Accidents in the workplace

Workplace accidents are unplanned events (possibly resulting from management failure) that can cause death, injury, pain and suffering to employees, their families, work colleagues and sometimes members of the public.

According to the HSE, over 200 workers and over 300 members of the public die as a result of workplace accidents, over 150,000 injuries to employees are reported under RIDDOR (nearly 6 in every 1,000 employees) of which 40 per cent of these accidents occurred during activities related to manual handling.

Safety in the workplace is a priority because, as well as the human cost, the financial cost associated with accidents in the workplace can be considerable for both the injured person and the employer. Employers are obliged to anticipate danger that could lead to an industrial accident. Safety will be increased if companies follow workplace accident advice by systematically assessing risks and recording the findings.

Incidents (accidents which do not cause injury) are an important learning opportunity and understanding why they occurred can help prevent injury accidents taking place. Understanding and rectifying what causes accidents is an important part of health and safety management.