WorkClaim UK Editorial · June 2026 · ~14 min read
Quick Summary
- A factory accident claim covers injuries caused by machinery, chemicals, forklifts, slips and trips, manual handling, falling objects, and electrical accidents
- Manufacturing workers are among the most at risk of serious workplace injury in the UK
- Your employer has specific legal duties under PUWER, COSHH, and the Health and Safety at Work Act. Breach of any of these can form the basis of a claim
- Most factory accident claims are handled on no win no fee, with nothing to pay if the claim does not succeed
- A free assessment with a specialist solicitor will tell you whether your employer's failure gives rise to a valid claim
What counts as a factory accident claim?
A factory accident claim is a compensation claim made by a worker who has been injured in a manufacturing, production, or industrial setting as a result of their employer's negligence. It covers injuries at food processing plants, engineering workshops, chemical facilities, packaging lines, foundries, and any other production environment.
The claim does not require the accident to be dramatic or the injury to be immediately obvious. A back injury from repetitive lifting on a production line is just as valid as a laceration from an unguarded machine. What matters is whether your employer failed a legal duty and whether that failure caused your injury.
For the full claims process, see our claims guide.
What are the most common factory accidents?
Manufacturing is one of the most hazardous sectors in the UK. 2,110 per 100,000 workers are recorded in manufacturing each year. The most common accident types giving rise to factory accident claims include:
Machinery accidents: contact with moving parts, entanglement, crushing, and cutting injuries from unguarded or poorly maintained equipment. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) requires all machinery to be properly guarded, maintained, and only operated by trained workers. Failure to comply is one of the most common employer breaches in factory injury claims.
Forklift and vehicle accidents: collisions between forklifts and pedestrians, falls from poorly secured loads, and vehicle overturning are responsible for a significant proportion of serious factory injuries.
Chemical exposure: burns, skin conditions, and respiratory injuries from hazardous substances. Employers must control exposure under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), including providing adequate PPE and ventilation.
Slips, trips, and falls: wet production floors, trailing cables, poor drainage, and inadequate lighting create slip and trip hazards that employers must manage.
Manual handling: back, shoulder, and neck injuries from lifting heavy products or materials without training or mechanical assistance. A significant cause of long-term disability in manufacturing workers.
Falling objects: items falling from racking, overhead conveyors, or storage mezzanines. Employers must secure storage properly and provide hard hat areas where overhead risk exists.
Electrical accidents: contact with live equipment, arc flash injuries, and electrocution from poorly maintained electrical systems or inadequate isolation procedures.
Who is liable in a factory accident?
Your employer is the primary party liable for most factory accidents, but liability can extend to other parties depending on the circumstances.
Your direct employer owes you a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. If they failed to maintain machinery, failed to provide training, supplied defective PPE, or did not carry out a proper risk assessment for a hazardous task, they may be liable.
A machinery or equipment manufacturer or supplier may be jointly liable if the equipment was inherently defective, inadequately designed, or supplied without proper guarding or safety documentation.
A labour agency or umbrella employer may carry liability if you were placed as a temporary or agency worker and the agency failed to ensure the host employer met its safety obligations.
Where you work as a contractor on site, the factory occupier may owe you a duty of care alongside your own employer. A solicitor will identify all parties whose failure contributed to your accident.
What regulations govern factory health and safety?
Several specific regulations apply to factory environments. Breach of any of these, where the breach caused or contributed to your injury, can form part of a compensation claim.
PUWER 1998: all work equipment must be suitable for its purpose, properly maintained, adequately guarded, and only operated by trained and competent workers. Employers must carry out regular inspections and keep records.
COSHH 2002: employers must assess, prevent, or adequately control worker exposure to hazardous substances including chemicals, dusts, fumes, and biological agents.
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992: employers must avoid hazardous manual handling where possible, and where they cannot, must assess the risk and reduce it to as low as reasonably practicable.
Provision of PPE Regulations: employers must provide suitable personal protective equipment at no cost where other controls do not adequately reduce risk.
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989: all electrical systems must be maintained to prevent danger, and workers must not work on live systems except in strictly controlled circumstances.
How much compensation can you claim for a factory accident?
Compensation covers general damages for the injury itself and special damages for every financial loss. The amount depends on the severity of your injury and its long-term impact.
Indicative general damages ranges from the Judicial College Guidelines (17th edition, 2024):
| Injury type | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Back injury (minor to moderate) | £2,500 – £38,780 |
| Back injury (severe) | £38,780 – £160,980 |
| Hand or finger amputation | £29,000 – £96,720 |
| Chemical burn or skin condition | £2,500 – £117,360 |
| Eye injury | £3,950 – £268,720 |
| Crush injury / fracture | £9,110 – £127,530 |
| Serious machinery injury | £40,000 – £200,000+ |
Special damages add every financial loss: past and future lost earnings, medical treatment, rehabilitation, care costs, and out-of-pocket expenses.
How do factory accident claims work?
Step 1: Report the accident and gather initial evidence
Report your accident to your employer immediately and ensure it is recorded in the accident book. If your injury meets the RIDDOR threshold (a specified injury or more than seven days off work), your employer must also report it to the HSE. Request a copy of both records.
Photograph the scene, the equipment involved, and your injuries as soon as possible. Note the names of any witnesses.
Step 2: Seek medical attention and keep records
Visit your GP or A&E and make clear that your injury was caused at work. This creates a medical record linking your injury to the accident. Keep all correspondence, sicknotes, payslips, and receipts for expenses incurred as a result of the injury.
Step 3: Instruct a solicitor on no win no fee
A specialist solicitor will investigate your employer's breach, gather evidence (including PUWER inspection records, maintenance logs, and training records), instruct an independent medical expert, and pursue the claim on your behalf. There is no upfront cost. If the claim does not succeed, you pay nothing.
See our factory accident page for a full overview of how these claims are structured, or our machinery accident claims guide for equipment-specific claims.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim for a factory accident if I am a temporary or agency worker?
Yes. Agency workers and temporary staff placed with a factory employer are entitled to the same health and safety protections as permanent employees. Both your agency and the host employer may owe you a duty of care. A solicitor will advise on which party or parties are liable.
What if the accident was partly my fault?
You can still claim. The legal principle of contributory negligence means your compensation is reduced by the proportion of fault attributed to you, but does not prevent the claim entirely. If your employer failed to provide training or safe equipment, the primary liability is likely to remain with them.
How long do I have to make a factory accident claim?
Three years from the date of your accident under the Limitation Act 1980. For conditions caused by long-term exposure (such as chemical-related illness or noise-induced hearing loss), the three years runs from the date you knew or ought to have known your condition was linked to your work.
Can I claim if the machinery involved is no longer on site?
Yes, though your solicitor will need to investigate promptly. Employers must keep PUWER inspection and maintenance records, and these can be obtained as part of the claims process. CCTV and site photographs taken at the time of the accident are also important. Act quickly to preserve evidence.
Find out if you have a factory accident claim
If you were injured in a factory or manufacturing environment and believe your employer was at fault, a free assessment will tell you whether you have a valid claim and what it may be worth.
Or call 01228 272395 to speak to Edward & Amaury Solicitors (SRA number: 800525). No upfront cost and nothing to pay if your claim does not succeed.
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