What to Do if You Have an Accident at Work

Even as a student working at a part-time job, your employer is legally responsible for your safety while you are on the clock. Under the RIDDOR laws, which specify health and safety regulations in the workplace, your employer is required to provide a safe work environment and also to report any accidents if they occur.

Of course, nobody plans to have an accident. But they can happen in even the safest workplaces. Read on to learn more about the types of accidents that may occur on the job and what you can do if one happens to you.

What is RIDDOR?

Established in 1995, RIDDOR refers to a national law that clearly defines the types of accidents that need to be reported if they occur in the work place. RIDDOR stands for Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. It specifies the types of reportable incidents and provides a system of protocol for reporting them.

Injuries

• Broken bones
• Loss of limbs, fingers or toes
• Burns
• Blindness
• Deafness
• Any injury that requires treatment in a hospital for 24 hours or more
• Unconsciousness or any instance in which the individual needs to be resuscitated

Diseases

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Asthma
• Exposure to a toxic agent, such as asbestos

Dangerous Occurrences

These are more related to the failure of safety equipment. For example, if you were painting a house and the ladder you were standing on broke but you were not hurt, then that would be considered a dangerous occurrence. Or, there is a fire in the office where you work but everybody escaped unscathed, then that would also be an example of a dangerous occurrence. Even if employees are not injured in these situations, employers are still required by law to document them.

What to Do if an Accident Happens at Work

If you are involved in an accident or situation in which you experienced bodily harm, the first thing to do is tell your supervisor. Your supervisor should then make sure to follow the protocol in documenting the incident. He/she will usually ask about what happened and when. This written record will be helpful if the accident was severe enough for you to need time off to recover. In some cases, you may even be entitled to compensation, either to cover medical expenses or lost working hours.

In some cases, employees have felt that they have not received the appropriate compensation for accidents that occurred on the job. If you feel that you are being denied benefits, you may need to seek legal advice about filing work accident claims. However, it is best to usually consider a lawsuit as a last resort, and you should always start by approaching your employer. The law is very clear about safety requirements and in most cases nobody is looking to take advantage of you.

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