Awareness day
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025 is observed on April 28th. The day’s aim is to promotes the prevention of workplace accidents, injuries, and occupational diseases.
World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign established in 2003 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) observed on the 28th April. It raises awareness about injuries sustained in the workplace, and promotes the prevention of workplace accidents, injuries, and occupational diseases.
Why is World Day for Safety and Health at Work important?
In research Slater and Gordon conducted in Scotland, we found that almost 3 in 4 (73.81%) people said they were injured at work while working a physical construction job. Due to this staggeringly high number of injuries in the workplace, it is important to raise awareness and promote a culture of safety and prevention.
Research found the top injuries within a construction setting were:
Slips, trips, falls: 58.06% of the people we surveyed had slipped, tripped or fallen while working in construction.
Cuts/lacerations: Our research found that 38.71% had suffered cuts or lacerations because of an accident while working in a construction setting.
Muscle strain: 38.71% had strained muscles as a result of working in construction.
Based on the research, it can be assumed that other manual jobs will present similar risks of injury, and it is important to know what to do in situations where you have been injured.
Stuart Cochran, Principal Lawyer and Head of Personal Injury in Scotland said “World Day of Health and Safety at Work is an important event that raises awareness for the thousands of workers in the UK that still suffer from work related injuries every year. There is still a great deal of work to be done by employers and the governments to prevent accidents and injuries at work, and to provide a safe working environment for employees and workers.”
What to do after an accident at work?
If you have had an injury at work, it is important to remember to press ‘PLAY’.
- (P) Prioritise your health, seek medical attention
- (L) Log your accident with your employer
- (A) Acquire evidence such as witness statements or pictures/video of the accident
- (Y) You are not alone; we are here to help.
Knowing what to do after an accident at work can be difficult, especially if the injury is serious. Your first step after an accident should be making sure that any immediate injuries are taken care of. This could mean cleaning any cuts or scrapes or calling an ambulance for more extreme injuries. After this, you should ensure your employer is aware of what has happened and has made a record. Further to this, it is a legal requirement for all businesses (even those who are self-employed) to report accidents under RIDDOR. Having a personal record of the injury or accident it important too. Pictures of broken or defective equipment, or witness statements from co-workers can help provide a clearer picture of what happened should you choose to claim for compensation.
We are here to help
It is never too early to think about instructing a personal injury expert to help you. While the events are still fresh in your mind, you can speak to your lawyer who will make detailed notes and prepare a statement for you.
Slater and Gordon have a specialist team of personal injury lawyers who deal with accident at work claims on a no win no fee basis. For a free consultation call 0330 041 5869 or contact us online and we will be happy to help you with your next steps.