Workplace injuries are rarely something you anticipate, no matter the risk level of your job. Knowing the next steps is important – from the immediate actions to potentially making a work accident claim.
Below is a guide on what to do after a serious workplace injury according to UK laws to help you discover how to navigate day-to-day life after going through an accident at work and provide options for workplace injury support.
Immediate Steps to Take After an Injury at Work
If you are wondering what to do after a workplace injury, the first priority is always your health and safety. In serious injury cases, the right immediate steps can protect your wellbeing, create a clear record of what happened and help ensure the incident is reported correctly under UK workplace safety rules.
1. Seek Medical Attention
Depending on the type and severity of the injury, you may need workplace first aid, urgent medical care, an ambulance or treatment at A&E.
If there is any possibility of a serious injury – such as a head injury, suspected fracture, loss of consciousness, crush injury, severe burn, heavy bleeding, breathing difficulty or loss of sight – do not try to “wait and see”.
Get medical help as quickly as possible and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.
- Put health first: move away from any ongoing danger only if it is safe to do so and ask a first aider, colleague or supervisor for immediate help.
- For serious or potentially life-changing injuries, call emergency services or ask someone nearby to do it for you. Do not continue working if doing so could make the injury worse.
- For less urgent injuries, arrange appropriate medical support through your GP, NHS 111, a minor injuries unit or urgent treatment centre.
2. Report the Accident to Your Employer
Tell your manager, supervisor or HR team as soon as you reasonably can. If you are too unwell or in hospital, ask a trusted colleague, family member or representative to report it on your behalf.
Explain the key facts clearly: what happened, where it happened, what you were doing, what caused the injury and who witnessed it.
In the event of a serious injury, your employer or the ‘responsible person’ may have a legal duty to make a RIDDOR report to the Health and Safety Executive. This could be your employer, you as a self-employed individual, or whoever is in control of the work premises where a reportable incident has occurred.
You can read more about RIDDOR reportable incidents here.
3. Record the Incident in the Accident Book
- Ask for the incident to be entered into the workplace accident book as soon as possible. Employers with more than 10 employees must keep an accident book, and many smaller workplaces keep one as good practice.
- The record should include the date, time, location, cause of the accident, injuries suffered, names of witnesses and any immediate action taken.
- If there is no accident book, send the details to your manager or HR team in writing and keep a copy for yourself.
- If you are unsure whether the incident has been reported correctly, ask your employer for confirmation and keep a written record of any response.
For what to do after a serious workplace injury, both this record and the RIDDOR report can be especially important. They help establish a timeline, support any investigation and may provide useful evidence if you later decide to make an injury at work claim.
Gather Evidence to Support Your Workplace Injury Claim
Evidence is one of the most important parts of an accident at work claim. It can help show what caused the accident, how your employer responded and the impact the injury has had on your health, work and daily life.
| Photos and videos | If it is safe to do so, take photos of the accident scene, any hazards, damaged equipment, spillages, missing warning signs, lighting conditions and your visible injuries. Try to capture the wider area as well as close-up details. |
| Witness details | Ask colleagues, contractors, customers or visitors who saw the accident for their names and contact details. Witness evidence can help confirm what happened, especially if the employer later disputes the circumstances. |
| Medical records | Keep records of GP appointments, hospital treatment, prescriptions, scans, referrals, physiotherapy and fit notes. These can help show the extent of your injury and how it has affected your recovery. |
| Workplace documents | Keep copies of accident book entries, emails to managers, HR correspondence, risk assessments, training records, equipment maintenance logs and any RIDDOR confirmation if available. |
| CCTV | If cameras captured the incident, ask your employer to preserve the footage as soon as possible. CCTV is often overwritten after a short period, so it is best to make this request in writing. |
| Financial losses | Keep payslips, receipts, travel costs, care costs and records of any other expenses linked to the injury. These may support the financial part of a workplace injury claim. |
Getting Pay and Benefits if You Can’t Work
If your injury means you cannot work, check what pay and support you may be entitled to as soon as possible. Your employer may offer occupational sick pay under your contract or staff handbook. If not, you may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay.
From 6th April 2026, SSP is payable from the first full day of sickness absence, the lower earnings threshold has been removed, and the weekly amount is based on the lower of 80% of average weekly earnings or the statutory weekly rate.
Keep your fit notes, payslips and correspondence with your employer so you have a clear record of any time off work and lost income.
Know Your Rights After an Accident at Work
After an accident at work, it is normal to worry about your job, your income and whether speaking up could cause problems. Understanding your rights can help you make informed decisions and protect your position while you recover.
- Your employer has a duty to take reasonable steps to protect your health, safety and welfare at work. This includes providing safe systems of work, suitable training, safe equipment, appropriate supervision and proper risk assessments.
- Your injury at work rights include the right to report an accident, seek medical treatment, have the incident recorded and raise concerns about unsafe practices.
- You should not be treated unfairly simply because you reported a workplace accident or asked for the incident to be investigated.
- If your injury was caused by employer negligence, you may have the right to explore an injury at work claim or accident at work compensation.
- If you are worried about returning to work, ask whether adjustments, a phased return or temporary changes to your duties may be appropriate while you recover.
Can You Make an Accident at Work Claim?
You may be able to make an accident at work claim if your injury was caused, at least in part, by someone else’s negligence. In workplace cases, this often means showing that your employer failed to take reasonable steps to keep you safe.
When You May Be Eligible
You may be eligible if you can demonstrate the following:
- You were injured while carrying out your job or while on work premises.
- The accident happened because of unsafe equipment, poor maintenance, inadequate training, lack of supervision, unsafe working practices or a failure to manage known risks.
- The injury caused pain, time off work, financial losses, ongoing symptoms or disruption to your daily life.
Types of Workplace Injury Claims
| Type of Claim | Description |
| Fall at work claim | This could involve a fall from height, a fall on stairs, a trip over trailing cables or a slip on a wet floor where suitable safety measures were not in place. |
| Manual handling injury | These claims may involve lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling tasks without proper training, equipment or staffing support. |
| Machinery accidents | Injuries can happen when machinery is defective, poorly guarded, inadequately maintained or used without suitable training. |
| Exposure injuries | Some workplace injuries develop after exposure to chemicals, dust, noise, vibration or other harmful substances and conditions. |
| Defective personal protective equipment (PPE) | PPE is required for dangerous processes. An employer is under a duty, not only to supply PPE, but to ensure that the PPE is maintained in efficient working order and good repair. Sometimes injuries can occur despite PPE being provided because it is in ill repair or was not fit for purpose in the first place. |
Time Limits for Making a Claim
In most personal injury cases in England and Wales, you usually have three years to start a claim. This is often counted from the date of the accident, but in some cases it may run from the date you first knew your injury was connected to your work.
Different rules may apply for children, people who lack mental capacity, fatal accident claims or injuries that develop over time. It is best to seek advice as early as possible.
What Compensation Could You Receive?
The amount of accident at work compensation you could receive depends on the severity of your injury, your recovery, the long-term impact and the financial losses you have experienced. No two claims are identical, so any figures should only be treated as general guidance.
General Damages
These compensate you for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. This includes the physical injury itself and the way it affects your independence, hobbies, sleep, mobility and quality of life.
Special Damages
These cover financial losses such as lost earnings, medical costs, travel expenses, rehabilitation, care, home adaptations or damaged personal items.
Other Kinds of Support
At Injury Support Services, we aim to support you through serious injury and the uncertainty that comes with it.
We provide holistic pathways, from guiding you to the best legal options to offering you advice about return to work and connecting you with rehabilitation services.
Now that you know more about what to do after a workplace injury, you can speak to our team to understand whether you may be able to make an injury at work claim.
