SiteKiln gives you plain-English information, not legal advice. If you need advice specific to your situation, talk to a qualified professional.
# I've Been Injured on Site, What to Do Now
If you're hurt on site, your job now is simple: look after your body, log everything, and create a paper trail so you're not stitched up later. Here's how.
1. First 60 minutes: do this
Get medical help first. If a first aider or ambulance is offered, take it, don't try to "walk it off" to look hard.
If it's serious (head injury, heavy impact, big fall, crush, breathing issues), call 999 or ask someone to do it right now.
Tell someone in charge on the spot, site supervisor, foreman, or principal contractor, and say clearly: "I've been injured while working on this site."
If they're trying to sit you in the canteen with a brew instead of sorting proper medical help, push back. Your health comes before the programme.
If you go to A&E, tell them it was a work accident on a construction site so it's recorded that way in your medical notes.
2. Get it written in the accident book
There has to be a written record, this is not optional.
Every employer must keep an accident record system so injuries can be logged. Ask for the accident book and insist the incident goes in with:
- Date and time
- Location on site
- What happened
- Injuries sustained
- Names of witnesses
- Your job role
Check the wording before you sign it. If it's wrong, don't sign until it reflects what actually happened, for example, "fell from scaffold hatch with no guardrail" is not the same as "tripped over own feet."
Take a photo of the accident book entry with your phone so you have your own copy.
Under the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, you're expected to give notice of a work accident if you might claim benefits later. The accident book entry is your proof that you did.
3. RIDDOR: when it must be formally reported
Some accidents are serious enough that they must be reported to HSE under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013).
The responsible person · employer, principal contractor, or whoever controls the site · must report if:
- Someone is killed or suffers a serious injury
- Someone suffers a specified injury (certain fractures, loss of sight, serious burns, amputations, crush injuries to the head or torso, chemical or hot metal burns to the eye, scalping, loss of consciousness from head injury or asphyxia)
- Someone is off work or unable to do their normal job for more than 7 consecutive days because of the injury
- There's a dangerous occurrence · collapse of scaffolding, serious equipment failure, accidental release of a substance, etc.
You don't fill in the RIDDOR form yourself, but you can, and should, ask:
- "Is this being reported under RIDDOR?"
- Make a note in writing (text or email) that you believe it should be
- If you think they're ignoring a serious incident, you can raise it with HSE directly · online or by phone
4. Evidence: what to photograph and record
As soon as you're safe and able, start building your own file. Don't rely on anyone else to keep records for you.
Photos of the scene: the hazard, missing guardrails, loose cables, spills, broken equipment, access routes, lighting conditions, whatever contributed to the accident.
Photos of your injuries: bruising, swelling, cuts, stitches, casts. Take pictures over several days as things develop and change.
Photos of equipment involved: tools, machinery, vehicles, scaffolds, edge protection, signage (or lack of it).
Names and numbers: get contact details for anyone who saw it happen or helped you afterwards.
Messages: keep every text, WhatsApp and email from supervisors about the accident, especially if they're telling you not to report it or to describe it differently.
This is how you win arguments months or years later when everyone has conveniently "forgotten" what the site looked like.
5. Tell your employer in writing
Verbal chats disappear. Written messages stick.
Send a text or email to your boss, agency, or principal contractor saying:
- What happened
- When and where
- What injuries you have
- That it happened during work
Ask for confirmation that it's been recorded in the accident book and, if appropriate, that it will be reported under RIDDOR.
Keep copies of all emails, texts and any replies.
This matters for benefits, sick pay, and any future insurance or compensation claim.
6. Medical evidence: don't skip this
Even if you think it's "only a sprain":
- Get checked at A&E, a minor injuries unit, or your GP as soon as you reasonably can
- Tell them it was a work accident · that wording goes into your medical record and matters later
- Keep everything: discharge notes, X-ray reports, prescriptions, fit notes, physio referrals
If a claim follows months or years down the line, you may need an independent medical report. Your everyday NHS records are the foundation for that. Without them, you're starting from nothing.
7. Money: what you get while you're off work
If you're employed (PAYE)
From 6 April 2026, the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) waiting days have been scrapped. SSP now starts from day 1 of sickness absence, and the lower earnings limit has been removed, so more workers qualify.
Check your contract. Some firms pay more than SSP or already paid from day 1. Company sick pay varies.
If your income drops significantly, you may also be able to claim Universal Credit while you recover.
If you're CIS self-employed or labour-only
You don't get SSP. There is no automatic sick pay safety net for self-employed workers.
If you can't work for a sustained period, you may be able to claim:
- Universal Credit · if your income drops below the threshold
- New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) · if you've paid enough National Insurance contributions
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) · if the injury leaves you with a lasting disability (see section 13 below)
This is exactly why income protection insurance is worth looking at before something goes wrong. See our insurance guides.
8. Employer's liability insurance
Every employer in the UK who has staff must have employer's liability (EL) insurance. This is not optional.
The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 makes it a legal requirement. The fine for not having cover is up to £2,500 per day.
Your employer must display the EL insurance certificate where workers can see it, or provide it electronically.
If you make a personal injury claim, it normally goes against their insurer, not straight out of the boss's pocket. That's what the insurance is for.
If you suspect they don't have insurance or they're refusing to give you the details, that's a serious red flag. HSE and any solicitor you speak to will be very interested.
9. Making a claim: know the time limits
You don't have to decide about compensation on day one. But the clock is ticking from the moment it happens.
Under the Limitation Act 1980 (section 11), you normally have 3 years from the date of the accident to start a personal injury claim in court.
For industrial disease: hearing loss, lung conditions, vibration injury, it's 3 years from the date of knowledge: the date you first knew you had the condition and that it might be work-related.
If the injured person is under 18, the 3-year clock doesn't start until their 18th birthday.
Do not sign anything · gagging agreements, "full and final settlement" forms, compromise agreements · without getting legal advice first. Big firms will often try to tidy things up quickly and cheaply.
Most personal injury solicitors offer a free initial consultation. Use it.
10. "No win no fee", how it actually works
The adverts make it sound like magic. It isn't, but it's not a scam either. Here's how it works in practice.
The usual arrangement is a conditional fee agreement (CFA):
- If you lose, you don't pay your solicitor's basic fees
- If you win, they take a success fee from your compensation · capped by law at 25% of your damages (not including future care costs)
There may be other costs, an insurance premium, medical report fees, court fees, usually covered by after-the-event (ATE) insurance, which is then recovered from the other side if you win.
Ask three questions before you sign anything:
- What's your success fee percentage?
- What happens if we lose · am I liable for anything?
- Are there any costs I might have to pay out of my own pocket?
You want a solicitor who explains it in plain English and has actual construction experience, not someone chasing their TV advert quota.
11. If you're self-employed on someone else's site
Being on CIS or described as "self-employed" does not mean you're on your own.
Whoever controls the site, principal contractor, main contractor, client, still has duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
If you're injured because they didn't keep the site reasonably safe, poor access, unguarded edges, defective plant, no traffic management, you can still potentially claim against them or their insurer.
The Occupiers' Liability Act 1957 means the person in control of the premises must take reasonable care for the safety of people lawfully on their site. That includes self-employed workers.
So: still log it, still get medical evidence, still take photos, still get legal advice. Your employment status doesn't take away their duty of care.
12. If they try to cover it up or pressure you
This happens more than it should, especially on smaller jobs and domestic sites.
Warning signs:
- Being told "don't put it in the accident book · we'll sort you out with cash"
- Being told to say it happened at home or outside of work
- Threats about future work if you report it
- Pressure to come back before you're fit
- Being asked to change your version of what happened
What to do:
- Keep everything in writing · texts, WhatsApps, voice notes
- If you believe there's a serious safety risk to others, report it to HSE directly · you can do this online or by phone
- If your employer retaliates (cuts your hours, sacks you, bullies you, stops giving you work), talk to ACAS immediately
- Whistleblowing protections exist under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (Part IVA) for workers who report health and safety concerns · you don't have to be an employee to be protected
You are not being difficult by reporting an injury. You are doing exactly what the law requires.
13. IIDB: if the injury causes long-term problems
If your injury leaves you with a lasting disability caused by work, you may be able to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB).
IIDB covers prescribed work-related accidents and certain occupational diseases that result in ongoing disablement. It's assessed by a medical board who determine the level of disability as a percentage.
Key facts:
- It's separate from any compensation claim · you can get IIDB and still pursue a personal injury case
- It runs on its own rules and medical assessments
- You don't need to have paid National Insurance to qualify
- The disablement must be assessed at 14% or more (1% or more for certain prescribed diseases)
- Current rates range from £44.40/week (20% disablement) to £222.00/week (100% disablement) · 2025/26 rates
Keep all your medical records, accident book entries, and correspondence. You'll need them for the IIDB assessment.
We cover IIDB in more detail in its own guide.
What to do next
- If you've just been injured, follow sections 1-6 above · medical help, accident book, photos, written notification
- Once you're safe, read the relevant guides below on insurance, sick pay, and your specific situation
- If you think RIDDOR applies and it hasn't been reported, raise it in writing or contact HSE
- Get a free initial consultation with a personal injury solicitor if you're considering a claim · don't wait until the 3-year deadline is close
Sources
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 · legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 · legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1471
- Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 · legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1969/57
- Limitation Act 1980 (s.11) · legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58/section/11
- Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979 · legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1979/628
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 · legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51
- Occupiers' Liability Act 1957 · legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1957/31
- Employment Rights Act 1996, Part IVA (whistleblowing) · legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/part/IVA
- HSE, Workplace fatal injuries in Great Britain 2025 · hse.gov.uk/statistics
- Employment Rights Bill 2024-26 (SSP reforms) · parliament.uk
Know someone who needs this?
Was this guide useful?
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.
In crisis? Samaritans 116 123 ·