Accidents in the workplace can lead to serious injuries and in some cases, death. In 2017 / 18 there were:
When looking at workplace accidents there are a few definitions you need to be aware of:
Accident
The HSE defines an accident as "a separate, identifiable, unintended incident at work that causes physical injury including non-consensual violence". An example of an accident is tripping over a trailing cable across an office floor, causing a head / back injury.
Incident
An event which had the potential to cause injury, damage and / or loss but was avoided by circumstances. This includes:
Why do workplace accidents occur?
The following three principles reflect the most reasons why accidents occur in the workplace:
Situational violations occur when the pressure of completing the job takes precedence over compliance with a rule e.g. when correct equipment is not available.
Exceptional violations rarely happen and usually occur when a safety rule is broken to perform a new task, e.g. emergency procedures in fire.
Routine violations such as not wearing PPE because it’s always been that way.
What do I need to do if I have a workplace accident?
Legal requirements are place on employers to ensure risk of accidents are reduced by applying suitable health and safety measures within the organisation.
If an accident occurs you need to do the following:
Record the accident in your accident book or form; this must be done whether the accident / incident is reportable or not.
Depending on the accident you may need to consultant a health and safety specialist. If you have any concerns about a workplace accident please do not hesitate to contact us on 01394 389683 or info@safetyboss.co.uk.