A guide to workplace accidents

Often despite our best efforts, accidents in the workplace can happen. Injuries can occur from everyday events, like picking up a box or using scissors to thankfully less common things, like being hit by a falling object.

While some jobs come with more risk than others, all industries — from retail to construction, office work to aesthetics — have guidelines to follow to keep the workplace safe for everyone.

Let’s take a look into the biggest risks workers face, what rules are in place, how to prevent accidents and the steps to take if an accident occurs.

Skip ahead ⬇️

What are the biggest risks in the workplace?

Health and safety rules for employers

Industry-specific rules for employers

What happens if you don’t comply?

Types of injuries and what to report

How to prevent workplace accidents

What to do when an accident happens

Sick pay — what are the rules?

Accidents when you’re self-employed

What about insurance?

What are the biggest risks in the workplace?

Between 2022-2023, 561,000 employees sustained a non-fatal injury in the workplace according to the UK Labour Force Survey and 138 people sadly lost their lives.

Statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that around half of all employer-reported non-fatal injuries to employees in 2022 and 2023 included slips, trips or falls and being injured while handling, carrying or lifting.

Over the last five years, falling from height, being struck by a moving vehicle and being struck by a flying, falling or moving object account for 60% of all workplace fatalities.

Of the industries reporting, construction accounts for some of the highest proportion of injuries in a workplace setting. But no matter whether you’re working on a building site, a shop, a salon or an office, it’s important to know what rules you have to follow and how to handle an accident if it happens.

Health and safety rules for employers

Health and safetly rules for employers were set out in law in 1974 — a year when there was 651 work-related deaths.

Under this (and subsequent) legislation, whatever type of environment you work in, there are some basic health and safety guidelines you must legally follow as an employer.

It’s the number of employees you have that dictates what processes you need to have in place. Let’s break it down:

For all employers

However many people you employ, there are certain guidelines you must follow. These include:

• Keeping the workplace safe and preventing risks to employee or visitor health
• Ensuring all facilities — including the temperature, lighting, ventilation, washing and toilet facilities — meet requirements
• Setting up safe working practices and ensuring these are followed
• Providing first aid facilities and an appointed person to manage first aid arrangements
• Setting up an emergency plan (if you have more than five employees this needs to be written down)
• Providing and maintaining any warning signs, including displaying a health and safety law poster or providing your employees with a leaflet detailing the law
• Providing information to employees, or on-site training where necessary

If you work with machinery or chemicals, you must also:

• Ensure all your plant and machinery is safe to use
• Ensure all chemicals are safely stored and handled
• Control employee exposure to harsh chemicals
• Provide employees with information on the potential hazards they may face from the work they do
• Provide personal protective equipment free of charge

No matter the size of your business, by law you must always report certain types of accidents, injuries or near-misses. This legal duty falls under what’s known as RIDDOR — the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations — which is explained in more detail below.

For businesses with five employees or more

If your business has more than five employees, you must have an appointed health and safety champion who can manage all aspects of health and safety in your organisation.

This person will be responsible for all the previously mentioned actions, and also:

• Conduct risk assessments to spot potential hazards
• Keep a log of the risk assessment findings and how you’ll deal with the risks
• Create and publish a health and safety policy

For businesses with ten employees or more

If your business has over ten employees, under social security law, you must keep an accident book. This can be a physical book bought from HSE or you can record them digitally on your own systems.

Even if you have fewer than ten staff, it can be a useful tool. Accident books are a good way to identify patterns in the accidents and injuries that occur in your workplace, therefore, allowing you to put processes in place to mitigate the risks your workers face.

These records can also be useful when you’re dealing with insurance claims.

For employees

This said, all workers have a responsibility to take care of their own health and safety in the workplace. They must also be aware of those around them and anyone who may be harmed by their work.

Every employee must also comply with the health and safety rules stipulated by the company they work for.

Industry-specific rules for employers

As mentioned, there are some health and safety rules and regulations that all employers must follow to comply with laws and best practices.

But depending on the type of industry you work in, there may be additional guidance you need to follow. Working in an office, for example, will pose less of a risk than working on a building site.

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the key risks different industries face and the guidance provided by the HSE to mitigate them.

Don’t see your industry? Take a look at all the guidance provided directly on the HSE website.

Construction

Walking past any building site you’ll see health and safety posters and notices everywhere. But there’s good reason for this. It’s one of the most unpredictable and dangerous industries in the UK.

From complex equipment, heavy objects, dust particles, sharp blades, chemicals and working at height, the risks facing builders and construction workers are wide and varied.

And it’s not just big sites where tradespeople face risks — even domestic projects like kitchen fitting or floor laying can pose a threat.

The HSE claims that builders working on smaller sites suffer the most fatal construction accidents annually. Electrical work, plumbing, scaffolding, building, tiling, carpentry, roofing, and more have their dangers.

Take a look at the guidance from the HSE, which separates out the rules you must follow depending on the size of your operation.

Cleaning

There are many risks facing the heroes that banish dirt and dust. Hazards for cleaners include slips on wet floors, skin irritations from harmful chemicals and back pain from lifting and shifting heavy equipment.

On some occasions, you may also be working at height — especially, for example, if you’re a window cleaner. And it’s not just employees who might face risks, but members of the public too.

The HSE provides guidance on minimising the risks cleaners face by conducting thorough risk assessments, manual handling training as well as how to comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002.

Healthcare workers

Working in healthcare is often said to be one of the most rewarding jobs. But it can also pose a wide range of risks and is often physically gruelling.

Not only are you continuously on your feet, sometimes in high-stress situations, but you’re also working with members of the public and dealing with complex needs.

From birthing pool guidance to patient handling, clinical waste and radiation from x-ray machines, the HSE provides a host of support for medical professionals and carers.

Hairdressers

Aside from running with scissors — which is something we’ve all been warned never to do — as a hairdresser, you’ll likely face quite a few risks. The main one being regular contact with hair dyes.

Hair dye constitutes a chemical under health and safety regulations, so handling and storing it comes with stringent guidance.

Risks include skin irritations, asthma and fire hazards. The HSE provides support on how to safely use, store and dispose of these chemicals.

Retail

Whatever type of shop you run, the most common types of risks you might face include back pain from lifting and shifting boxes, slips and trips in the stockroom and on the shop floor as well as threats of violence.

In shops with checkouts, the risks of aches and pains from repetitive tasks like scanning food items can also pose a musculoskeletal risk. The HSE provides a wealth of guidance across all of these situations and how best to mitigate them.

Office workers

You may think sitting at a desk and working at a computer is one of the safest ways to earn a living. But there are a wide array of risks that office work can pose.

From fire safety to work-related stress, manual handling to unergonomic desks. With hybrid working now the norm across most offices, the HSE guidance stretches beyond the office walls and into home offices too.

For example, in law, employers must conduct display screen equipment assessments, provide eye tests if an employee asks for one and ensure employees take breaks from their screen.

What happens if you don’t comply?

Workplace injuries fall under both civil and criminal law. Employers have a legal duty to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees while at work.

The key piece of legislation under criminal law is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA).

No accidents actually have to occur for an employer to be liable under this legislation — it’s the risk of harm that’s important. You must show that you are both logging and practising workplace safety to ensure compliance.

By not complying with this legislation, employers could receive up to two years in prison, a fine, or both.

Take, for example, a Birmingham-based building firm that was fined £450,000 with its director receiving a suspended prison sentence after a worker was crushed to death on a building site.

The HSE conducts inspections, mainly on the most dangerous industries and those where the risks are harder to manage. They’ll also inspect after a relevant accident has occurred. Inspectors will inform you ahead of time that they will be attending.

Types of injuries and what to report

RIDDOR — Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations — is the directive that sets out what and what doesn’t need to be reported when an accident happens in the workplace.

Not all accidents need to be reported, so whether you’re working with harsh chemicals, dangerous machinery or even lifting and shifting, it’s best to know what’s what.

Accidents and injuries that need to be reported include:

• Any work-related accident that leads to a fatality (with the exception of suicides)
• Fractures (except fingers, thumbs and toes)
• Amputation of an arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot or toe
• Any injury likely to cause permanent blindness or reduced sight in one or both eyes
• Any crush injury to the head causing damage to the brain, or any crush injury to the torso causing damage to internal organs in the chest or abdomen
• Serious burns or scalding which cover more than 10% of the body or cause significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system, or other vital organs
• Any scalping requiring hospital treatment
• Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
• Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
• Accidents or injuries that cause a worker to be off work or unable to do their normal job for seven consecutive days or more
• Any occupational diseases that are likely to have been caused or made worse by their work. These include carpal tunnel syndrome, dermatitis and hand-arm vibration syndrome
• Any cancer where there’s an established link between the type of cancer diagnosed and the hazards which the person has been exposed because of their work
• Some “dangerous occurrences” — where a situation in the workplace could risk harm to others

Read the full list of injuries you legally must report.

How to prevent workplace accidents

The best way to keep you and your staff safe and avoid having to report accidents in the workplace is to prevent them from happening in the first place.

While you can never guarantee these measures will stop accidents happening altogether, here are some top tips as a starting point:

Keep it clean

Keep your workplace neat and tidy. While everyone should be responsible for general tidying — i.e. putting things back when you’ve finished using them — you might consider appointing one person, like an office manager or health and safety representative, to enforce any workplace rules.

This person will be in charge of the overall cleanliness of the workplace — whether that’s cleaning themselves, or managing a cleaning team — plus also checking for other hazards such as loose wires or frayed carpets.

Conduct risk assessments

Risk assessments are a legal requirement for all workplaces. They allow you to identify any hazards workers might face when undertaking their jobs. From here you can decide how easily someone could be harmed and how high the risk is for the worker.

Risk assessments also allow you to (at best) eliminate or at least minimise the risk, leading to a safer workplace for everyone.

Training for everyone

No matter what environment you work in, everyone who needs to should be trained on how to operate machinery, tools or other equipment safely.

From plant machinery to shredders, training or guidance should be easily available to all workers.

You’ll want to get buy-in from every worker on your health and safety plans and encourage them to be the eyes and ears of the business when it comes to safety.

It should be easy for your staff to identify risks and they should feel comfortable challenging or reporting unsafe behaviours and practices.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

PPE should be available to all staff in roles that require it, free of charge. Whether that’s respirators, safety goggles, hard hats or gloves — keeping your team safe is paramount.

Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, employers must make sure that PPE is fit for purpose, used correctly, properly maintained and stored and that all workers are instructed how to use it.

You might empower your health and safety representative to be in charge of maintaining, inspecting and replacing any faulty or worn equipment.

Display signage

From wet floors to fire exits, the correct signage is important.

Employers are required to ensure all signs are maintained and that their staff know what different signs mean and how to react when they see them.

What to do when an accident happens

If an accident does happen, it’s important to know what steps you should take to support the injured person and keep on the right side of regulation.

1. Take care of the injured person

It sounds obvious, but the first thing you should do after an accident happens is ensure the person or people who have been injured are ok. If they need immediate medical attention, always call 999.

Depending on the nature of the injury, you should move them so they’re in a place of safety. People with back or head injuries should not be moved, unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.

2. Preserve the scene, safely

If you have an emergency response plan, now is the time this plan kicks in.

Firstly, you should shut down any machinery that is still running to keep the area safe. Then you need to clear the area to prevent further casualties.

Finally, you should preserve the accident scene, leaving everything as it is.

3. Speak to witnesses

Once the scene is clear and it’s safe to do so, take photos or video evidence of the accident site and if possible, the injuries sustained.

While the memory is fresh, speak to any witnesses to understand what happened as soon after the accident as possible. If you’re able to speak with the person who was injured, then you’ll want to get their version of events too.

The type of information you’ll need to collect is:

• The date and time of the accident
• The name and job title of the employees being interviewed
• The injuries sustained — remember to include as many details as possible, you can also include drawings or photos of the injury
• How the accident happened — again, provide as many details as possible, you can also provide drawings if this will help explain
• What first aid was given and what happened to the injured person

4. Report the accident to the HSE

If the injury falls under RIDDOR, then you must contact the HSE incident centre through their online system. Relevant injuries need to be reported within ten days of the accident occurring.

If the injury is serious or even fatal you must call the HSE. In cases like these, the police will likely also come to investigate.

Sick pay — what are the rules?

If an employee has had an accident at work and has to take time off to recuperate, they may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay.

Statutory Sick Pay, also known as SSP, is money given to an employee by an employer because they’re off work due to illness or injury.

To be entitled to SSP, the employee has to have been off work for four consecutive workdays (this can include weekends, bank holidays and non-working days) but less than 28 weeks. If you’re an employer, you will start paying SSP on the fourth day that the employee has not worked.

If the employee is not eligible or their SSP is reaching 28 weeks, they may be able to apply for Universal Credit or Employment Support Allowance.

SSP is a legal requirement and details such as how much, how long they’re entitled to claim it and any other rules around sick pay should be included in employment contracts.

Employers can also offer discretionary sick pay, meaning that in some circumstances, employees can get more than the statutory amount if they’re signed off sick. Again, these details need to be included in employee contacts.

If an employee is signed off because of an accident or injury at work — or a mental health condition due to stress at work — they’re not entitled to any extra sick pay, unless their employment contract explicitly says so.

Accidents when self-employed

If you’re one of the 4.3 million self-employed people in the UK, health and safety regulations only apply if your work poses a risk to others around you, or if your job involves:

• Agriculture or forestry
• Asbestos
• Any work on a construction site
• Gas safety or installation
• Genetically modified organisms
• Work on the railways

If, however, you’re a contractor or freelancer then the standard health and safety rules apply and your employer is responsible for ensuring your health and safety.

When you’re self-employed, getting injured in or out of the workplace you may be concerned about how you'll pay the bills. Especially should you find yourself unable to work in the same capacity for some time — perhaps even permanently.

If you don’t have accident and sickness insurance, or personal accident cover, you may be eligible for some benefits, such as disability benefits. Head to Citizens Advice to see what you might be able to claim.

What about insurance?

Accidents by their nature are unpredictable, which is why insurance might be worth considering. While insurance doesn’t protect you from an accident happening, it can prove useful in dealing with the consequences.

Three types of insurance can be useful when it comes to dealing with accidents in the workplace.

Employers’ liability insurance

If you have staff — whether part-time, full-time, permanent, temporary or apprentices — you may have a legal obligation to have employers’ liability insurance. It’s designed to protect you if an employee gets sick or injured due to their work.

It can cover their Statutory Sick Pay, as well as your legal costs and compensation awarded to the employee. But keep in mind that you’re only covered for work-related illnesses or injuries.

Public liability insurance

Public liability insurance is designed to cover claims made against you by members of the public for property damage and accidental bodily injury, illness, disease or even death as a result of your work.

Whether your business involves lots of in-person interaction with members of the public — for example, a restaurant, salon or shop — or you spend time working on-site or in public areas, there’s always the possibility that an accident will happen.

This may leave you liable for legal and compensation costs if someone who isn’t employed by you gets injured because of your work.

Accident and sickness cover

If you’re seriously injured at work, it could put you out of action for weeks. Accident and sickness insurance is designed to provide financial support if you or an employee is on long-term sick leave, is hospitalised or suffers a serious injury or dies as a result.

Accident and sickness insurance comes in three parts to cover multiple eventualities: a weekly sickness and accident benefit, a lump sum accident benefit and a hospital stay benefit.