Why you Need to Report an Accident at Work

They say that most accidents occur in the home - but the workplace probably comes a close second. After all, if you're like the average UK employee, you probably spend more time at work during the week than you do at home. Figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggest that in 2006-07, 274,000 reportable injuries occurred. What's more, during the same time period, 241 workers were killed while at work.

So what should you do if you've been in an accident at work? First things first: always report an accident to your employer. Remember, your employer is legally-bound to protect you from health and safety issues, so you shouldn't feel that reporting an accident is tantamount to dissent against your company. Additionally, it means that in the future your employer will be able to make sure that no one else suffers the same fate.

What's more, if you're involved in an accident in the workplace that keeps you away from work, it's likely you'll only have the right to statutory sick pay. So when you report your accident to your employers, check whether or not they have a scheme in place for extra payment due to accidents. Don't feel embarrassed or shy to do so either - if you don't ask, you don't get!

Depending on the type of accident, your employer may also have to report the accident to the Incident Contact Centre of the HSE. Types of work accidents that need to be reported are those where the result is: death, major injuries (breaking a limb, for instance), dangerous incidents (such as a gas leak), disease and any other injury that stops an employee from their normal course of work for three days or more. And while it's your employer's legal responsibility to report to the HSE, there's no ruling against checking yourself to see whether or not they've actually done so.

You could also be eligible for compensation for any accidents at work you've experienced, if you can prove that the accident was someone else's fault. That "someone else" could be anyone except yourself - whether it's a colleague, your employer or anyone else working within your workplace. If you're unsure about how to claim compensation, visit your local Citizen's Advice Bureau, who will probably be able to give you a list of all the personal injury solicitors in your area.

Don't forget, your employer isn't simply doing you a favour by keeping your workplace safe: it's their legal duty to do so. In return, reporting an accident in the workplace, whether it's happened to you or to one of your colleagues, is not optional but an obligation - and your company will probably thank you for it in the long run.