Accidents In The Workplace -What To Do
In 2014/15 there were 76,000 injuries to employees reported, down from the 78,671 the year before.
While the number has declined, they emphasise an importance to ensure that your business is compliant with Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, or RIDDOR. While the 2015/16 figures are yet to be published, the fact that workplace injuries are a frequent occurrence means it is vital to ensure that your workplace follows all relevant health and safety guidelines.
One aspect of compliance is the carrying out of a risk assessment of the workplace. The law does not expect you to remove every possible risk, but to put in place measures to control the risk so far as reasonably practicable. A risk assessment need only include what you are expected to know – you are not expected to anticipate unforeseeable risks. However, unfortunately accidents still do happen and if an incident does occur in your business then it is important that you understand and comply with all RIDDOR regulations.
RIDDOR is a law that requires all employers to record and report any work related accidents that cause anything from potential injuries to serious injury or even death. Employers must also ensure that any accidents at work that cause a worker to be incapacitated for more than 3 days (including weekends) are recorded, and if the worker is incapacitated for more than 7 days, the incident must be reported.
For more information on RIDDOR or to report any workplace accident, visit the Health & Safety Executive.
Please note: This article is a commentary on general principles and should not be interpreted as advice for your specific situation.
