After an Accident on Site: What to Do Straight Away and What to Record

‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‍# S20a. After an accident on site - what to do in the moment and for later

What you do in the first hour after an accident affects two things: how badly people are hurt and how well you're protected later. This page is about both.

1. THE SHORT VERSION

First: protect people and make the area safe. Then: record what happened properly.

Serious stuff has to be reported under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) by the "responsible person" – usually your employer or the site manager, not you.

You can't stop them cutting corners later, but you can make sure your side of the story is on paper.

2. FIRST FEW MINUTES: WHAT YOU ACTUALLY DO

Immediate priorities on any site:

Help the injured person

• Shout for first aid.
• Follow your first‑aid training if you have it; don't move them unless it's unsafe to leave them.

Make the area safe

• Stop plant, isolate power, block access if there's still danger (fall risk, live edges, collapsing material).

Tell the right person

• Supervisor/site manager straight away.
• If they're not around, follow the site's emergency contacts.

Do not clean away all the evidence

• Make safe, yes. But don't quietly remove everything that shows what happened before it's been looked at and recorded.

3. RECORDING THE ACCIDENT (YOUR PROTECTION LATER)

Whatever the seriousness, get it written down. It helps you and it helps fix the problem.

• Every workplace with 10+ employees must have an accident book.
• Anyone can make an entry – you, a supervisor, or a witness.

Make sure the record includes:

• Your name and job.
• Date, time and exact location of the accident.
• What you were doing at the time.
• What happened – in simple, factual language.
• Injuries you know about.
• Names of witnesses and any photos taken.

Ask for a copy (photo on your phone is fine). Records must be kept by the employer for at least 3 years.

4. WHEN IT BECOMES RIDDOR TERRITORY (AND WHO REPORTS)

RIDDOR is about serious work‑related incidents. The duty to report sits with the "responsible person" – usually the employer, site manager or person in control of the work, not with individual workers.

RIDDOR‑reportable construction incidents include:

• Deaths related to work.
• Specified injuries – e.g. most fractures (other than fingers/toes), amputations, serious burns, loss of sight, scalping needing hospital, serious enclosed‑space injuries.
• Over‑seven‑day injuries – worker can't do their normal job for more than 7 consecutive days (not counting the day of the accident).
• Some injuries to non‑workers (e.g. member of public taken straight to hospital).
• Certain occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences (near‑miss events like major collapses, serious plant failures).

Reporting deadlines:

• Fatalities & specified injuries – notify HSE without delay, usually by phone, plus a written report within 10 days.
• Over‑seven‑day injuries – report within 15 days of the incident.
• Most other RIDDOR reports – within 10 days.

As a worker, you don't file the RIDDOR report yourself (unless you're self‑employed in control of the work), but you can and should:

• Check that your employer/PC is reporting when it's clearly serious.
• Make sure your accident book entry is accurate and detailed.

5. WHAT TO WRITE DOWN FOR YOURSELF (NOT JUST THE ACCIDENT BOOK)

On top of the official record, do your own simple note while it's fresh:

• Date and time.
• Where you were on site.
• What job you'd been told to do and by whom.
• What equipment/PPE you had – or didn't have.
• Who else was there and anything they said ("we'll do it properly next time", "we know this scaffold's dodgy", etc.).

If you can, take photos of the area, equipment, and any relevant signs or lack of them, as soon as it's safe and allowed. That can matter later if there's an investigation or claim.

6. SEEING A DOCTOR AND KEEPING MEDICAL EVIDENCE

Even if you think it's "just a knock", protect yourself:

• Get checked by a first aider on site, then GP / A&E if there's any doubt.
• Keep copies of:
  • Any GP or hospital notes.
  • Fit notes saying you're unfit or fit with restrictions.
  • Receipts for medication or treatment you've had to pay for.

If the injury later turns out to be more serious than you thought, having that early medical trail matters.

7. WHY PROPER REPORTING HELPS YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE

Accident reporting isn't just paperwork. It:

• Builds a record of what actually happens on site (not just what looks good on a policy).
• Helps employers and HSE spot patterns and fix hazards, making it less likely someone else gets hurt.
• Protects you, because if you ever need to claim, you're not relying on memory alone years later.

Bad sites sometimes pressure people to keep things "off the record". That's a red flag.

8. QUICK CHECKLIST – IF YOU'RE THE ONE HURT

If you're injured on site, as soon as you're able:

• Get treatment first – first aid, then GP/A&E if needed.
• Make sure the incident is in the accident book and check the wording.
• Take photos (where safe and allowed) and note names of witnesses.
• If you're off work, keep fit notes and a log of days you can't do your normal duties (over 7 days triggers RIDDOR duties for your employer).
• If the injury is serious or your employer is brushing it off, consider getting advice – union, HSE, or an independent advice line/solicitor – early, not six months later.

That way, if you decide to pursue anything later – or if HSE comes knocking – you've done your bit and your story is on the record.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

• Get medical attention first - even if the injury seems minor, get it checked and keep the paperwork.
• Make sure the incident is recorded in the accident book and photograph the entry.
• Write your own notes while everything is fresh: date, time, location, what happened, who was there.
• Take photos of the area, equipment and any relevant conditions as soon as it is safe to do so.
• If the injury is serious or your employer is not reporting it properly, contact HSE or get union advice early.

SOURCES

• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1471
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37
• Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979 (accident book requirements). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1979/628

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