Welcome to accident at work, a website all about workplace accidents and their prevention. Two people a week will die because of an accident at work. Our website will give you practical information about how to avoid a work accident and what to do if you are injured in the workplace.

The website has articles about accidents at work. They combine safety tips with expert legal advice, focusing on UK Health and Safety law.

Accidents at work is a site owned by Macks Solicitors. If you have been in a work accident that wasn't your fault, you could be entitled to make a compensation claim. Our step-by-step guide explains how to claim compensation and recover the damages from an accident at work.

Accidents at work affect an estimated 245,000 people each year (UK Labour Force Survey). The wide range of workplaces in the UK mean that some workers are more at risk than others.

Workers in manual jobs are more at risk of serious or fatal injuries than people who have computer based work. Yet people with desk or professional jobs are more likely to suffer long term 'chronic' problems such as stress, repetitive strain and musculoskeletal disorders.

Some accidents at work affect all sectors. Recent government figures have revealed the most common dangers in the workplace.

Slips and trips are the most common reason for an accident at work. Slip and trip injuries can happen anywhere, and to any worker. Office environments are as riddled with tripping hazards as a warehouse.

A fall at work can have serious consequences. 95% of major slips will end in broken or fractured bones. The most deadly slips at work can be those in high places, such as on a ladder. These slips often result in a fall from height - a leading cause of work fatalities.

In the UK, slips and trips cause:

• One third of reported major injuries
• One fifth of 'minor' injuries - which need at least 3 days sick leave to heal.
• UK employers to lose £512 million per year ( in lost production and other costs)
• Annual cost to the NHS £133 million per year

A fall from height is usually understood to mean a fall from at least two metres above the ground. On average, around 50 people will die each year following a fall from height at work. Accidents involving a fall from height are the most common kind of fatal accident in the workplace. Falling from ladders is the biggest cause of a fall from height at work. In 2008, Falls from ladders resulted in 16 deaths and 1146 major injuries - over 25% of the major injuries caused by falling from height.

Falls from height can also be caused by:

• Gutter cleaning
• Putting up a display
• Minor roof work
• Shelf stacking
• Window cleaning
• Unloading a vehicle
• Machine maintenance

People can suffer fatal electric shocks at work, and most of these happen to people who aren't specialist electricians.

Electrical accidents at work can be caused by:

• Dangerous wiring
• Faulty electrical equipment
• Poor training on the use of electrical equipment
• No hazard signs about electrical danger
• Failure to provide safety 'cut out' devices

The accidents at work mentioned above are the most common in the UK. However, some jobs have special dangers that pose a higher risk to workers than the 'national average' might suggest.

Workers at particular risk are those who:

• Work with hazardous chemicals
• Work where fire is present
• Work with plant and heavy machinery
• Work with power tools

Workers in hazardous environments (at sea, on construction sites and in dusty workplaces) are more likely to suffer an accident at work.