We all reply upon equipment to do our jobs; some more than others, depending on the type of work you do. One thing I can confidently say from personal perspective is that I personally cannot stand most equipment! We rely upon it to do our jobs, and then it never works right and always breaks! Yes computers – I’m looking at you!
I won’t pretend to know too much about computers, but what I do know is they love to crash, break, and cause an absolute nuisance to us guys who rely upon them! Although I must admit I’m currently sat at a colleagues desk with a huge chip on my shoulder, writing this blog because our server is having serious issues and it’s fallen upon my personal computer as the one that our techie server guys are using to try and resolve the problems.
But back to the point of work equipment claims – when I’m talking about compensation claims, I’m talking more about people being injured as a result of faulty or inappropriate work equipment; not the stress caused when your networks and servers go haywire! In many industries, work equipment can be very dangerous indeed; with exposed machinery, cutting tools, extremely hot heating machines, etc.
The duty falls on your employer to make sure that any work equipment that you use as part of your role is safe, adequate for the job, and will not cause you any harm. You need to be appropriately trained so as to know how to use the equipment safely and ensure you are not injured whilst using it. The equipment should have appropriate guards and rails to ensure that you are not exposed to anything that could cause you serious damage. At the same time, personal protective equipment may need to be supplied to ensure you can safely use the equipment as well. Special heat proof gloves and a mask when using a welder is one example.
In the event you are unfortunately injured due to work equipment, you may have a claim for compensation. It all comes down to whether your employer could have done reasonably more to prevent you from becoming injured. Bouncing off the examples from above; if there are no emergency stop buttons and you get something caught in the machine and you can’t shut it off, you may have a claim. Or if the equipment is in a state of disrepair you may have a claim if it breaks and injures you.
Another important factor to take in to account as well is whether the injury was caused because of the negligence of a colleague. If this is the case, we can still make a claim from your employers insurance under the rules of vicarious liability. Simply put, the negligence of a colleague will fall on your employer to compensate you for any injuries sustained. Take for example, a colleague switching on some machinery whilst you are maintaining it because they failed to check that it was safe to activate the machinery.
In many instances, the injuries suffered as a result of injuries caused by work equipment can be serious; especially when we’re talking heavy and complex machinery. We are specialist work accident solicitors and we have won thousands of cases ranging from the small and short term injuries, to the permanent and serious ones. Give us a call on our free claims helpline today on 0800 634 75 75 for the expert advice you need about making your claim for compensation.
