# Accident on site: what to do in the first hours and what gets recorded > The first hours after a site accident: care, securing the scene, notification within the deadline and investigation. Plus the deadlines in Mexico, Chile and Peru. - Author: Carlos Pérez (Comandos) — CEO of Paladio - Published: 2026-09-13 - Original: https://usepaladio.com/en/blog/accidente-en-obra-primeras-horas/ - Guides --- A workplace accident is an injury a person suffers because of, or in the course of, their work. When it happens on site there is a sequence of actions with legal deadlines, and the order matters: the person first, then the site, then the notification, and only at the end the paperwork. This article describes that sequence. It does not replace your site's safety plan or the advice of your prevention team. > Notification deadlines and procedures vary by country and change over time. Always check the regulations in force in your jurisdiction and the instructions of your insurer or mutual. ## First, always **Care for the person.** Activate the emergency protocol, give first aid if trained staff are present, and transfer the person to the appropriate medical centre. No administrative, deadline or documentation consideration comes before this. An accident is not an event to be managed: it is an injured person. **Then, secure the site.** Stop activity in the area, keep the hazard from reaching anyone else, and —this matters— **do not alter the scene** beyond what is needed to remove the danger. The scene is part of the later investigation, and changing it makes it harder to understand what happened. ## The notification, and its deadlines Every country has its own system, form and deadline, and mixing them up is the most common cause of penalties. These are the ones I was able to verify: | Country | System | Deadline | |---|---|---| | **Mexico** | Workplace accident notice, SIAAT · STPS | 72 hours from the event, under article 504 section V of the Federal Labour Law | | **Chile** | DIAT to the administering body · Law 16.744 | 24 hours from learning of the event | | **Peru** | SAT system · MTPE, Law 29783 | Fatal or dangerous incident: 24 hours, reported by the employer. Non-fatal disabling: until the end of the following month, reported by the medical centre | **Colombia** works through the ARL and the EPS, and **Argentina** through the ART, each with its own deadlines and forms. I could not verify them against a reliable source at the time of writing, so I do not state them: **check them with your insurer before you need them**, not once the accident has happened. Two details worth having clear: In Chile, a report filed late by the employer does not deprive the worker of the benefits of the law. The failure falls on the employer, not on the worker. In Peru, confusing the deadlines by severity and by who is obliged to report is the most common cause of fines, and the omission in the case of a fatal accident is a very serious offence. And Chile has an additional procedure for serious accidents, which includes notifying the health authority and the labour inspectorate. Have it identified in your plan before it is needed. ## What gets documented, and why Documentation is not the goal. It is what makes it possible to understand what happened, keep it from happening again, and comply with what the regulations require. What to record, as soon as the situation is under control: - Exact date and time of the event - Precise location: level, axis, work front - Person affected, position, company they belong to - Activity they were carrying out - Objective description of what happened - Witnesses, with name and position - Site conditions: lighting, weather, state of the work front - Personal protective equipment in use - Condition of collective protections and of the installation - Photographic record of the site, before it is modified - Care provided and where the person was taken - Notifications made, to whom and at what time **The description has to be objective.** No blame, no adjectives, no conclusions. The cause is determined by the investigation, not by the first description. That record serves three things that come afterwards: the investigation of causes, the claim with the insurer, and any enforcement procedure. In Chile, for example, the background usually requested includes the attendance record for the day of the accident, a sketch of the location and witness statements. ## The investigation It is not optional and it is not a formality. Its purpose is to identify the causes so it does not happen again. What makes it useful: **Do it soon**, while the scene and memories are fresh. **Look for causes, not culprits.** An investigation that ends in "the worker was careless" is almost never a finished investigation. There are almost always conditions that made that behaviour possible: time pressure, no safe means available, a non-existent procedure, absent supervision. **Arrive at concrete actions**, with an owner and a date. An investigation without an action plan is paper. **Verify closure.** That the actions were implemented, not just defined. ## What to have ready beforehand Five things you prepare when there is no urgency and are grateful for when there is: 1. **A visible emergency plan**, with phone numbers and the route to the nearest medical centre 2. **Staff trained in first aid**, identified and present on every shift 3. **Your country's deadlines and forms**, printed and in the site office 4. **Contact details for the insurer or mutual**, up to date 5. **An up-to-date attendance record**, because it will be the first thing they ask for Point 5 connects with something that applies to the whole operation: **the daily crew record, which serves to control progress and productivity, is also what you need on the worst morning of the project.** ## Frequently asked questions **Do I have to report a minor accident with no lost days?** It depends on the country and the type of event. In several systems, minor accidents without medical leave only require an internal record, while disabling and fatal ones carry mandatory notification with different deadlines. Check the regime in your jurisdiction. **What happens if I report after the deadline?** It is usually an offence for the employer, with penalties that vary by country. In some systems, such as Chile's, the employer's failure does not affect the worker's benefits. **Do I have to report an incident that caused no injury?** Dangerous incidents —events that could have caused harm and did not— have their own treatment in several regulations, and in some cases a notification deadline. And from a prevention standpoint they are the most valuable information there is: they warn you for free. **Who reports when the injured person works for a subcontractor?** It depends on the regime and the contractual relationship. In general the obligation falls on the direct employer, with responsibilities for the main contractor that vary by country. Have it defined in the contract before it happens. **How long do I keep the documentation?** For the whole applicable limitation period, which in labour and social security matters is usually long. Accident files are among the documents most often requested later on.