What to do when injured at work Published Oct. 11, 2012 47th Force Support Squadron Civilian Personnel Office LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- In February 2010, the Air Force launched a six month pilot program as the first stage in centralizing the Injury Compensation Program at Air Force Personnel Center. The pilot included four bases: Randolph, Laughlin, Goodfellow and Sheppard. During the second stage, the five large civilian centers, AFDW, Tinker, Hill, Wright-Patterson and Robins, were centralized. The third and final phase to centralization started in fiscal year 2012. The Air Force Injury Compensation Program is based on the Federal Employees' Compensation Act. FECA provides compensation benefits to federal civilian employees who sustain a work-related injury or occupational disease while in the performance of official duties. FECA also provides compensation benefits to surviving dependents, if a work-related injury or disease causes the death of an employee. Check out Hot Topics on the Injury and Unemployment Compensation Division website http://www.cpms.osd.mil/icuc/icuc_index.aspx regarding Division of Federal Employees' Compensation phone number updates. If you are injured at work, you may be entitled to injury compensation benefits provided under FECA. Federal employees have certain rights and responsibilities in filing for these benefits: Immediately report any work-related injury to your supervisor. If your injury requires medical treatment, obtain care as soon as possible. If you sustain a traumatic injury, you may obtain a Form CA-16, Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment, from your supervisor or the Injury Compensation Program Administrator at AFPC. You have the right to choose your treating physician. You may elect to be treated by a physician at a military treatment facility, if available, or by a duly qualified physician of your choice who is not excluded by the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs. You must notify your supervisor of your preferred choice prior to scheduling an appointment. Any request by your supervisor or the occupational health clinic that you be evaluated by a medical clinic or contract physician must not interfere with your preferred physician appointment. To protect your rights to certain benefits, complete the Form CA-1, Federal Employee's Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/Compensation, or CA-2, Federal Employee's Notice of Occupational Disease and Claim for Compensation, electronically using Electronic Data Interchange with your supervisor as soon as possible, but not later than 30 days after your injury. Complete a Form CA-1 if your injury results from a specific event or a series of events during one day or shift. If you develop a condition due to prolonged exposure lasting more than one day or shift, complete a Form CA-2. Your supervisor will transmit this form to the appropriate ICPA at AFPC. Complete the form as precisely as possible in order to avoid delays caused by asking you for additional information. You may be asked to provide additional information. Although your supervisor or other agency representative may assist you, it is your responsibility to obtain the information needed to support your claim. If you are temporarily unable to work because of your injury, you need to keep your supervisor informed about your medical condition and return to work as soon as your physician allows you to do so. Light duty assignments may be available if you are not able to perform your regular job and if so, you must advise your physician. If you experience a work-related injury, your supervisor will tell you who to contact for assistance and additional information and can provide you with a rights and responsibilities letter. To protect your rights and receive benefits as quickly as possible, please do not delay in reporting work-related injuries. The AFPC Injury Compensation Office has assumed ICPA responsibilities for all centralized bases including Laughlin. The supervisor is now the main point of contact for employees for injury compensation. Supervisors will contact the AFPC IC Office through the Total Force Service Center for assistance versus the local civilian personnel section. When contacting the AFPC IC Office regarding an existing case, please have the Department of Labor assigned case number available. All documentation should be submitted to AFPC with the claim number written on the top right corner of each page. Please forward via mail, fax or e-mail to: AFPC/DPIEPC Injury Compensation Randolph AFB, TX 78150 E-Mail: injury.compensation@us.af.mil Fax: 210-565-2952