Although strict and proper health and safety regulations help to minimise the risk of incidents in the workplace, accidents can still happen. If you have had an accident at work, there are several steps you need to take.
The below are some of the things you need to be aware of should you have an accident in your workplace:
Seek medical attention
The most important thing you need to do as soon as you have been involved in an accident at work is to seek medical attention.
Depending on the severity of your injury, you may be able to go and see a first-aid-trained member of staff. However, in some instances, your injury may be much more severe and will require you to go and visit your local GP or the hospital.
Gather evidence
Where possible, try and gather as much evidence of the scene of the accident as you can. Should you wish to make a complaint, open a grievance or claim compensation for your accident, evidence will help the proceeding events go as smoothly as possible.
Report the incident to management
It is vital that to report the incident to senior members of staff and management as soon as you can. This means that there is an accurate timeline of when the events occurred so that you can corroborate with colleagues and staff.
Reporting the incident will also allow your employer to make changes that could help other members of staff avoid similar incidents in the future. It could be the case that health and safety standards have slipped, so reporting it will help to keep you and your workforce safe in the future.
Accident log book
Workplaces with more than ten employees should have an accident book that people can fill in if an incident arises. It’s important to have this information documented, so as soon as you are able, make sure you write down what happened to you, when and any other information that may be of use.
Consider making a claim for compensation
If you have an accident at work and it wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to claim compensation.
Sustaining an injury at work can have a hugely negative impact on your life. It can impact both your physical and mental health, as well as your ability to do your job properly which could have a damaging impact on your earnings.
You shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of having an accident at work. If you have had an accident, you could make a claim for compensation to help cover the costs of any medical treatment or loss of earnings you may have to deal with as a result.
