There are loads of employment regulations that your employer is duty bound to follow. They exist to protect you from being injured whilst working. Let’s face it – all jobs come with hazards, and when it comes to working with electrical equipment and machinery, which is a part of almost every job, there are certain things that can go wrong.
The human body is a great conductor of electricity, so if you are exposed to something, you are liable to end up getting shocked. A piece of exposed wiring, or water near an electrical switch could end up with an injury. So what’s the duty, and can you sue your employer for personal injury compensation if you receive an electric shock at work?
Commonly its machinery that will shock you, so the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 apply. The great thing about these regulations is that Regulation 5 can impose a strict liability on your employer. This means they may have no choice but to pay you compensation if you are injured because a piece of equipment has somehow become defective. If you innocently use it and end up getting an electric shock, the regulations should apply.
Read More