5 Things to Do After Being Injured at Work
You should be safe at work. But this isn’t the case for everyone all the time. Accidents do happen and people can get hurt.
After being injured at work, you might not know exactly what to do. It’s a highly confusing time, especially if you’re worried about how the injury will affect your employment.
We’ve put together this guide to help you work out what to do after an accident at work.
- Report the injury
After you’ve suffered any sort of workplace injury, you should make sure you report it as soon as possible. Your employer may not be aware of what has happened to you, so it’s important they find out. Legally, your employer is required to report certain serious injuries and illnesses to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).
Make sure you tell your colleagues what has happened. It’s important they know in case the reason for your accident could also pose a risk to them. You could help them stay safe by letting them know how you were hurt.
You should ensure your injury is recorded in your workplace accident book. Your manager or employer may not want to record it – for reasons such as performance targets – so make sure they do. You can also think about sending your employer an email detailing your injury and requesting that they record it.
- Get medical treatment
Your health is the most important thing to focus on after an injury at work. If you don’t find the right treatment as soon as possible, you risk your condition getting worse. This could mean you can’t work for a long period, putting you at financial risk.
Get your workplace’s first aider to assess your injury straight away. They can help you decide whether you should go to hospital, call an ambulance, head to a walk-in centre or make a GP appointment.
If you feel that your injury is still bothering you after a while, go back to the doctor. Don’t just assume that it’ll get better on its own. You may require ongoing treatment, such as physiotherapy, so it’s best to know exactly what you need. And make sure they know each and every symptom you’re experiencing.
- Take photos and other evidence
If you can, make sure you take photos or videos of your injury and the reason it happened. You should also make a note of who was there when you were hurt.
Your workplace may have CCTV, which could provide video evidence of exactly how your injury at work happened. You could ask to view this or to have a copy of the footage. It could help you work out why you were injured and how to stop it happening to anyone else.
It’s also a good idea to write down your symptoms. You can also explain how they have impacted on your daily life – for example, making it difficult to carry out chores or look after your children. This will help you recall how you were affected at a later date.
- Record your losses
After an injury, you might find that you have to pay out for a lot of things you weren’t planning for. This could include medical treatment and travel to and from medical appointments. This can have a real impact if you find that you need ongoing care.
You may also have suffered damage to personal property or clothing when you were injured. Having to replace this runs up even more unexpected costs. And if you can’t go to work because of your injury, you could end up suffering a loss of earnings.
When an injury at work affects your finances, make sure you record every detail. Keep receipts and records of anything you’ve spent on addressing your injury. If you go on to make an accident at work claim, you could recover what you’ve spent.
- Consider legal action
If you were injured because of negligence on the part of your employer, you could be entitled to compensation. You might not want to think about making a claim in case you jeopardise your relationship with your manager or colleagues or – worse – you risk your employment.
But this isn’t something you should have to worry about. There is legislation in place to protect you. It states that your employer is not allowed to dismiss you for making an accident at work claim against them. They should not treat you any differently. You won’t even claim directly against your employer – it’ll be against their insurer.
When you’re seriously injured at work, you might find that you can’t do your job for a while. This could mean that you end up in a worrying financial state. Compensation is meant to cover these situations and help you get through the hard times you really shouldn’t be experiencing.
If you think you have a claim for an accident at work and would like some advice on what to do, just get in touch with our friendly and understanding claims advisors. Give us a call, request a call back or start your claim online and we’ll discuss your situation and talk you through your options.
