Factory Accident Claims: Injured on the Production Line and What You Can Claim
A factory accident claim is a personal injury claim against your employer's liability insurance for an injury caused by unguarded or faulty machinery, an unsafe lifting job, a fall, a forklift or vehicle, or a failure in training or supervision; the employer's duty covers permanent, agency and shift staff alike, the claim must start within three years, and National Accident Support Line assesses whether you have a claim and refers it to a specialist solicitor on a no win no fee basis.
Factories are where the rules are strictest and where they are most often bent to keep the line moving. A guard removed because it slows the job. A blockage cleared with the machine live because stopping it means a lost batch. A pallet lifted by one person because the second person is on a break. When the injury follows, the rule that was bent is the reason the claim exists.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
What a factory employer has to do
Beyond the general duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act, factories are governed by specific regulations that set out exactly what the employer must provide. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations require every machine to be suitable, maintained, inspected and guarded, with training for everyone who uses it. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations require lifting jobs to be assessed and, where the risk is real, avoided or made safer with equipment or a second person. The Workplace Regulations cover floors, lighting, traffic routes and ventilation. The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations require the right protection to be provided free of charge. When a factory injury happens, a solicitor works through those regulations one by one, and the employer has to show each was met. The same rules cover warehouses, plants and other heavy industry; see industrial accident claims.
Injuries that happen in factories
| Cause | Typical injuries | The failure behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Unguarded or bypassed machine guards | Amputation, crush, degloving, lacerations | Guard removed or interlock defeated to speed the line |
| Clearing jams and blockages | Hand and arm injuries | Machine not isolated, no lock-off procedure |
| Manual handling and repetitive work | Back injuries, hernias, shoulder and wrist injuries | No assessment, no lifting aids, single-person lifts |
| Forklifts and internal vehicles | Crush injuries, fractures | No pedestrian segregation, untrained drivers |
| Falls on the shop floor | Fractures, head injuries | Oil, coolant, cables, poor lighting |
| Falls from height: mezzanines, ladders, platforms | Spinal and head injuries | No edge protection, unsafe access |
| Chemicals, fumes and dust | Burns, respiratory disease, dermatitis | No extraction, no protective equipment |
| Noise | Hearing loss, tinnitus | No hearing protection, no monitoring |
Our guide to the most common injuries in factory accidents goes through each of these in more detail.
What you can claim for
The injury and its effect on your life. Lost earnings, including overtime and shift premiums you would have worked, and the gap between statutory sick pay and your normal take-home. Treatment, physiotherapy and travel. Care from family while you recovered. Where the injury stops you doing factory work, the future loss of earnings and the cost of retraining for something else.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
The situations people describe to us
"Everyone takes the guard off, it's how the job gets done"
That sentence is the claim. A guard that is routinely removed with the supervisor's knowledge is an employer's failure, not an operator's. The employer has to show the machine was guarded and that people were trained and supervised to keep it that way.
"I'm agency, the factory says it's the agency's problem"
The business whose factory you were in owes you the duty for its machinery, its floor and its training. The agency has duties too. A solicitor will pursue the one that controlled the risk, and it is not your job to work out which.
"They put it in the accident book as my fault"
The accident book records what happened, not who was to blame, and an entry written by a supervisor saying the operator was careless is not the final word. Photographs, the training records, the maintenance log and the people who saw it decide fault.
"It's a repetitive injury, not an accident"
A back, wrist or shoulder injury that built up over months of the same lifting or the same movement is still a claim, as long as it started within the last three years and the employer failed to assess and reduce the risk.
What to do after a factory accident
See the first aider and then a doctor, so the injury is on a medical record with a date. Make sure it is in the accident book and ask for a copy. Photograph the machine, the guard, the floor or the load, and your injuries. Note who was on shift and who saw it. Ask whether the accident was reported to the HSE under RIDDOR. Keep receipts and a note of every day off. Don't sign anything about the accident from the employer or their insurer without advice.
How a factory accident claim works with National Accident Support Line
Tell us what happened, by the form, WhatsApp or a call to 0333 212 2730, and web enquiries are called back within 2 minutes during opening hours. We ask what caused it, whether the machine was guarded, whether you had training and who saw it. If there is a claim, we refer it to a specialist workplace injury solicitor who runs it on a no win no fee basis with nothing to pay upfront. If there isn't, we tell you straight. National Accident Support Line is an FCA-regulated claims management company, not a law firm. Factory injuries are one part of our workplace accident claims, and the general personal injury claim page explains the process every injury claim follows.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim if I was operating the machine when I was hurt?
Yes. Operating a machine is your job; making it safe to operate is the employer's. Where the guard, the training or the procedure was missing, the claim stands.
Can agency and temporary staff claim for a factory accident?
Yes. The factory owes the same duty to agency workers on its floor as to its own staff.
Will my employer find out I've claimed?
Yes, the claim is made against their insurance and they will be asked for records. Penalising you for it is unlawful.
How long do I have to make a factory accident claim?
Three years from the accident, or from the date you knew an injury or illness was caused by the work.
Can I claim for hearing loss or a lung condition from factory work?
Yes, within three years of knowing the condition was work-related. These are industrial disease claims and are handled by the same specialist solicitors.
What if the machine was faulty from the manufacturer?
The employer is still responsible for providing safe equipment, and the manufacturer may share liability. The claim is made against the employer first.
How long does a factory accident claim take?
Admitted claims can settle in months. Disputed claims and serious injuries take longer because the medical picture has to settle before the claim is valued.
What does no win no fee mean?
Nothing to pay upfront and nothing if the claim fails. If it succeeds, the solicitor's success fee, capped at 25% and agreed in advance, comes out of the award.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
National Accident Support Line Ltd is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activities, registration number 829991.