As a shop assistant there can be many dangers that can cause you to be injured in the workplace. Your employer has a duty to keep you safe in the workplace and there are numerous health and safety rules and regulations that they must adhere to.
So read on for some advice about when you might be owed thousands of pounds in workers compensation.
I’ll go through some commons scenarios and explain when you might be entitled to a payout.
General Accidents like Slips and Trips
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations cover numerous things such as;
- The condition of floors and walkways
- Lighting
- Falls and falling objects
- Organisation of traffic routes
It covers plenty of other things as well but the above are some of the more common ones when it comes to claims for personal injury compensation. The rules state that employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent any article from becoming a hazard on the floor as well as ensuring there are no liquids that can cause a slip. The surface of traffic routes should have no hole, slope, or rough area that could cause an accident as well.
So if your employer fails to take any reasonable steps to prevent such accidents, such as by failing to train staff in cleanliness procedures, failing to provide waste receptacles, failing to have systems of inspection and maintenance etc then you may have a claim.
Manual Handling – Lifting and Carrying
These can be very common. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations state that manual handling should be avoided where necessary through the use of equipment or other means. If it cannot be avoided at all, then employers are responsible for:
- Training and supervising tasks
- Risk assessing tasks to ensure staff are capable of safely moving the load
- Ensuring there are enough staff for a lift
- Providing equipment to make tasks easier – trolleys, hoists, etc
Again, where your employer fails to take all reasonable steps as is required by law, you may have a claim for compensation if you are injured as a result.
Injured Using Work Equipment
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations puts a duty on employers to ensure that, primarily, any work equipment used is:
- Not defective or dangerous
- Suitable for the task at hand
Employers also need to ensure that you are fully trained and competent in using the equipment.
So, if any work equipment is dangerous or defective and it causes an injury, you may have a claim. Common examples can be using broken trolleys or roll cages. If it’s a training issue, such as using a conveyer belt and you have not been trained about the dangers and you inadvertently access a dangerous area and end up injured, you may have a claim.
Injured by a Colleague
If a colleague is negligent and they cause an accident or an injury, you should have a strong case. The negligence of a colleague falls on to your employer who is ‘vicariously liable’ for their employees actions. So in this kind of scenario you sometimes can have a very strong claim.
Need advice?
Give us a call on 0800 634 75 75 for help and advice today.
