Workplace accidents: What to do as an employer
Photo by RDNE Stock project
As an employer, it’s not just a duty but a crucial responsibility to ensure your business adheres to all relevant health and safety legal guidelines. This is not just about avoiding legal trouble but about safeguarding your employees’ physical safety and health. Failing to do so, especially if you’re found to be knowingly flouting the legal framework designed to keep employees safe, can have severe consequences, potentially leading to the end of your business, particularly if it results in injuries or loss of life.
However, despite the best intentions and all the correct framework, training, and legislation in place, accidents can still occur. As an employer, it’s crucial that you’re well-prepared and know exactly what to do in such situations. Your prompt action can make a significant difference in helping your employees recover, getting them the necessary help, and investigating the incident to make any required changes.
Make it safe
In the first instance, as an employer, you, your other employees, or your health and safety officer need to make the area safe for the injured employee and all others in the vicinity. What needs to happen will depend on the entire incident and the type of business you run. It could be that a trip hazard is removed from the floor to prevent further falls or that the building is cleared in the event of a dangerous chemical spill.
Get help
Get the involved parties’ help as soon as possible, whether this is in-house medical treatment and getting them to a medical care facility to treat injuries or calling an ambulance or other emergency service. Follow your emergency protocol, which could include steps such as notifying a designated safety officer, evacuating the area, or providing first aid to get the right help.
Record details
As soon as possible, get all the information regarding what happened, how it happened and who was involved and have it recorded in the accident book. You need the date, time, employee details, exactly what happened, injuries sustained, treatment given on site and signatures of the recording officer and the employee as soon as they can do so.
Fill In A RIDDOR report
RIDDOR, or The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, is a crucial report that needs to be filled in by a person who is deemed as ‘responsible,’ such as the owner of a business, a self-employed person, or someone working with the gas supply or fitting identity. Essentially, it is the person in charge of the specific premise or business where the injury was sustained.
The RIDDOR report needs to contain specific details, including incapacitation from work, specific injuries such as loss of a limb, burns on the body over 10%, or an emergency requiring resuscitation. It also includes any occupational illnesses and diseases that may have been contracted.
Be prepared for compensation claims
It’s important to remember that employees who are injured while at work have the right to claim compensation. If the injury was caused by negligence on the company’s part or the injury wasn’t their own fault, they are entitled to seek legal advice from workers compensation claim lawyers and proceed with a legitimate claim. As an employer, it’s crucial to act with care and compassion in such situations, treating the matter with utmost urgency. While these issues are typically handled by lawyers, your cooperation is essential to ensure the correct resolution is reached. In most cases, these claims are settled outside of court.
