A guide to common workplace injuries
Employers have a duty to reduce the risk that their employees could be injured to as low a level as is ‘reasonably practicable’. In non-legal language, this means to keep their workers safe as best they can.
While many abide by this, tens of thousands of employees still suffer injuries each year because of avoidable lapses in health and safety failings.
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According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), there were 1.6 million ongoing work-related ill health cases in 2019/20, with more than 65,000 non-fatal injuries reported in that year alone. Tragically, 111 of these proved to be fatal.
But what are the most common workplace injuries, and what can someone do if they have been affected by one?
Common workplace injuries
Accidents at work can leave people suffering from relatively minor injuries to those that are serious and life-changing. Occasionally, some are even fatal.
The most common injuries include:
- Lacerations and cuts;
- Broken bones and fractures;
- Chemical or heat-related burns;
- Soft tissue damage.
Most workplace accidents lead to immediate injury, but certain health and safety failures – such as exposure to asbestos – can cause workers to develop industrial diseases later in life.
What someone can do if they’ve suffered a work-related injury or illness
Health and safety rules mean employers must take steps to avoid risks of injury in the workplace, or minimise them to the lowest possible level.
This includes making sure all staff have the correct machinery and tools to carry out their job, that all machinery and working areas are clean and well-maintained, that staff are provided with appropriate personal protective equipment and that they and their colleagues are trained to complete their job safely.
People injured at work may be entitled to make a workplace injury compensation claim if they can show that the accident or injured or caused by the employer failing to make the workplace safe.
