The Work at Height Regulations put an important duty on your employer to make sure that you are not at risk from a fall during the course of employment. When it comes to falls from unsecured ladders on vehicles, the risks can be grave. We’re talking tankers and wagons here where the falls can be from excessive heights that can lead to life threatening injuries.
So what are your rights if you have fallen from an unsecured ladder at work? What should you employer have done to have prevented this?
The duty of care for you
In essence your employer is responsible for preventing employees from falling a distance that could hurt them, as well as preventing anyone being hit by a falling object. So, when it comes to relevance here, your employer is directly responsible for making sure you do not fall from an unsecured ladder and that you are not hit by an unsecured ladder either.
Common causes of falls where you can claim
There are common scenarios where you could be injured by an unsecured ladder at work accident that could allow you to make a successful injury claim. These include:
- Unstable ladders that move
- Mobile ladders that cannot easily be adequately secured to the vehicle
- No guards surrounding the ladder
- Ladders not being secured close enough to where is needed – i.e. leading to overreaching which can easily cause a fall
You could easily slip in adverse weather, or lose your footing on a shaky or unstable ladder. If you have to carry anything up the ladder then you are at a greater risk; and the same goes for when you do not have proper safety footwear for grip.
How your employer can prevent a fall from unsecured ladder
There are so many easy ways your employer can prevent you from being at risk from falling from an unsecured ladder. If they can be reasonably utilised but they are not, and you fall as a result, you may have solid grounds for making a claim for work accident compensation.
Some easy ways that falls can be avoided can include:
- Eliminating the need to use ladders to reach height – such as by having more ground-based controls such as ‘easysheets’ and in-cab fuel systems to prevent the need for dipping
- Regular maintenance and inspection of ladders
- Securing fixed ladders properly and in close enough proximity to the origin at height
- Fix guards and rails around the ladders and / or provide harnesses to workers who need to use the ladders
- Provide adequate training – addressing concepts like the ‘three point hold’ method and how to avoid risks generally
When you can claim
I touched on this earlier, but the general principle is that you may have a claim where the unsecured ladder incident could have been easily avoided. The law places an important duty on your employer, and if they fail to uphold their duties and this causes an accident, you can make a claim for injuries suffered and losses incurred.
At The Injury Lawyers, we specialise in work accident claims, and have fought for the rights of countless victims who have fallen from vehicles at work. For expert advice and help, call 0800 634 7575 today.