Health & Safety

Accident and incident investigation

Strengthen your position in the event of enforcement action or a civil claim with our workplace accident and investigation support.

From advice surrounding RIDDOR reporting requirements to serious accident and emergency support, take the stress and uncertainty out of health and safety incidents with our personalised, Health & Safety service.

Get your FREE consultation

Submit your details and one of our team will be in touch.

Struggling to tackle toxic behaviours?

Discover a wealth of expert guidance and resources on our free employer hub.

FREE WEBINAR | Strengthening Your Sickness Absence Framework | 28 March at 2:00 pm

How we help

Protect your interests, proactively prevent further harm

An accident in the workplace is every employer’s worst nightmare. At WorkNest, not only do we help employers dramatically reduce risk through robust safety systems, award-winning software and ongoing consultant support, but we’ll be by your side in the unlikely event of health and safety incidents and regulator involvement.

  • Gather all necessary information, secure the scene and collect evidence with guidance from a named Health & Safety specialist
  • Analyse the facts, working with your consultant to develop an accident sequence and determine root causes
  • Implement solutions based on expert recommendations, plus save time with help writing the report
  • Get peace of mind and protect your bottom line with optional, FCA-regulated Legal Expenses Insurance
  • Record all accidents and incidents and conduct a comprehensive investigation with our Health & Safety Software

Related resources

Free checklist

RIDDOR Checklist | Is it Reportable?

Blog

How to Investigate an Accident or Incident in Your Workplace

Blog

HSE Statistics 2022 Reveal Sharp Increase in Worker Injuries

Dramatically reduce your risk with proactive risk management support

With a named consultant acting as one of your legally-required competent persons, trusted support is only a phone call away. Plus, if you record an incident using the accident application on our Health & Safety Software, we’ll be alerted that a new case has been recorded and be able to see basic details; if it seems like something you might need to look into further, such as a serious accident, near miss or dangerous occurrence, your consultant will give you a call to find out what help you need.

In all cases, we’ll make sure all accidents and incidents are dealt with appropriately, help you to mitigate enforcement action, and keep you operating safely and compliantly

Popular FAQs

Common accident and incident investigation queries and questions about our service, answered by our Health & Safety specialists.

Can you provide an accident investigation template?

Yes. Our fixed-fee Health & Safety service gives you full access to an extensive library of expert-created templates and helpful guidance notes available through our Knowledge Hub. This includes an accident investigation template, which you can complete and share with your consultant, who will help to make sure it contains everything it needs to (and nothing it shouldn’t).

Can you help us to prepare an accident investigation report?

Yes. This can be tricky to get right, especially as once you reach conclusions and set out the actions you have taken, the document is disclosable to the other side in the event of a personal injury claim or prosecution. We’ll help you stick to the facts, keep opinion separate, and make sure the report is presented in a way that protects your best interests and, most importantly, identifies the things that need to be put right to prevent reoccurrence.

Where can I store the evidence we have collected to support the investigation?

Our Health & Safety Software allows you to upload relevant photos and documents to the case, as well as any diagrams, relevant risk assessments and training records.

We have been written to by the regulator regarding a health and safety incident. Can you help?

Yes. In the event of a serious accident or emergency, we will support your investigation and advise you on your communications with the enforcing authority. We will be there to help mitigate damage, guide you and support you.
If you have received a letter from the regulator, we can help you to formulate a response until legal advice is required, in which case (if you have chosen to take it) our Legal Expenses Insurance is activated.

We’ve received an enforcement notice and we’re not sure what to do next. Can you advise?

Yes. We can help you to understand the requirements of the notice, advise on how to respond and whether you have grounds to appeal, and work with you to resolve whatever issue has been identified as quickly as possible. Our aim in these situations is to help you satisfy the regulator that you have made the necessary improvements, minimise downtime, and ultimately mitigate any further enforcement action that may be taken.

What is a near miss?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines a near miss as “an event that, while not causing harm, has the potential to cause injury or ill health”. Put simply, a near miss is a ‘close call’ incident in which someone narrowly, and often by sheer luck, avoided being hurt. Near misses act as a warning that something isn’t working and are an opportunity to prevent serious incidents before they occur. It’s therefore important that they are reported and investigated. Our Health & Safety Software enables you to record, investigate and monitor near misses and dangerous occurrences as well as actual safety incidents. Once logged, we’ll be alerted your consultant will contact you to discuss further should urgent action be required.

What is RIDDOR?

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) requires employers to report and keep records of certain types of work-related accidents and diseases. This includes all deaths to workers and non-workers (if arising from a work-related accident), plus specified injuries such as fractures, amputations and burns. The purpose of reporting under RIDDOR is to give regulators such as the HSE to monitor accident trends, identify how risks arise and investigate serious accidents. Most recently, the regulations have been amended to include two specific circumstances in which COVID-19 incidents should be reported under RIDDOR.

What is the most common cause of injury in the workplace?

Of the 581,000 self-reported non-fatal workplace injuries in 2018/19, 29% were as a result of slips, trips or falls; 20% were caused by handling, lifting or carrying, and 10% were due to being struck by a moving object. While employers may see these accident types as low risk, they can incur costs related to absence, fines and reputational damage. Falls from height continue to be the number one cause of fatal injury at work, accounting for 29 of the 111 deaths reported in 2019/20.

Explore Health & Safety Managed Services

We do more than just accident and incident investigation...

Why choose us?

Experts in Health & Safety

We have the expertise to help you simplify complex health and safety legislation, find workable solutions to health and safety challenges, and protect your organisation from the rising cost of non-compliance. 

  • Approved by a Primary Authority
  • Dedicated specialists with recognised qualifications
  • Genuine hands-on experience of managing risk
  • Cost certainty with our unlimited, fixed-fee model
  • The confidence to act as one of your competent persons

Who you’ll be working with

Client stories

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *