World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025

What is World Day for Safety and Health at Work?

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign established in 2003 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) observed on the28th 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, we found that more than 3 in 4 (77.84%) 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: 45.13% of the people we surveyed had slipped, tripped or fallen while working in construction.
• Cuts/lacerations: Our research found that 42.82% had suffered cuts or lacerations as a result of an accident while working in a construction setting.
• Muscle strain: 41.54% 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.

Matthew Tomlinson, Head of Serious Injury in the North, said “Workers are entitled to safe and healthy workplaces. Each year millions of workers around the world suffer from work related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. World Day of Health and Safety at Work 2025 is an important day in the calendar to raise awareness and share best practices in relation to creating safer and healthier workplaces. It should also encourage workers to identify hazards, report concerns and advocate safety initiatives”.

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.

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 self-employed people) 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 work accident 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.