| There are a number of steps you should take | | | | Usually, employees are entitled to statutory sick pay |
| following an accident at work. Below is a basic, 5-step | | | | for any time off work due to an accident or sickness. |
| checklist to help you to make sure that you gain any | | | | However, your employer may have a scheme for |
| assistance you are entitled to following a work | | | | paying extra, or may decide to pay more, according to |
| accident, and to reduce the likelihood of another, similar | | | | the nature of the injury you have sustained. |
| accident happening in your workplace. | | | | 4) Address any health and safety issues |
| 1) Record your injury in the accident book | | | | If there is a persistent health and safety issue at work |
| All employers, other than very small companies, are | | | | which led to your accident, it is important to make sure |
| required to keep an accident book. As an employee, it | | | | it is rectified so that the same thing will not happen to |
| is in your interest to record any work injury in this book, | | | | somebody else. Point out any health and safety issues |
| as it can serve as evidence if you need to make a | | | | to your employer, or to your employee safety |
| work accident claim at a later date. The accident book | | | | representative. If problems are still not dealt with, you |
| also enables your employer to keep track of problems | | | | should call the HSE Infoline. |
| and to make any changes necessary to prevent | | | | 5) Consider making a work accident claim |
| future incidents | | | | If you have been injured at work and it wasn't your |
| 2) Make sure serious accidents are reported to the | | | | fault, it is a good idea to initiate a work accident claim |
| HSE | | | | as soon as possible, and it must be within three years |
| If an employee suffers a serious injury at work, their | | | | of the incident (there are some exceptions to this, such |
| employer is required to report it to the Health and | | | | as asbestos poisoning). |
| Safety Executive (HSE). The type of incidents that | | | | You will need a personal injury lawyer to represent |
| should be reported include major injuries like broken | | | | you. Personal injury claims can be made through |
| arms and ribs, as well as any other injury which | | | | specialist solicitors on a 'no win, no fee' basis, meaning |
| prevents an employee from doing their normal work | | | | that if you lose the case, you will not have to pay any |
| for over three days. | | | | money. |
| The responsibility for reporting the injury rests with | | | | Your employer will be insured against compensation |
| your employer, but if you have suffered a serious | | | | claims, meaning that, if they lose, it is their insurer who |
| injury it is best to make sure this has been done. | | | | will pay out your compensation. It is against the law for |
| 3) Find out about your rights to accident pay | | | | your employer to sack you because of a personal |
| Your contract or written statement of employment will | | | | injury claim. |
| contain information about sick pay or accident pay. | | | | |