Injury on duty

It is a regrettable fact that police duty can give rise to incidents in which officers sustain injury through no fault of their own. Such incidents can occur in many different ways, whether on police premises, through assaults, defective roads or pavements, as a result of faulty police equipment or through the negligence of other officers.

Many officers are still unaware of their industrial injury entitlements and, as a result, officers are financially missing out and are potentially, in the longer term, putting themselves at risk.

If you are injured at work you must ask your supervisor to record the details of the injury or accident on the Force reporting system. Many of you will say that minor cuts and bruises, for example, will cause no lasting harm. However, if they do cause lasting harm and the matter is not recorded properly then your position at work (should sickness issues be relevant), or your future appropriate pension arrangements could be in jeopardy.

Federation safety reps carry out investigations into injuries and accidents at work and they can make recommendations to the Force to improve safety. If matters are not reported then the chances of making improvements are slim.

Recent changes silently introduced by the Welfare Reform Act 2012 mean that you are no longer allowed to simply register an injury with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is therefore crucial that the injury is logged at work in the first place.

Please remember that by virtue of Regulation 6, Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 reference injury received in the execution of duty by a member of a police force means an injury received in the execution of that person’s duty while on duty or while on a journey necessary to enable him to report for duty or return home after duty.

It is therefore essential that you ensure the incident is recorded on a RIDDOR form.

You may be able to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) if:

• You were employed when the accident or event happened
• You were on an approved employment training scheme or course when the accident or event happened
• The work accident or event that caused your illness or disability happened in England, Scotland or Wales.

Please print and fill in form BI100A to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) for accidents from the Department for Work and Pensions website.

Please contact the Federation office for further advice

Police Treatment Centres

Officers that pay into the Police Treatment Centres can attend as an in-patient or out-patient and receive skilled physiotherapy or mental health first aid, to enable them to recover in the best way possible.