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A ladder is undoubtedly a helpful piece of equipment – but with its helpfulness comes potential danger. Although using a ladder is seemingly simple, there are certain things that should be considered prior to mounting that first step.

Defective Ladders

One of the most straightforward matters to deal with is when somebody sustains an injury from using defective ladders. All ladders must be sufficiently strong and suitable for the purposes to which they are being used for. Although it is mandatory for employer’s to carry out a risk assessment prior to any employee using a ladder, it is also a good idea to inspect any ladders before beginning to use them-for example: if the ladder appears worn, consider whether this will realistically support your body weight. Also ask yourself; are these the ladders I’d usually use for this task? If you do have an accident from using defective ladders, we may be able to establish a breach of an absolute duty, and you may have the right to claim.
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As a pillion passenger, or any passenger, it is your driver’s duty to take reasonable care for your safety. Therefore, if you are involved in an accident as a pillion passenger and were injured as a result, it is highly likely that a claim for compensation will be successful.

As a passenger it is extremely improbable that you were at fault for the accident, unless you did something stupid to cause the driver to lose control and cause a collision. You can normally expect to receive 100% of any compensation awarded.

However, there can be circumstances where the compensation is reduced due to contributory negligence even if the accident was caused through no fault of you own, but where you have contributed in some way to your injuries.
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Industrial lung diseases (also known as occupational lung diseases) include mesothelioma, occupational asthma, silicosis, and asbestosis. Exposure to asbestos in particular is well known to be dangerous, although it can be a number of years between exposure to asbestos fibres and the symptoms or injury coming to light.

Asbestos may be present in old buildings and is thought to pose no risk if left undisturbed. However, as buildings are demolished or renovated, extra care should be taken as asbestos becomes the so called “silent killer” when it is disturbed or damaged. Exposure to certain types of other materials such as gases, liquids, dusts or fumes may also cause some forms of industrial lung disease.

Exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, a form of cancer. Even if you have been exposed to asbestos a number of years ago, you are still at risk of developing mesothelioma in the future. Generally mesothelioma does not show up until some 20 to 40 years after the exposure to asbestos.
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Due to the natural ageing process, as we get older our hearing deteriorates. As such many people are unaware that they may be suffering from noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) and may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
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Lifting heavy or awkward objects at work can carry a risk of injury – even if your employer has provided you with appropriate training. However, injury which has been caused by none or insufficient training and awareness means your employer could be liable for any injury that has been caused.

Your employer has a duty to take appropriate steps, to reduce the risk of any injuries. These steps are normally identified in risk assessments for the specific manual handling task you are instructed to undertake.

All employees who have an element of manual handling to their job role, which can range from warehouse workers moving lots of heavy crates to office workers moving boxes of paper or files, should receive reasonable Manual Handling Training. This normally includes showing you how to assess the weight of the load, whether the centre of gravity on the object is central, and how heavy and awkward objects should be lifted, pushed or pulled, including how to bend your body to do so. You also need to take in to account any potential hazards along the route to the destination of the lift. Are there any stairs to climb, for example.
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Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is equipment that is used or worn in the work place in order to avoid hazards that are created by a job. Personal protective equipment includes a variety of things such as safety goggles, ear plugs or protectors, face guards, protective footwear and gloves.

The type of and amount of equipment you will wear in the workplace will depend on the risks involved with your job.

The equipment can protect against minor scuffs and scrapes; however, on a more serious note, it can also protect against diseases caused by asbestos, hearing loss in noisy work places, and vibration white finger when using machinery.
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Employers have a legal obligation to provide all their employees with Manual Handling Training; if they don’t then they could be liable if an employee injures themselves when handling heavy / awkward objects. They must instruct all their employees on how to bend and lift in the right way, and ensure that heavier items are picked up using equipment to prevent an employee injuring themselves. However, commonly employers fail to conform to the rules surrounding the correct way of training their staff in manual handling techniques.

The most common injuries incurred as a result of negligence and / or none existent manual handling procedures are mostly to the back. The back is one of the most important parts of your body, and back pain could stop all aspects of your day to day life in its tracks. It can range from being an uncomfortable feeling in the affected area to unbearable and debilitating pain depending on the severity of the injury you have.

Manual handling affects everyone from factory workers to office staff; pretty much every job in one way another can include some form of manual handling.  Manual Handling is not just specified to lifting, but to pulling, pushing, carrying and lowering items.
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Falling from a height can rather obviously end up with some serious injuries sustained. I’m sure everyone knows that the higher the height, the more serious the injuries; and depending on what you’re falling on to could also make a huge difference.  For this reason, health and safety rules and regulations surrounding working at height, or accessing high places, or in areas where risks of falls are there, are numerous.

For example, anyone who has to work at height must have appropriate training, guidance, and supervision for the task they are doing at height. If you must use high catwalks, or perhaps access scaffolding, rails should be in place to prevent anyone from falling. If you need to access a height using a ladder, the correct ladders must be used to ensure you do not end up falling and seriously injuring yourself.

In a none workplace scenario – I’m sure you’ve all noticed that bridges have rails and guards in place: to stop you from falling over the edge. Staircases and stepped areas will normally have handrails to hold o to as well, which is all in the name of preventing a fall from height.
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There are a lot of rules and regulations in place that employees must abide by to ensure that their employees are not injured during the course of their employment. These regulations range from general health and safety at work, use of equipment at work, personal protective equipment at work, manual handling at work, and much more.

Whilst we have a good array of rules and regulations in place to protect employees, there are still high volumes of compensation claims that we deal with here that we often cannot understand how the employer has allowed it to happen. Simple things are missed, and employers fall foul of not taking health and safety in the workplace seriously enough to ensure people are not hurt at work.

Take for example a supermarket, that employs people to use delivery cages to distribute stock on to the shelves from the delivery lorries. The cages are work equipment, and must be regularly inspected and maintained by the employer to ensure they are safe to use. Staff should know to report any issues or difficulties in using them t prevent anyone from coming to harm. It’s simple enough to do, right? Why then does John Smith end up injured because the shelf on the cage he was using was being propped up by a surplus box of crisps and collapses as he innocently tried to remove the box to place it on a shelf? How has the employer allowed the cage to be in such disrepair that staff are using boxes to prop up shelves; and why weren’t staff more vigilant to report those kinds of problems? Normally because the employer isn’t doing enough to ensure it doesn’t happen.
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Depending on the type of industry you work in, workplaces can be very dangerous. If you work with machinery or plant equipment for example, the potential dangers involved are numerous. For this reason, health and safety rules and regulations for the use of machinery and equipment at work are numerous.

If you work with machinery and equipment, your employer is responsible for training you as well as supervision of its use; and inspecting and maintaining machinery and equipment to ensure that it is continually safe to use. Machinery and equipment must be safe to use at all times – so appropriate guards, rails, or emergency stop buttons should be in place at all times to ensure no one is harmed through the use of the equipment.

If you are injured at work due to machinery and equipment, you may be covered for compensation with your employers insurance if the accident was caused through no fault of your own. Unfortunately, injuries involving machinery and equipment can be often significant – so you need to make sure you have a specialist personal injury lawyer representing you for your claim for compensation.
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