At The Injury Lawyers, we have many clients who have suffered an injury whilst at work, and these injuries can stem from a whole host of hazards that they have fallen victim to in the workplace. When clients first approach, us many are very wary about claiming against their employers, and the possible repercussions that they believe can result. We always understand our clients concerns, but also make them aware that employers could get themselves into a lot of trouble were they to treat you differently due to you claiming against them. Plus, employers should have employers’ liability insurance in place to deal with these sorts of situations anyway. It’s a perfectly normal and natural process to claim from the insurance they have.
I have gone on to list below some of the possible workplace hazards and duties of employers:
Work Equipment
Equipment at work can pose a risk to your health and safety – as such, all work equipment should have all the necessary safeguards and emergency stop buttons in place to protect the users from coming to any harm. It is the duty of your employer to ensure the user is fully trained in how to work with the equipment safely. Employers should also maintain the equipment properly, and ensure their employees use the right equipment for the right job.
Personal Protective Equipment
Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, is equipment that you use or wear to protect you from risks to your health and safety. It is the duty of your employer to supply you with PPE – if they do not supply you with this equipment, or supply you with inadequate PPE, they are breaching their duty to protect their employees. PPE is a last resort – if there are other methods of protection available which are as effective, if not more so effective, than PPE, this should be utilised by your employer first.
General Workplace Safety
Employers should ensure that the workplace is a safe environment to be in. For example, if you worked in a factory where boxes and strapping were regular refuse, there should be a designated area to place this refuse in to ensure traffic routes (i.e. walkways) are kept clear and free from hazards.
Manual Handling
If your job includes manual handling tasks then you should be fully trained in how to carry out these tasks safely, and with the least stress caused to your body as possible. For example, for work that involves heavy lifting, there should be an adequate number of staff to complete the work safely, and each member of staff should be fully trained in the correct lifting techniques.
If you require any further information regarding your accident at work claim, you can give us a call for a confidential discussion.
