Lack of knowledge hinders reporting of accidents at work

BSC says reducing the number of minor accidents will see a corresponding fall in the number of serious accidents, and urge a culture of transparency

New research suggests that almost two-thirds (64%) of workers have had an accident at work that has not been reported and almost half (46%) don’t know how to report an accident. 

The data, from personal-injury lawyers Simpson Millar, who spotted that online searches for ‘injury at work’ had spiked by 21% in the last three months, comes as HSE figures show there were 135 reported fatalities at work in 2022/23 and 561,000 non-fatal injuries.

Dr Julie Riggs, Director of Education and Membership at the British Safety Council (BSC) said there was a need to recognise why people do not report incidents.  “This report highlights a potential lack of knowledge and we strongly encourage leaders to be aware of the challenges of culture and communication in their remote or distributed workforces and do all they can to overcome them.” 

She added: “Bird’s Accident Triangle proposes that reducing the number of minor accidents will see a corresponding fall in the number of serious accidents. Employees should therefore be encouraged to report all incidents and near misses, no matter how minor, to foster a culture of transparency.

“Ultimately, we know there can be an impact on an organisation’s workplace morale, culture and even its bottom line when a reporting culture does not exist and employees do not feel safe or have a sense of belonging and being heard.”

“Employers should be working with their workforce to put in a management health and safety system that supports and encourages reporting…”

Sue Ferns, Senior Deputy General Secretary of trade union, Prospect, also highlighted that employees need a voice. She said: “A high level of unreported accidents demonstrates the importance of having unions and safety reps. These reps help prevent injuries from occurring in the first place, support workers in reporting incidents and provide access to personal-injury schemes.

“Employers should be working with their workforce to put in a management health and safety system that supports and encourages reporting, and properly investigates when an accident is reported.

“It is also vital that we have a properly resourced regulator that will ensure employers are aware of the need for such a system, helps them put it into practice and can take suitable steps against an employer if any negligence exists.”

The HSE, which was criticised by Prospect last year for a lack of resources in investigating mandatory incidents, told EHN Extra that its staffing levels have changed over the past two decades as its role and responsibilities have changed.

A spokesperson said: “Our staffing numbers are currently growing because we have new responsibilities. Previous reductions in staffing levels reflected changes to the regulatory environment such as, for example, the creation of the Office for Nuclear Regulation.”

He added that its activities are based on intelligence and the most serious risks. “We focus on industries with the greatest hazards and sectors with the worst risk record. If an accident has taken place in the workplace and qualifies for a RIDDOR report, then the duty is on the employer to submit a report to HSE within 15 days from the date of the incident.”