What to do after an accident at work?

Enter your accident in the accident book

Your employer is required by law to keep an accident book and you should ensure that you report your accident to your employer, whether or not you are injured, and that your accident is placed in the Accident Book.

Even if you were not injured it may assist your employer to put into place new safety measures which could save other people having the same accident.

In certain circumstances your employer is legally required to report your accident to the Health and Safety Executive if the accident causes you to be off sick for at least 10 days or you have suffered work related illness. This is known as a RIDDOR Report (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.)

Even if you think the accident was partly your own fault it may be partly your employer’s fault too so you may still get some compensation if you were injured.

Consult a doctor

You should see a doctor as soon as possible following an accident at work.  If the injury is serious it may be better to go to the Accident & Emergency Department of your local hospital. 

Take photos of where your accident occurred

It is important to take these photos (unless it is against your company rules) so that there is no dispute as to where your accident occurred.  Most phones have a camera on them which can be used to take quite good photographs.  If you were injured by a piece of equipment then take a close up of that and also a long shot of how that piece of equipment fits into your workplace.

Take photos of your injury

If your accident has caused a deep cut or bruising, it is important to take photographs of the injuries as soon after your accident as you can.  This shows exactly what part of your body was injured in the accident.  This should be done on a daily basis as you recover until the bruises disappear or the scarring is healed.  This can show how long your injury lasted and whether the scarring is permanent.

Obtain the details of witnesses to your accident

It is important to obtain the names and addresses of people who witnessed your accident as your personal injury solicitor will want these details.

Consult an experienced Personal Injury Solicitor to Handle your Claim

It’s often a good idea to consult an experienced personal injury Solicitor as soon as possible, who has expertise in handling personal injury claims.  An initial consultation is usually free and can help you determine what benefits you might be entitled to receive.

You have nothing to lose in making that call and may be  a lot to gain, so call  the freephone number at the top of this page to speak to one of our experienced personal injury team.