Burn At Work Compensation – Can You Make An Injury Claim?

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You are entitled to claim compensation if you suffer a burn at work in an accident that wasn’t your fault. We work on a no win no fee basis, meaning there’s no financial cost to you if you don’t win your claim.

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Can you make a claim for a burn at work?

You can make a burn injury claim against your employer if they were negligent in following health and safety rules. Claims succeed if employer negligence can be proved, they failed in their duty of care, and the accident was not your fault. Workers are legally entitled to a safe and secure environment. They must be trained properly and made aware of their obligations to work safely. Employers must ensure the following to avoid staff being burnt at work:

  • That the working environment is safe, for example that floors are not wet to avoid staff falling over carrying hot liquids.
  • That staff are adequately qualified to use any tools or machinery that they are asked to use.
  • That equipment, including hot taps, are fit for purpose with regular servicing and repair.
  • That faulty equipment is removed from use and only returned to active service once fully repaired.
  • That any noxious or dangerous chemicals are handled in compliance with the ‘Controls of Substances Hazardous to Health’ (COSSH) guidelines, and that chemicals are stored and controlled accordingly.
  • That the correct PPE is provided.

Any person is entitled to make a claim for burn injury compensation in these or similar circumstances. Note that a claim usually has to be made within three years of the accident, unless the injured party was under 18.

What burn injuries can you claim for?

See the comments below this article for the different types of accident at work that have resulted in burns. Claims can be made for a range of workplace burn injuries, including:

In medical terminology, burns are classified depending on deep they penetrate the skin:

  • First degree burns damage the top layer of skin only (the epidermis). They will be red and blotchy, but not blistered, and pain should soon subside.
  • Second degree burns also damage the second layer of skin (the dermis). The injury will turn red and blister.
  • Third degree burns are the most serious and reach the third, final layer of skin (the hypodermis). They take a long time to heal and cause permanent scarring, possibly requiring skin grafts.

Why claim compensation?

Burns can be very serious injuries, with ongoing and often permanent consequences such as scarring and psychological trauma. The injured party can also lose income if left unable to work for a period of time, surviving on sick pay alone. Making a work accident claim can go a long way to helping you through a difficult time and ease some of the problems you’ll experience:

There is no financial cost to make a claim – you will never be charged if it does not succeed. A successful claim will lead to a compensation settlement being made to you, with the value of the claim including any lost income and incurred costs as well as a settlement for the injuries and medical treatment that you have sustained.

Your solicitor will also look to help you to recover more quickly by obtaining rehabilitation therapy at the expense of the 3rd party (your employer’s insurers). This could also include private specialist treatments to reduce the appearance of a scar, or help with health issues caused by damage to the skin.

How much is a burn claim worth?

All claims are comprised of general and special damages. General damages apply to the injury itself and the suffering you experience. This will usually depend on the severity, or classification (first, second or third degree), of your burn. Special damages cover the financial costs you incur as a result of the injury. This would include medical fees, ongoing care, travel expenses and loss of income.

The total amount varies from case to case, but there are guidelines issued to solicitors by the courts. A first degree facial burn could have a value of up to £6,000, for example. Whereas a more severe, third degree facial burn could be more than ten times as much. The table below shows amounts for facial disfigurement, obviously burns and scarring to other, less visible parts of the body can attract lesser amounts.

Severity of injuryCompensation amount
Very severe scarring, with permanent disfigurement and psychological effects£22,625 - £81,400
Less severe scarring, where disfigurement is still substantial with a significant psychological reaction£13,650 - £40,480
Significant scarring which remains visible at conversational distances£6,925 - £25,160
Less significant scarring which remains visible on close inspection£3,000 - £11,500
Trivial scarring where the effect is minor£1,300 - £2,940

How we can help you make a successful claim

Direct2Compensation are experts in managing claims for injuries caused in accidents at work. We know your rights and can help you to understand whether the specifics of your accident mean you can hold your employer liable.

It is important to make sure that the details of your workplace accident have been recorded properly within an employer’s accident book and that medical attention is sought for any burns you sustained. If you haven’t done this already, we can help you to do so.

Levels of compensation vary according to the severity of a burn and its long-term impact on the claimant’s life. Therefore, one of the first steps in making a claim is to get a medical assessment of the injury. We can arrange this for you at no cost.

We work with some of the best accident at work solicitors in the UK. With our easy to understand claims process and ability to handle your claim quickly, simply and transparently, there are many reasons that make us the right choice when it comes to starting your claim for injury compensation.

If you have suffered a burn injury at work and want to know if you can make a claim for compensation, contact us today. You can start your claim online or , and one of our expert team will be in touch to offer help. Alternatively, call us on 01225 430285.

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Comments & Questions

Read on for questions and advice about claiming, plus burn injury claim examples...

Hi I work at an injection moulding company (plastic company) .I burn myself while I was busy operating.The hot plastic just pop out of nowhere out of the mould while I was busy operating the machine . I burn my right hand and it left me with 2degree burns I just wanna know if you can help me. Thank u in advance

Ian Morris

Our initial view is that you’re likely to have valid grounds to pursue a claim against your employers insurance cover. Our Solicitors can assist you with this on a No Win No Fee basis, ensuring that you are compensated for the painful burn injuries that you sustained and also recover any lost income or other costs you have incurred as a result of this accident at work.

We need to discuss this with you to find out more about the training you have (or have not had) from the employer, the Personal Protective Equipment you have been issued with and the nature of the incident and injury. Please call us on 01225430285 or use our website to start your claim with us.

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I accidentally burned myself at work using a hot water geyser – pouring hot water for tea, leaving myself with 2nd degree burn. I work as a Nurse within the NHS. Would I be entitled to compensation?

Ian Morris

To be able to make a claim for compensation for a workplace injury, the claimant needs to be able to apportion the cause of their injury to someone else or to employer negligence. In your accident, we need to consider whether the employer could have or should have prevented your injury or whether it was simple misfortune and an unavoidable accident for which you were responsible.

Was there a fault with the hot water tap in question? For example, if boiling water spurts out of it in an uncontrolled way, making it hazardous to use or if the location of the hot water means you have to reach dangerously to access it or some other sort of issue that can be attributed to employer negligence, you would have valid grounds to pursue a claim.

It would be helpful to speak with you about this – please call us on 01225430285 so that we can discuss the specifics around your accident in order to ascertain whether or not you can make a claim against your employer. Clearly, your injury is nasty and sufficiently serious, but it is less clear as to whether there is a valid claim.

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Monday service was ending clearing up I’m a kitchen porter and i pick up big pan boiling hot water and slip hot water went over my half of arm on the joint arm I am burnt and the chef blaming me for it

Ian Morris

Although you are working in a busy kitchen environment where items will be expected to be hot, it is unreasonable to expect you to carry pots of boiling water any distance. We advise that you ignore the view of the Head Chef and ensure that an accident book entry is made, appropriate medical attention is obtained and then contact us to start a claim for personal injury compensation.

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Hi,

I was filling up my hot water bottle at work and the hot water tap they have is very hot, and water comes out very fast, whilst filling it up water had gone on my hand and burnt it – it’s left scaring on my hand, can I claim for this incident?

Ian Morris

Is there any warning sign or notice indicating that the water is of such a temperature that it could scald or burn? If not, you may well have grounds to pursue a claim. In any event, we think you should contact us so that we can further investigate this matter for you.

It is important that you ensure that an accident book entry has been made to ensure that there is a record of the incident.

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My daughter (who was under 18 at the time of her accident which happened around a year and a half ago) was injured at work. She was working at a farm shop in a horse box converted to be able to make drinks. She was making coffee using a coffee machine and used the boiling water outlet to wet a cloth to clean the milk frother and scalded her hand with the boiling water going through the cloth onto her hand. There was no running cold water in the converted horse box that she was working in at the time.

She told them on the radio that the incident had happened but they did not seem to offer any immediate help. Eventually she was able to go over to the main building to seek first aid. Her palm did not look significantly affected and so we did not seek medical attention at the time. However her hand is still scarred and she has to constantly apply eczema cream. Is this a claim that she could pursue?

Ian Morris

It is certainly possible that there is a valid claim to pursue in this matter. We can call certain possible breaches of duty in to question – such as sufficient training and adequate equipment to enable her to work safely and we would very much like to investigate this matter further.

The lack of any medical attention at the time could be an issue, but if she has since seen a Doctor to discuss the ongoing issue, that would be helpful. However, the lack of immediate medical attention shouldn’t prevent further pursuit of the claim. It would be really helpful if there were any photographs taking at the time and if the incident was recorded in an accident book by the employer.

For further help and to allow us to investigate the potential claim, either call us on 01225430285 or provide further details on our website to see if you can make a claim for compensation.

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Hi I was at work in the school kitchen where I’ve worked for 15 years as a dinner lady. I left the kitchen to deliver meals elsewhere in school, when I left the kitchen area there were 2 pans of gravy on top of the gas hob, one pan had a large industrial whisk in it. On my return one of my colleagues had taken one of the pans off the hob, also removing the whisk which she had then placed on to a small tray on top of the still lit gas hob. The handle was lying across the lit ring, I then proceeded to pick up the whisk which was extremely hot suffering burns to my thumb and fore finger where I gripped it – is she at fault or am I to blame? Can I claim for this incident?

Ian Morris

Although your colleague would not have meant for you to sustain injury, they have been negligent and as such, your employer is responsible for the injury you sustained at work and you can make a claim for personal injury compensation.

In order to ensure that your claim has the best possible chances of success, make sure that an accident book entry (or similarly written record) is made with the employer and that you obtain medical attention if needed, or photograph the injury to provide evidence to support your claim.

If you would like to make a claim, we’ll explain how we can help.

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My question is this. If you burn yourself at work, but it is your fault, do they have to pay you?

Ian Morris

Whether or not your employer will pay you whilst you are away from work will depend upon the contractual agreement that you have with the employer. UK law does not require employers to pay full salaries to members of staff who are absent from work due to illness or injury. Instead, you will either receive statutory sick pay or if you are not entitled to that, no salary.

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I was making a poached egg in the microwave at work for my lunch. I had only had it in approx 30 seconds and when I took it out it exploded and I suffered 2nd degree burns to my face and severe damage to my left eye which I was hospitalised for 1 week for intense treatment. I was off work for 3 months because of the injuries and needed a new prescription as it worsened my sight in my left eye. Since this about 9 months later I have been on holiday and my face has struggled in the sun and becomes patchy and sore my doctor did warn me about the sun as a result of the Injury because of the burns to my face. Not long after the injury I suffered mentally with panic attacks and returning to my place of my work where it happened this has resulted in me now having to change my workplace and get a new job.
Apparently the incident was investigated and reported to RIDDOR. I was given reduced pay for my time off. Will I have a claim for this?

Ian Morris

Given the lack of information on the microwave at your workplace, there may be grounds to pursue a claim. We would certainly be happy to further investigate this for you on a No Win No Fee basis.

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I scalded my foot and leg at work when lifting mop bucked full of boiling water to the floor. Bucket split underneath and water cascaded down my leg and directly onto my foot which was main injury. Don’t know what pay I will receive yet though I have asked the question. Currently self certifying but will need more time off for burn to heal. Can I make a claim?

Ian Morris

There is certainly a right to make a claim for personal injury compensation. If your employer does not pay your usual salary (it is quite likely that you will only receive SSP during any absence from work), our Solicitors can recover the lost income alongside compensation for the pain and discomfort caused by your injury.

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At work we have a self help tap for cold and hot water.

As I was cleaning the area, the hot water (which was 98 centigrade) suddenly started flowing. It poured right on to the top of my hand. The water then stopped and started again several times. The top of my hand blistered and popped immediately. I kept my hand under the cold tap for ten minutes with my hand red and inflamed. I have photos of my hand and videos of the tap. I followed all safety advice and reported the injury at work.

I went to a walk in centre and have had to go for new dressings and advice. However I have not been off work due to the injury. This is a second degree burn through no fault of my own. I don’t think that there will be any lasting damage and although very painful, I am unsure as to whether I should take this any further. I have reported the tap 3 days ago and it is still in operation. A member of staff told me that I was the second person that day to scald themselves, but I don’t think that they put it in the accident book.

Ian Morris

Although you don’t think that the injury will cause any permanent damage, it is sufficiently severe to warrant a claim for personal injury compensation. The incident was clearly painful and the wound will clearly be visible for a while with scarring and soreness. You certainly have a right to make a claim against your employers insurance as the tap in question appears to be faulty and is clearly hazardous.

Whether or not you opt to make a claim is clearly a decision for you to make, but you should be aware that you have a legal right to make a claim and you can do so without jeopardising your employment rights. You cannot be dismissed for making a claim and any claim would be against your employers mandatory insurance cover and none of your colleagues would even know that you had made a claim for compensation unless you decided to tell them.

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I had an accident at work yesterday. 96 degree water splashed on the back of my head from the cooker (machine was faulty) and I was burned (redness not blisters) to the head and the skin behind my left year. This has been recorded in the accident book at work. I didn’t see a doctor yet (no appointment available), but I went to a Pharmacy and got some cream for burns. My head still is burning. Do you think I can claim for this?

Ian Morris

Because the machine was faulty, the cause of your burn injury can be attributed to employer negligence. The machine should not have been in use if it was known to be faulty and as such, your right to claim is clear.

Although you have been to a pharmacy, you should still attempt to see a GP or Health Professional about the injury in order to get appropriate treatment and so that you have medical evidence to support your claim.

Please call us on 01225430285 and we’ll be happy to have our No Win No Fee Solicitors advise you and pursue your claim if viable to do so.

Marcel

Hi Ian,

Thanks for responding. Machine broke down (spraying water ) shift before mine. Engineers were working on it and said that it is fixed. So we start cooking on our shift. Machine was OK during first two cooks, however same issue happened after second cook where that splash hit my head, so I believe was not fixed properly. I am going to contact doctor on Monday.
I am a team Leader, just think if I claim I will have problems at work. I am going back to work on Sunday.
What do you think?

Ian Morris

You have a right to make a claim and doing so should not have a negative impact on your right to continue with your job. Your employer cannot legally discriminate against you, reduce your hours or terminate your employment for making a legitimate claim against their mandatory insurance cover.

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I had had an accident at work two weeks ago. I tipped hot soup all over my chest. This resulted in quite a significant scald in my chest and breast. I had no first aid and still don’t know if it’s been recorded. The microwave that I was taking the soup out of is so high I have to stand on my tip toes to get the jug out and I can only reach if the jug is at the front. I’ve been off work for two weeks now and the wound still has not healed. I’m really not sure whether I should make a claim, I’m also worried about going back.

Ian Morris

You have a right to make a claim and we’d like to get you in touch with our Solicitors so that you can further discuss your accident and injury with them. When it comes to whether or not someone can make a claim for personal injury compensation, a phrase that is often used is ‘was the accident or cause of injury foreseeable’. This is to say that someone could have reduced the risk of an injury happening in the way it has happened to you, foreseeable. In this case, I feel that this was foreseeable and that you have a claim.

Our Solicitors would argue that the position of the microwave in this case was dangerous. It was located above chest height (in your case above head height) and it was therefore foreseeable that removing hot contents from the microwave was potentially dangerous as someone would have to stretch or reach above themselves without clear sight of a handle or safe way of removing the hot contents. As such, I feel employer negligence attaches. Our Solicitors would say that your employer should have realised that the microwave was located in an unsafe position and that it was foreseeable that someone could suffer burn or scalding injuries stretch and reach to access the hot contents. The employer’s failure to place the microwave on a counter top at a safe height placed you at undue risk of injury in an incident that could have been avoided.

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Hi, I recently had an accident at work where I was poaching an egg in works microwave and after taking it out it exploded in my face. This resulted in me in A&E and then an ambulance transfer to a hospital with burns facilities. I spent 6 days on an ophthalmology and plastics ward as an inpatient for severe cornea damage to my left eye, which still isn’t healed. I sustained first degree burns on my whole face which are healing nicely.

I’ve been signed off work for a month so far, however there is nothing to say whether my eye will be okay by then as I may yet need an operation if the treatment doesn’t work. The last resort is an operation which is next on the cards.

I know health and safety at work are looking into this, but I know our microwaves don’t show wattage on them to say how hot they go. The doctors at the hospital I was admitted to explained that the eggs only explode based on getting to a certain heat and I really hadn’t had it in the microwave that long to get these injuries.

I had assumed it was my own fault but now I’m starting to worry about the microwave being too hot especially since there aren’t any caution signs to say it gets very hot. I just would like some advice on this because of how bad my injuries are.

Ian Morris

When you are fit to return to work (or if you have a good relationship with a colleague who can do this for you whilst you are away from work), obtain some photographs of the microwave in question showing whether or not there are any signs indicating wattage or warnings of correct use etc. You should then enter in to some informal correspondence with the employer regarding the microwaves to ask their thoughts. Once this has been done, come back too us with their initial response and your images and we can investigate whether or not the employer may have been negligent and if you can therefore pursue a claim for the injuries you have sustained.

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I’ve recently scarred my chest with hot boiling water. It is a quite noticeable size on my chest. I was on a breakfast shift at work, I was on my own and it was quite busy, I had to try and put the urn on the side of the bar because it is quite awkward to carry. It hit the bar and the hot water poured on to my chest. I went to my manager, he said it was my own fault and walked off, it wasn’t even put in the accident book. An Employee friend who works in the kitchen came and helped put burn things on me. I had to work the whole rest off my shift wet through, I did inform my manager I was in pain he still said it was my fault, I finished my shift but now I have a scar I have to live with.

Ian Morris

Please use the ‘start your claim‘ page of our website to provide further information and your contact details. We can then further investigate your enquiry with a view to pursuing a claim on a No Win No Fee basis for you.

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I scalded my shoulder when a colleague bumped into me with a cup full of boiling water for making coffee (I work in a bar). The water comes from an instant boiling water tap. I’ve been left with pain and quite a large blister which I’ve photographed, and I’m about to record it as an accident with my managers. Only question is would my colleague get into trouble because of this? Do I even have a claim?

Ian Morris

Your colleague would not get in to trouble as they have not caused your injury through misbehaviour or on purpose. You may have a valid claim if we can show that the working environment is such that there is perhaps insufficient room to work safely or that the location of the instant boiling water tap is unsafe and likely to increase the risk of a burn or scalding injury. If we can show this, or any other issue of employer negligence, you are likely to be able to succeed with a claim.

There is no obligation to pursue any action, but you may wish to consider your options after allowing us to consider this matter further.

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Burnt my hand at work without any training or induction on the machine, it was the day after a trial shift as they were short staffed. Do I have the right to claim compensation?

Ian Morris

We can help you to claim compensation for the burn injury you have sustained. Our Solicitors have previously been successful with identical claims where a new staff member was not afforded training before being injured at work whilst operating potentially dangerous machinery. This is seen as employer negligence and you are likely to have a valid claim that should succeed.

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I work in a coffee shop and yesterday I was using a boiling water tap, which I believe is about 100 degrees. This tap always spits out hot water, and the handle to turn it on and off is right above the faucet, so the steam also rises up and burns you. Yesterday, however, while I was making an order I had to move midway through making a drink, which caused me to accidentally bump the cup, and boiling water spilled over my hand. I was allowed to run my hand under a cold tap for about a minute, then sent back to work without allowing for any other form of treatment. My employer also refused to write it in the accident book.
I had to finish the last four hours of my shift in a lot of pain – it felt like someone was literally and violently tearing my skin up with their fingernails. It’s now the next morning and it is still hurting whenever I bend my fingers.
I contacted my employer to let her know that due to the burn I would not be able to make it into work today, and received a message back letting me know that calling sick for the day is not an option and that I need to go into work anyway.

Could you please advise me on whether or not I would be able to make a claim? This is not my first injury at this workplace, and none of them have been recorded in the accident book or allowed to be properly treated.
Thanks.

Ian Morris

You need to make sure that you make a written report of the injury to your employer – an email will suffice. Make sure that the details of the injury are recorded and that the boiling water tap appears to be dangerous. You should also seek medical attention for the burn injury or at the very least document it with photographs.

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What happens if my employer doesn’t have the adequate insurance for me to claim? I burnt my legs in work due to a boiling water from a kettle that was situated at about 6 feet and I am only 5 ft 2 so could not see if it was back on its base.

Ian Morris

Employers are obliged to have insurance to cover situations such as this. If the employer has taken the risk of not having insurance, you can pursue a claim directly against the business owners or business itself.

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I am an International student studying in UClan University. I am legally working on NI in one restaurant which is near to my University, at my workplace my hand got burnt so badly. It was terrible, I was traumatised and could’t find any help from my employer, at last I asked him for sick leave and he couldn’t even approve it. I am very much distressed and suffering with pain and burning. 
I would like to request your help in getting me compensation for the incident that happened to me.
Thank you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Ian Morris

Our Solicitors are happy to consider your accident at work and will advise you on your options to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation.

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I had an injury at work a few months ago. I had no professional training only copy what I’d seen. I was not shown any protocols or safety techniques. I burnt my hand at work. They had no one first aid trained and ran under water then covered with a microfibre cloth. They then made me continue working. I had to seek hospital attention as the burn blistered. My workplace phoned and were annoyed I’d been signed off work. They made me feel guilty about having the time off and I didnt claim as I didnt want to lose my job. I have now moved on but I have a relative who works there I dont want her to be mistreated the way I was. Can I claim?

Ian Morris

You can make a claim. The employers failure to provide you with the required training was negligent and we would like to help you make a claim.

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