Did you know that if you suffer an accident in the workplace, your employer is required by law to record what happened in a document known as an accident book? Your employer must also enter information about any other type of ill health caused to any employees as a direct result of being at, or completing, their work.
Of course, employees are under a duty themselves to notify their employer if they are injured at work, and provide sufficient information for a detailed note of what happened to be recorded.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Diseases Regulations 1995, commonly known as RIDDOR, sets out the above requirements and covers virtually any occurrence that can happen at work, and which causes an injury or ill health.
This can include slips and trips, falls, items landing on or hitting an employee, fork lift truck accidents, chemical or heat burns, and even outbreaks of e.coli or salmonella in a workplace canteen.
If something happens that requires an entry to be made into the accident book, the following information must be included:
- The date and time of the incident
- The location of the incident
- The people involved or affected by the incident
- A detailed description of what happened
If you’ve suffered an injury at work, an accident book entry may be helpful to you at a future date. If completed properly, the information contained in an accident book entry will help your solicitor to decide whether you have a good chance of securing a compensation payment, and may also provide helpful evidence to support your claim.
It’s worth noting that employers are required to keep hold of their accident books for a minimum of three years after the incident was recorded, which is the same period of time in which you have to bring a claim for personal injury.
If you or somebody close to you has suffered an injury as a result of an accident at work, and you would like further information about making a claim for compensation, please do not hesitate to contact one of Farleys’ work accident solicitors.