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Monday 24 October 2011

Things to do after a Workplace Accident in UK


The Health and Safety Executive that work from the UK, have served to create one of the safest working conditions in the world. The HSE have been striving for many years to formulate rules and guidelines that when stringently adhered to, lower the chance of injury even in the most dangerous jobs.

Regrettably not all organisations follow the guidelines and procedures created by the HSE and there is still a lot of work to be done in order to impose the procedures advised by the health and safety body.

There are many dangerous occupations in the uk, jobs that entail work at building sites, in chemical plants, power stations, working on the road or on highways and dealing with or around heavy machinery. Such occupations demand very good standards when it comes to safe practices and where an employer fails to match the standard, inevitably injuries are going to occur.
If you find yourself injured in a work accident, it is important you appreciate what the procedures follow the incident. To start with, it is advised that you report the incident to the line manager if this has not already been done. Employers need to record accidents in an accident logbook, that could subsequently turn out to be crucial evidence in a lawsuite. 

The company must also report any workplace accident injuries or diseases which are suffered within the place of work to the Health and Safety Executive, by generating a RIDDOR application. It is a formal notification to the HSE that a situation has happened within the work environment that ended in a worker being injured. There's a specific criteria for incidents that need to be reported to RIDDOR, but one general rule is when an employee is absent from the workplace for over three days as a direct consequence of any injury sustained whilst working, such accidents must be fully reported.

It is important that anyone who is harmed in an workplace accident looks for immediate medical assistance. Most employers have a first aider, however generally you ought to approach a General practitioner or even the local hospital for the correct treatment method. Medical records could also be helpful in the eventuality of an accident claim being made for personal injury compensation from the company.

You could wish to record information of any witnesses who saw the accident, you should ask them to supply a statement for the purpose of the accident book, if possible. Yet again this statement may be very beneficial evidence for future claim that may be brought against the company.