Whatever career you have, at some point you will have to use a form of work equipment. Whether you work in an office or on a building site, the course of your employment will consist of you using equipment provided by your employer. This may mean using large industrial machinery or chairs and work stations. Whatever the risk, your employer has a duty to protect your health and well being, because faulty equipment can cause accidents.
There are other items in your workplace that may cause you injury if they are not correctly maintained. These include lighting, fixtures and fittings, fans and air-conditioning units, heaters and boilers. It is important that your employer carries out regular checks on these items because if not they could be putting your health and safety at risk.
Examples of what may be considered work equipment:
- Ladders
- Cleaning equipment
- Hand tools
- Power tools
- Vehicles
- Office equipment
- Cooking appliances and kitchen equipment
Accidents at work involving faulty work equipment can occur in a variety of ways, each accident is different depending on the type of equipment you were using at the time. In some cases faulty work equipment can even cause an industrial disease. It is also possible to suffer from harm to your ears if your employer does not provide you with the correct Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) when operating machinery that causes excessive noise and vibration.
Below are a few examples of injury that can be caused in the work place:
- Falls
- Burns/electric shocks
- Tripping accidents
- Industrial disease
Before allowing employees to use work equipment there are certain regulations employers must follow. On certain types of jobs they must conduct a risk assessment on the job they wish their employee to carry out and the equipment they will be using. If you are an employee working on a different work site, a lot of companies now provide you with a permit to work form. This is a legal document that both parties must sign, and covers your back if any accidents occur.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 has a requirement of checks work equipment must undergo before hand:
- The equipment must be suitable for its intended purpose
- In a safe condition to use
- Well maintained and regularly inspected
- Fitted with an applicable safety features
- Only used by persons who have been sufficiently trained
It is important that all workplaces are clean, safe environments with health and safety considerations taken into account. A number of safety measures carried out on a regular basis can prevent accidents at work.
- Carrying out risk assessments
- Carrying out regular inspections
- Completing necessary repairs
- Keeping a record of complaints about equipment
- Use of warning signs.
If you have been injured while using equipment at work then you may be able to claim compensation. It is best to seek legal advice as soon as possible, however you do have up to three years to claim. For free legal advice it is advised that you speak to a lawyer, they will be able to tell you everything you need to know about the future of your claim. For free legal advice contact the Injury Lawyers. We are open Monday to Saturday and will do everything in our power to get you the compensation you deserve.
