Post-Incident Welfare and Support

Serious incidents affect the mental health and wellbeing of everyone involved, not just the injured person.
Witnesses, first aiders, supervisors, and colleagues all experience stress, shock, and emotional disturbance.
Post-traumatic stress can develop days or weeks after the event, even in people who appeared unaffected initially.
Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, irritability, and avoidance of the incident location.
Employers have a duty of care to provide welfare support following serious incidents on their sites.
Immediate support includes removing affected workers from the scene and providing a quiet, private space.
Professional support through employee assistance programmes (EAP) or occupational health should be offered promptly.
Returning to work after witnessing a serious incident should be managed sensitively with supervisor support.
Construction workers are often reluctant to seek help; normalising support reduces stigma and encourages uptake.
A welfare debrief for the whole team after a serious incident helps people process what happened.

Duty of care	Employers must look after the mental health of workers affected by traumatic events, not just physical injuries.
Prevent PTSD	Early intervention and support significantly reduce the likelihood of post-traumatic stress disorder developing.
Workforce retention	Workers who feel unsupported after incidents leave the industry. Proper welfare support retains experienced people.

Do

Don't

Remove affected workers from the incident scene to a quiet, private space.
Offer immediate practical support including hot drinks, a rest area, and company.
Inform affected workers about the employee assistance programme and how to access it.
Check in with witnesses and first responders in the days and weeks following.
Arrange a welfare debrief for the wider team after any serious site incident.
Allow affected workers time off if they need it without judgement or pressure.
Manage return to work sensitively with supervisor support and adjusted duties.
Normalise seeking help; make it clear that struggling after a trauma is expected.
Train supervisors to recognise signs of post-traumatic stress in their teams.
Record welfare support offered and taken up as part of the incident follow-up.

DON'T expect workers to carry on as normal immediately after a serious incident.
DON'T dismiss emotional reactions as weakness; trauma responses are entirely normal.
DON'T force affected workers to describe what they saw to colleagues or managers.
DON'T wait for workers to ask for help; proactively offer support to everyone involved.
DON'T ignore witnesses and first aiders; they are often the most affected people.
DON'T pressure workers to return to the exact location of the incident too soon.
DON'T assume someone is fine because they appeared calm at the time of the event.
DON'T gossip about the incident or share details that could distress affected workers.
DON'T treat mental health support as optional; it is part of your duty of care.
DON'T stop checking on people after a week; PTSD symptoms can appear much later.

See also: Mental Health and Wellbeing on Site | Incident Investigation Process

Presenter		Project
Location		Date

Toolbox Talk Record