The human body is a great conductor of electricity, so if you are exposed to something, you are liable to end up getting shocked. A piece of exposed wiring, or water near an electrical switch could end up with an injury. So what’s the duty, and can you sue your employer for personal injury compensation if you receive an electric shock at work?
Commonly its machinery that will shock you, so the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 apply. The great thing about these regulations is that Regulation 5 can impose a strict liability on your employer. This means they may have no choice but to pay you compensation if you are injured because a piece of equipment has somehow become defective. If you innocently use it and end up getting an electric shock, the regulations should apply.
Generally speaking, you have a great claim! But get in touch now because the government loves changing the law, and very soon they aim to destroy elements of the strict liability rule which could leave thousands of people facing difficulties when trying to make a claim!
If you are instructed to work in an environment where sustaining an electric shock is a potential hazard, your employer must take all reasonable measures to prevent you from being injured. This means risk assessments, training, and most importantly personal protective equipment. Protective equipment is the responsibility of your employer to prove and ensure it is suitable.
If a task was not properly risk assessed or the right equipment wasn’t provided, and you end up injured as a result, I can tell you now that you have a good claim for compensation.
Your employer has a legal duty to have a policy of liability insurance to pay you out when you are injured due to negligence in the workplace. You have a right to claim and you are protected by law, so don’t worry about making a claim from your employers insurance – it exists to claim from!
Get in touch today on 0800 634 75 75 for help and advice now.