We blog a lot about machinery and equipment accidents at work because they are frighteningly common. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we have stringent health and safety rules in the UK that are designed to protect employees from injury, yet time and time again they are ignored and people are hurt.
Machinery and equipment causing an employee to lose a finger – or several fingers – is a real concern.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations specifically address the need for employers to ensure that all machinery and equipment in the workplace is safe to use. The most common duties involve ensuring that machinery and equipment:
- Has appropriate guards and barriers to prevent access to dangerous areas
- Has stop and emergency stop buttons easily accessible in the event the need for a swift shut down is required
- Can be suitably isolated from energy sources where work with interior areas needs to be carried out
- Is maintained in an efficient working state and is in good repair to ensure it is not defective or dangerous
- Is regularly inspected and maintained to ensure the above
- Is only used by suitably trained or supervised individuals
- Is subject to policies that are instructed to staff in how to use them safely and to be aware of the dangers and what not to do
It’s not like there are any gaping holes in the legislation – it is very clear! So unless an employee has done something they really shouldn’t have been doing, where you suffer a loss of finger(s) due to machinery or equipment, you should have a valid claim for personal injury compensation.
How a loss of finger claim works
Your employer, legally, should be insured. As such you are entitled to claim compensation for a work injury from the insurers if you are injured as a result of your employer failing to adhere to important legislation.
You need an expert personal injury law firm like us to help you with the case. We can fund everything for you and submit the claim form and investigate the case on an entirely no win, no fee basis. We do not have any upfront or sneaky hidden costs like some law firms do.
You are legally protected when making a claim so do not worry about losing your job! Many employers will tell you to get a lawyer and make a claim because that’s what the insurance is there for. Its nothing personal as you are simply claiming from the insurance that is there to cover you.
Don’t ever deal with the insurers directly though as you are at a significant risk of under settling the case.
For help and advice call 0800 634 7575.