Workplace accidents are a daily occurrence in the UK. According to data gathered by the Labour Force Survey, around 441,000 people are injured each year at work, of whom 142 are killed. If you’re a worker or an employer, it’s a good idea to take the possibility seriously. This includes thinking about how accidents might occur, and how they might be prevented from occuring. But it also means preparing for how you’ll act when an accident does take place.
So, what should you do when you’ve suffered an accident at work?
Make the area safe
Your first duty is to remove the source of the accident. If it’s a piece of machinery that’s caused it, then deactivate the machinery. Make everyone aware that an accident has occurred, and clear a space.
Seek medical attention
If you’re injured, it’s vital that you get medical attention. Sometimes, the full impact of an accident isn’t fully visible until much later. This goes especially for head injuries. Don’t leave anything to chance – get yourself checked out.
Let your manager know
If your supervisors aren’t aware of the problem, then they’ll be unable to react to it. By leaving them in the dark, you might actually be causing someone else to fall victim to the same problem.
Take photos and video evidence
Documenting the scene might help in several ways. First, it’ll help the company to investigate the accident, and to conduct risk assessments. Second, if you should need to lodge a personal injury claim later on, you might find that the evidence makes the difference between a successful claim and an unsuccessful one.
Log the injury
Remember those statistics we mentioned? They come as a result of workers logging their accidents. By logging your injury, you’re helping to provide the information needed to analyse the risk on a broader scale, and to make the workplace safer in general. All workplaces should have a log book. If your employer doesn’t allow you to log the injury, then make sure you make the request in writing so that there’s a paper trail supporting you.
Hire a specialised solicitor
Victims of workplace accidents are often entitled to compensation. This might be to offset the loss of earnings you’ve suffered as a result of the accident, or your medical expenses, or your more general pain and suffering.
Keep a record of your losses
When deciding how much to award you in the way of damages, the court will examine how much you’ve suffered financially. Make sure that you hold onto evidence of your expenses. You can either do this digitally or with paper. Just make sure that you are as organised as possible. You’ll have a much easier time later.
