When, Why, and How to Enter Information into Work Accident Book

An accident book at work is an absolute necessity especially right after an accident happens in the workplace, as well as at a later date. What is a work accident book, why is it important, and how should it be used?

Any company employing 10 or more people is legally required to have accident books on the premises. This book should be used to record all the details of every single accident that takes place in the premises of the employer. The accident report bookis used to record both minor and major accidents in the workplace that resulted in injuries. These accidents include trips, slips, injuries that are caused by faulty equipment, cut fingers, falls and fork-lift truck accidents.

Log all Accidents
The details of these accidents should be logged into the accident report form either by a colleague or the injured party. All the information should be kept confidential, which is why accident books have removable or pull out pages. All the details such as the date, time, the injured party’s name, witnesses, injuries and the full circumstances of the accident must be logged into the accident book at work, there are no exceptions to these rules.

The information stored in the accident book is required by law to be kept by the company or business for three full years. All employees are required to notify their employers immediately after the accident happened.

Accident Books and Time off Work
Accident books are useful for the employer or company in the event that the injured party needs time off work subsequently as a result of the injury or accident. It would be useful in this case in completing the paper trail. This would help all parties as they will have a detailed and accurate description of what really happened.

In the event that the injured employee decides to file a compensation claim for the injuries, the documented record of the incident will be extremely useful. Not only will the accident book at work log where and when the accident happened but would also help in proving that the employee was really injured and deserves to be properly compensated.

If the accident results to serious injury or even death in the workplace, the employer needs to report the accident to the RIDDOR’s (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and other Dangerous Occurrences Regulations of 1995) HSE department.