This is probably more relevant for anyone working in a warehouse, an industrial site, and even those who work in offices (if boxes of files are being moved for archiving or something similar). Workplace regulations are numerous, and they’re there to protect employees from being injured in the line of duty.
When it comes to boxes, if these need to be stacked, then your employer is responsible to risk assess the process to make sure that any stacked boxes are done in a way that is safe to ensure they don’t fall over or cause anyone harm.
This ranges from what sorts of boxes can be stacked atop another, given weights and sizes, to where boxes should be stacked, and how high to ensure a stack is stable. At the same time, employees must be instructed in the correct procedure for stacking boxes safely.
If an employee ignores the rules and negligently stacks some boxes in such a way that they fall and cause someone else to sustain an injury, the employer is still at fault. This is known as vicarious liability and it simply means that the negligence of an employee can fall upon the employer.
If the boxes contain heavy items, you could end up quite seriously injured if they land on top of you. Aside from the obvious serious head injuries if the impact is quite big, you could end up breaking several bones or causing serious soft tissue damage.
Its scenarios like this that really show the importance of health and safety in the workplace. When important rules are ignored, people can end up badly injured.
If you have been injured at work due to falling boxes you should call us here at The Injury Lawyers on our free claims helpline on 0800 634 75 75 today and receive no obligation advice about where you stand on making a work injury claim for compensation.
We’re here to help; and we have years of specialist experience in dealing with injury compensation claims just like this.