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Workplace injuries: emergency response and first aid

Emergency numbers differ by country. This page uses 911, the number for the United States and Canada. Many other countries use 112, 999, or another number. Find the number for your country.

Workplace accidents include industrial machinery entanglement, severe cuts, chemical burns, falls from scaffolding, and electrical shocks. Prompt response protects worker safety and prevents secondary hazards.

Do this now

  1. Stop machinery or shut off power immediately using emergency stop buttons or main breakers.
  2. Call your local emergency number (911 in the United States, 112 in Europe, 999 in the United Kingdom) for severe trauma or chemical exposure.
  3. Render immediate first aid: control severe bleeding, stabilize head/neck injuries, or flush chemical burns.
  4. Locate the workplace Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for any chemical involved and provide them to paramedics.
  5. Notify your workplace safety officer and site supervisor.

Machinery entanglement and crush injuries

  • Hit the Emergency Stop (E-Stop): Shut off power immediately. Do not reverse machine gears, as reversing can increase tissue damage.
  • Support the weight: If a worker is pinned by heavy materials, use jacks or levers to lift the weight off safely without causing further collapse.
  • Control bleeding: Apply direct pressure or a commercial tourniquet above amputated or crushed limbs.

Industrial chemical exposure and eye splashes

  • Safety Shower: If hazardous chemicals splash onto body skin or clothing, move the worker to an emergency eyewash or safety shower immediately.
  • Flush for 15 to 20 minutes: Strip contaminated clothing while flushing skin under continuous running water.
  • Check Safety Data Sheets (SDS): Read Section 4 (First Aid Measures) of the chemical's SDS file to verify specific neutralization or antidote instructions.

Falls from height and scaffolding

  • Do not move a worker who has fallen from a ladder, roof, or scaffolding.
  • Assume head, neck, and spinal cord injuries. Hold the head and neck still until emergency responders arrive.

Workplace safety regulations

Occupational health agencies (such as OSHA in the United States or HSE in the United Kingdom) mandate accessible first aid kits, eyewash stations, and Safety Data Sheets on all job sites.