The most common workplace accidents & injuries

Although some workplace accidents cannot be avoided, for others, where you know how you could potentially suffer an injury at work, you are more likely to be able to avoid accidents in the workplace.

Here at National Accident Helpline, we have written a brief guide to help you, where we list some of the most common workplace accidents and injuries. 

Slips and trips in the workplace are common accidents at work. Slips and trips can easily occur and do so just about anywhere. 

Slips and trips at work can occur, for example, when:

• walking up or down stairs
• slipping on a spillage on the floor
• tripping due to the poor condition of flooring
• tripping on debris

If you suffer a slip or trip in your workplace, this can cause, for example:

• back problems
• head injuries
• broken bones

The most common injury at work in the UK is a muscle strain. For example, back and neck muscle strains are particularly commonplace in the workplace.

Although you may associate a muscle strain with jobs which involve lifting, you can in fact strain your muscle in pretty much any job. For example, in the office when getting a box of paper for the photocopier. It is important to listen to your body and stop as soon as you feel muscle pain. 

Injuries in the workplace such as cuts, lacerations and burns, can happen in a variety of types of industries. These types of workplace injuries can be due to:

• working with and handling sharp objects
• using machines on construction sites
• paper cuts in the office

Cuts and lacerations can often be the result of bad training, lack of adequate safety procedures and not wearing the correct protective equipment. 

Burns are common workplace injuries with the three most common being:

• thermal burns
• electrical burns
• chemical burns

If you work in a workplace where you are exposed to harmful substances you risk suffering a workplace injury. 

Exposure to harmful substances is a common form of injury in the workplace. This can include inhaling toxic fumes and if you work in a factory you may risk chemical exposure which can cause respiratory problems. 

Also, accidents at work involving hazardous chemicals can cause skin or eye reactions.

Falling from a height in the workplace is a common workplace accident. This is a particularly common accident for those who work on construction sites. For example, you could fall from scaffolding. 

One of the common falls from a height at work is an accident falling from a ladder. 

Getting hit by a moving or falling object is a common cause of workplace injuries. To be precise, it is the third largest reason for workplace injuries. Moving or falling objects accidents can include:

• an object that physically falls such as something from a shelf in a warehouse or out of a cupboard
• cutting yourself with a knife
• moving trolleys that are not being controlled by another 

Lifting an object is a common occurrence for many at work and unfortunately, it is easy to assume we know how it weighs and how to correctly lift it. However, manual handling accidents can cause:

• back injuries
• strains
• broken limbs
• muscle injuries
• heart problems

Manual handling accidents can also include:

• pulling
• pushing 
• moving tools about 
• moving equipment about 

Repetitive strains, which you may know as ergonomic injuries or repetitive strain injuries (RSI), are common injuries at work and can occur in a variety of jobs including office work. This workplace injury is caused by, for example:

• repetitive motion such as typing
• awkward positions such as sitting incorrectly
• excessive force.

Some of the common types of ergonomic injuries are:

• carpal tunnel syndrome
• tendonitis
• back pain

If you do have an accident in the workplace, you should know what to do. Make sure you familiarise yourself with any health and safety instructions your employer has on this so that you are prepared should you suffer a workplace accident or injury at work.

You should know where and how to access first aid and ensure that you do so promptly. Ask for help, and where possible and necessary, dial 999. 

Your employer should record the accident at work as a written record and will usually have an accident book for this. This is particularly important for you should you wish to make a claim later down the line for an accident at work.

^{Last updated 27.02.23}