If you’re self-employed or work for a company that sends you to carry out work in the houses of others, what rights do you have if you become injured? If self-employed it is your job to make sure that you have the equipment needed, however if you become injured and it’s the homeowner’s fault you may be able to make a claim for injury compensation.
If you work for an employer it is their job to ensure that you have the equipment you need, and it is their job to make sure that the equipment is in working order. Every now and again it will need to be pack tested to ensure it is safe. However, the homeowner is responsible to ensure your safety within their home. For example they must ensure there are no health hazards such as loose floorboards that workers may trip over. And with regard to a previous news story they much provide workers with the safest access possible.
A woman may face being sued as she refused a worker access through her house to fix some drains on her roof. The safest way to access the drains was via the garage room, however she refused to let him through her house in his muddy work boots. This then later resulted in him falling off his ladder and being unable to carry on working in the future.
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