Sawmills are of course very dangerous places, and health and safety is of paramount importance to ensure that employees are not injured during the course of their employment. But sawmills and firms in related industries are often accident hot spots, and we are constantly investigating cases where workers have been injured.
The most common one for sawmills is injuries to the hands and fingers in the saw machines themselves. It often involves new and trainee staff. Read on for an insight and advice for making a claim if you have been injured when working in a saw mill.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations is probably one of the more commonly cited pieces of legislation when it comes to work accidents in sawmills. This is where the duty for employers to ensure that workers are not injured when using saws is confirmed.
The gist of the rules are simple to understand. Saws must:
- Be safe to use
- Be suitable for their intended use
- Have fixed guards and rails
- Not allow you inadvertent access to dangerous or moving parts
- Only be used by suitably trained staff
The above is pretty clear. If you are injured because of circumstances relating to the above then you may have good grounds to make a successful claim for personal injury compensation.
It is easy for material and flesh to be pulled in to a saw causing significant damage if the blade is contacted. There is also the duty to ensure that your clothing does not put you at risk of being pulled in by a saw as well, and emergency stop controls should be working and accessible in the event of anything happening.
Nowadays many saws have sharp brakes on the motor to stop the blade dead; but if they are not in place, the blade can remain running and therefore remain dangerous for several seconds after it has been switched off. This in itself is an increased danger that can easily be avoided.
I did mention earlier that one of the number one causes of accidents in sawmills is because of staff who are new, or perhaps working through agencies. A lack of training is a clear breach, and victims have the right to make a claim.
There also must be suitable isolation from energy sources where you do need to access dangerous parts of a saw, perhaps for maintenance. Protective equipment should be supplied to stop you from being injured by coming in to contact with stationary sharp blades or other dangers.
The law is very simple and obvious when it comes to sawmill workers compensation rights. What you can imagine as a common sense approach for employers is pretty much what their duty entails. Normally we can take on and investigate an accident in a sawmill on a no win, no fee basis – so for help and advice contact us now 0800 634 7575.
