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There are loads of different workplace rules and regulations that your employer is legally bound to follow. There are so many in order to fulfil their purpose of protecting employees in the workplace. It is the responsibility of your employer to take all the necessary actions to ensure these rules and regulations are upheld; this is achieved in several ways, namely the two most common methods:

• Risk Assessments
• Training

Risk Assessments
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As specialist injury lawyers, dealing only in claims for compensation for personal injury accidents, we really believe we have seen it all. There is no accident claim that we will not have a look in to for you to see if we can help out.

One such specific type of accident is those involving forklift and pallet trucks. Normally, these are accidents at work; however, they can be from visitors to warehouses or perhaps at a large cash and carry type store.

But the main question on people’s lips is – do you have a claim for compensation?
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Many of us lift things within the work place without even thinking about the consequences – this may result in injuries such as repetitive strains on our bodies.

In the rules there is no specific maximum weight that a person can lift at work.  This makes sense as we are all different individuals and the levels that we can push ourselves to vary from person to person.

Ergonomics is described as ‘fitting the job to the person and not the person to the job’.
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Your employer has a duty to make sure you’re safe from the risk of personal injury whilst at work. This obviously includes making sure that you are not injured whilst going about your everyday job, but it also includes protecting you from risks to your long term health.

One common danger, especially in heavy manufacturing and industrial workplaces, is hearing loss.  Many people don’t realise that they can claim for damage to their hearing – or they simply put it down to getting older. However, damage caused to an employee’s hearing is very much a personal injury just as any other injury caused by an employer’s failure to protect the health and safety of their employees.
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Accidents at work are one of the most common types of personal injury claims. It is not just people in dangerous jobs or those involving high risk activities who suffer accidents at work. The most common accidents involve ordinary people doing everyday tasks.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is an independent watchdog that monitors job-related health and safety as well as illnesses that are caused by work.  The latest figures from the HSE show that in 2000/10, 28.5 million working days were lost because of work-related ill health. 5.1 million of these were caused by accidents at work.

If you have an accident at work, you should make sure that you report the accident using the reporting procedure available in your workplace. Your employer is required to keep a record of any workplace accidents by law. Your employer must also report any serious accident to the HSE.
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When we refer to an accident at work, most people think only of a severe incident which has resulted in broken bones or worse – but accidents do not have to be as major as this and can also be psychological as well as physical.  If you have had an injury at work, it should be reported to a manager or senior within the company as soon as possible.

It is the responsibility of your employer to ensure that all staff know the health and safety rules within the workplace, and what the procedure is in the event that an accident occurs.

There should be a qualified first aider within the work place who attends to the injury, and unless the business is a very small concern, there should also be an accident book where all injuries occurring within the work place are recorded.  Employers are also responsible for reporting certain accidents/injuries to the Health & Safety Officer, and you as the employee have the right to receive sick pay if you are entitled to it.
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Asbestos is a group of long fibre minerals that were used in many buildings in the 20^th century. It is often used in ceiling tiles and was even used in brake pads. It has been illegal to use in the UK since 1999 and is now illegal in EU member states. However, it still exists in many buildings throughout the UK, so care needs to be taken; particularly for builders working in buildings with asbestos.

When the asbestos is undamaged it apparently poses no risk to your health. However, even the slightest damage, such as a chip, can cause it to start releasing dust particles. These dust fibres can then be breathed in by everyone in the building. It is this dust that carries many health risks as it works its way into your lungs and causes potentially serious damage.
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Lifting heavy objects has the potential to cause severe injury that can leave you suffering for weeks or even months after an incident. Even if an object is well within your capabilities to lift you should always apply correct lifting techniques to prevent injury. This should be covered by your employer in your health and safety training; if it wasn’t, you may have a claim for compensation if you end up injuring yourself.

Usually the correct lifting technique requires you to keep your back straight and use your legs (which have much stronger muscles than your lower back) to perform the lift. Always follow any training provided by your employer as it will help reduce the chances of suffering injury, and some of the training may be specific to your job and the types of objects you will be lifting.
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What constitutes a dangerous working practise?

There are many obvious cases of dangerous activities at work, such as working at height, but a dangerous working practise would be carrying out these activities without the proper safety equipment to reduce the chance of injury. Not having good site order is classed as a dangerous working practise – this is particularly important in the construction industry. Similarly, machinery should always be fitted with guards, especially around any moving parts, and stairs and walkways should be clear from obstacles. All companies should have a health and safety procedure that you should be informed of when starting your employment. Any changes to this procedure should also be distributed to staff.

What steps can you take at work to prevent injury?

If you feel that an activity at work is not safe to carry out, inform your employer about it immediately. It’s always better to prevent an injury before it happens. Advising your employer about improved safety equipment could save them money against costly insurance claims. Always ensure that you use the safety equipment provided, as failure to do so can prevent you from making a claim. Although your employer should enforce that safety equipment be used, it can be negligent on your part for not using it.
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So you’ve had an accident at work and you want to know how much your claim could be worth. Then you should check out our Accident at Work Compensation Calculator found under the FREE INSTANT VALUATION tab on this page. Just select your injury, answer a few questions and the calculator will text your free valuation intsantly to your mobile or landline mumber. Its as simple as that!
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