Accidents at work are more common than you might think. According to figures reported by the Health and Safety Executive, a whopping 561,000 people sustained an injury at work in 2022/2023.
Even more alarmingly, a recent article on the HR News website reported that some 64% of workers have had an accident that they didn’t report. So, the number of employees affected by workplace accidents is likely even higher than the official figures suggest.
If you’re involved in an accident at work, promptly report it to your direct manager or employer. What’s more, if you get injured in the accident and don’t think you were at fault, claim the compensation you deserve. Your actions will encourage your employer to rethink their working practices to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Why don’t people report accidents at work?
Recognising why we’re so reluctant to report accidents at work is integral to bringing about the cultural shift needed to make our workplaces safer and hold employers accountable for shoddy practices.
Not everyone fails to report an incident for the same reason, but a few factors are mentioned time and time again. They include the following:
Fear of being disciplined or losing their job
Some employees decide against reporting an accident at work out of fear. They might be afraid that their employers will blame them for the incident or they’ll get another employee in trouble. Alternatively, they might worry about being branded a troublemaker and their career prospects suffering if they make a fuss. It could also be that they do not want to be responsible for their colleagues having to do more training to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Not knowing how to report an accident in the workplace
The HR News article states that nearly half of all workers – a staggering 46% – don’t know how to report an accident at work. This lack of awareness and the need to seek assistance when reporting an incident can play a part in their reluctance to fill in an accident report.
Time-consuming, complicated reporting requirements
Complex, inconvenient, and time-consuming reporting requirements can put employees off alerting their employer to an issue, particularly when they’re busy at work. The more involved the procedure is, the more likely an injured employee will simply not report the accident and instead suffer in silence.
The incident didn’t result in any noticeable injury
If the accident didn’t cause an immediate, noticeable injury, employees might feel it unnecessary to report it. However, just because an incident didn’t result in an injury on one occasion doesn’t mean it won’t in the future.
However, some injuries aren’t immediately apparent: back injuries, whiplash injuries and other wrenching-type injuries don’t always immediately manifest themselves. Symptoms can develop weeks, months, or even years after the event.
Concussion is a type of brain injury and in the workplace may be caused by a fall from height, a trip or fall from stairs, or even tripping over an obstacle left on a level floor. This type of traumatic brain injury can be extremely serious but isn’t always apparent for days or even weeks after the accident that caused it.
Another serious condition that doesn’t always come to light straight after an accident is PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This mental health condition is brought on by being involved in or witnessing a traumatic event.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that because you don’t immediately suffer any apparent injury straight after your involvement in an accident at work, you are going to be ok. By reporting a workplace accident, whether one affecting you personally or one that you witnessed, you are putting on record that an incident occurred. If you suffer an adverse reaction to an accident at work, you’ll be glad you got it placed on record promptly.
Why else should you report a workplace accident?
Reporting a workplace accident, no matter how trivial the event might seem at the time, is essential in fostering a safe working environment. Unscrupulous employers may rely on their workers not reporting accidents to avoid improving working conditions, and diligent employers can’t correct any issues they’re unaware of.
Specific reasons for reporting a workplace accident include the following:
· To prevent further injuries
A key reason for reporting a workplace accident is to prevent others from being injured in similar circumstances. Reporting an accident or a near miss alerts your employer to a potential issue and allows them to address it before others are seriously hurt.
For example, if you were hurt by faulty machinery, your employer should replace it. If you were injured because you weren’t sure how to operate a piece of equipment, the incident should highlight the need for further training, and your employer should arrange refresher courses to ensure everyone knows how to carry out their roles safely.
· To hold your employer to account
Most employers take their health and safety duties seriously and seek to provide a safe environment for their employees. However, some might cut corners to save costs, putting their profit margins ahead of their employees’ wellbeing.
Suppose you don’t report an incident or take legal action against an employer who’s caused you injury. In that case, you’re allowing them to continue avoiding their legal obligation to keep you from coming to any harm whilst you are at work, at the expense of your safety and that of your colleagues.
· To protect your rights
If the accident caused you injury, whether physical or psychological, you should bring a personal injury compensation claim against your employer to hold them accountable for their failings and avoid others suffering as you have.
While reporting an accident isn’t an absolute prerequisite to bringing a personal injury claim against your employer, having a record of when, where, and how the incident took place can be a crucial piece of evidence in any subsequent claim for compensation.
Should you claim personal injury if you’ve been injured at work?
Yes, you should. You will be entitled to compensation if you’ve been injured at work and it was your employer’s fault. The money you receive will make good any financial losses, such as loss of earnings and medical bills you’ve had to pay, and most importantly, compensate you for your pain, suffering, and loss of amenity, i.e., the effect the injury has had on your daily life.
Your employer is obliged to keep you safe at work for a reason. They owe you a duty of care. Workers are entitled to carry out the role they are employed to do without fear of coming to any harm.
If the law didn’t impose a legal duty of care on employers, there would be nothing other than their own consciences compelling them to protect their employees’ health, safety, and well-being. By taking legal action against your employer, you simply hold them accountable for their failings to ensure they protect their workforce going forward.
Many employees are reluctant to take legal action against their employer, fearing it will affect their career prospects or even losing their jobs. More than anything, this probably accounts for so many employees not reporting accidents at work.
Rest assured, your employer can’t treat you differently for seeking the compensation you deserve when they fail to keep you safe in the workplace. If they were to do so by sacking you, disciplining you, or making your life unbearable, they’d breach the extensive employment legislation designed to protect workers’ rights.
Your employer must have Employers Liability Insurance in place to cover any compensation they’re obliged to pay due to their negligence. So, if you think that by reporting an accident and bringing a personal injury claim against them, your employer will personally be liable to pay you damages, that is not the case.
How can Mooneerams Solicitors help me to make an accident at work claim?
At Mooneerams, our personal injury solicitors specialise in assisting employees who have suffered injuries in accidents at work. We have an outstanding track record of pursuing workplace compensation claims. We’ve obtained thousands of excellent out-of-court settlements for our clients without requiring lengthy court proceedings.
Sometimes, it will be necessary to go to court to force your employer to pay you compensation if some part of the claim is in dispute, but by using a No Win No Agreement, if your claim does not succeed, there will usually be no legal fees to pay.
If you win your case, you’ll be limited to paying a pre-agreed percentage of your damages towards our costs.
There’s no charge for an initial consultation with one of our team who will assess your case and tell you if your claim is likely to succeed. If it is, we’ll happily take it on, usually on a No Win No Fee basis.
