Whilst there are a lot of workplace health and safety regulations that people must abide by, companies still cut corners and the volumes of injured employees is still fairly high. We take on and win a huge amount of work accident compensation claims, and sometimes we cannot believe that the employer has allowed this to happen.
A common scenario is employees being injured from climbing pallets. So let’s look at your rights for making a personal injury compensation claim if this has happened to you.
Your Rights
You shouldn’t be climbing pallets at work to reach high places or high stock. You shouldn’t be doing it at all. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 covers the ins and outs of best practice when it comes to working at height.
Let’s look at some of the regulations:
4.(1) Every employer shall ensure that work at height is-
(a) properly planned;
(b) appropriately supervised; and
(c) carried out in a manner which is so far as is reasonably practicable safe
7.(1) Every employer, in selecting work equipment for use in work at height, shall-
(a) give collective protection measures priority over personal protection measures; and
(2) An employer shall select work equipment for work at height which-
(a) has characteristics including dimensions which-
(i) are appropriate to the nature of the work to be performed and the foreseeable loadings; and
(ii) allow passage without risk;
Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/735/contents/made
I’d say the above is fairly clear. I’ve highlighted two parts which are particularly important. Essentially, your employer must provide work equipment to safely get to a height in the workplace. You cannot be expected to use pallets as a means of access to high areas. It is dangerous and unsuitable.
So if you are ever asked to use pallets to climb to areas, or you have to because work equipment and / or training hasn’t been provided, you may well have a successful claim for compensation from your employers liability insurance. Any fall from a height can cause fairly serious injuries involving time off work and potentially lost earnings. It’s important to claim.
So give us a call on 0800 634 75 75.
