Employment

Injuries at Work Factfile

work-injuryInjuries at work happen with great regularity. From bumping into colleagues, to bashing your foot against an errant door. These things happen.

But there are a number of injuries that you might be entitled to claim compensation for. This shouldn’t be seen as ‘getting one over’ on employers, or ‘cheating the system’-but should instead be looked upon as a chance to get the recompense that you deserve for your ailment.

This will also force your bosses to change the way they operate their business so that both you and your colleagues are less likely to suffer from similar incidents in the future.

But exactly what kind of accidents can you claim for?

Falls from height

Falls from height are by far one of our most common claim types, with some of our clients suffering serious injuries because of poor planning implemented by executives.

While each individual worker must do their best to manage personal safety while working on aerial platforms-including cherry pickers-and ladders, there is often a degree of corporate culpability when something goes wrong.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), there are a number of points that must be ticked off a checklist before any work at height begins.

To ensure they are complicit with the Work at Height Regulations 2005, employers must ensure that: all tasks are properly planned, those involved in projects above the ground are confident of their safety, appropriate equipment is used, the risks of fragile surfaces are assessed and tools are properly maintained.

So when can you launch a claim if something goes wrong? Essentially when you feel any of the aforementioned criteria have not been achieved by your bosses.

Noise issues

Noise issues aren’t exactly the first thing that might spring to someone’s mind when they think about industrial accidents.

But, as anyone with construction-related tinnitus will be able to tell you-hearing problems can be caused by poorly managed projects and have a huge impacted on the lives of those affected.

Once again, there is a degree of personal responsibility for anyone working in a noisy environment to follow guidelines set out by employers in regards to safety.

However, in some cases workers feel that their bosses aren’t doing enough to protect them-so it is worth knowing what the legal minimum requirements are for executives putting their staff members into noisy construction projects.

Employers wishing to avoid liability in the event of work-induced tinnitus must demonstrate that they have: assessed risks properly, taken action to mitigate said risks, provide hearing protection, make sure legal decibel limits aren’t regularly exceeded, provide employees with information about health problems and properly supervise personnel in noisy areas.

If you or any of your colleagues feel these standards are not being met, you should call your bosses and let them know of your concerns. If these problems are not acted upon, you should contact one of our agents, who will help you to rectify the situation.

Electric shocks

We all know from our day-to-day lives that electricity is dangerous. Since an early age, most of us will have been told by concerned mothers and fathers that we shouldn’t go putting our fingers into plug sockets and the like.

But for some workers, exposure to live currents is an ever present risk.

However, the challenges facing electricians and other manual workers can be managed by a company with a proper health and safety system.

A company that takes these risks seriously will make sure that all employees working in areas with live electrical currents are properly trained, preferably having previously completed apprenticeships or courses.

But what happens if you don’t feel comfortable with your employers’ approach to electrical safety? Once again, informing managers about your grievances should be the first action, but if the problem remains, contact one of our industrial law specialists on the Slater & Gordon website, so that they can help you to mitigate any further issues.

If you have any questions, please ask below!