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What to do if…
you are injured at work and no first aid or medical help is provided

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Get away from any continuing danger and call 911 for a life-threatening emergency. Otherwise, stop working, seek prompt medical assessment, and notify your employer in writing that you were injured and no aid was provided.

Do not do these things

  • Do not continue working if this could worsen the injury.
  • Do not delay emergency care while waiting for workplace permission, insurance details, or forms.
  • Do not drive yourself if pain, bleeding, dizziness, confusion, breathing difficulty, or limited movement makes driving unsafe.
  • Do not return to machinery, chemicals, electricity, heights, traffic, or another continuing hazard.
  • Do not rely only on a verbal report to your employer.
  • Do not sign a statement that you do not understand or that describes the incident inaccurately.
  • Do not clean up or alter the incident area unless this is necessary to prevent immediate harm and can be done safely.

What to do now

  1. Move to the nearest safe place if you can do so without worsening the injury. If you may have a neck or back injury and there is no immediate danger where you are, stay as still as possible and ask someone to call 911.

  2. Call 911, or ask a coworker or bystander to call, if you have collapsed, cannot breathe normally, are unresponsive, have uncontrolled bleeding, or may have a serious head, neck, crush, electrical, or amputation injury. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

  3. If your workplace will not call for help, use your own phone or ask someone nearby to do it. Ask a trusted person to remain with you until help arrives when possible.

  4. Seek prompt medical assessment even if your employer does not arrange it. Tell the healthcare provider that the injury happened at work, when it occurred, what caused it, and what symptoms you have. For non-emergency treatment, ask whether your employer or state workers’ compensation system requires a particular provider, but do not delay emergency care.

  5. If a chemical reached your eyes or skin, move away from the source without entering further danger. Use an available emergency eyewash or safety shower as directed, and contact 911 or Poison Control for instructions appropriate to the substance and exposure.

  6. Send a factual written notice to your supervisor, manager, human resources department, or designated reporting contact. Include the date, approximate time, location, what happened, your symptoms, who you asked for help, and what response you received.

  7. Ask for the workplace injury-reporting procedure and workers’ compensation claim information. State reporting requirements and deadlines vary, so make the initial report promptly even if you do not yet know the full extent of the injury.

  8. Keep copies of messages, incident forms, medical papers, prescriptions, receipts, and work restrictions. Record the names of witnesses and take photographs of visible injuries or the incident area only when it is safe to do so.

  9. After urgent medical needs are addressed, contact OSHA or the relevant OSHA-approved State Plan if an unresolved workplace hazard remains or you need information about filing a safety complaint. Use 911, not an online complaint process, for a medical emergency.

What can wait

You do not need to decide now whether to hire a lawyer, confront your employer, estimate the injury’s long-term effect, or make final decisions about returning to work. Detailed disputes and longer claim paperwork can wait until you are medically stable, but emergency care and basic written notice should not be postponed.

Important reassurance

A workplace’s failure to provide help does not make your injury minor. You do not need to persuade your employer that the situation is serious before calling for emergency assistance or seeking appropriate medical assessment.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate safety, access to medical care, basic reporting, and preservation of records only. Later decisions may require help from a healthcare professional, your state workers’ compensation agency, a union representative, OSHA, or an employment lawyer.

Important note

This is general information, not medical, legal, employment, financial, or other professional advice. Workers’ compensation procedures, treatment-provider rules, OSHA coverage, reporting requirements, and employment protections vary by state, industry, employer, and employment status. Different systems may apply to federal employees, maritime workers, contractors, and some other workers.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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