Replace the state workers' compensation poster with the current carrier notice | D. Harmon, RTW Coordinator | Oct 24, 2026 |
| Sign the transitional duty log for the week of Oct 12 | R. Castillo, Operations Supervisor | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Deliver the securement corrective action at the other two terminals | Safety Manager | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Attend the provider re-evaluation and obtain an updated work status the same day | Employee / RTW Coordinator | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Update this report and reissue to ownership and the adjuster | D. Harmon, RTW Coordinator | Oct 27, 2026 |
9 Review and Acknowledgment
Signing confirms the facts, restrictions and assignment recorded above are accurate as of the report date. The employee's signature acknowledges receipt of a copy and is not an agreement about the cause of the injury or the extent of the condition.