Accidents at Work

If an employee or a worker has had an accident at work without it being their fault, often the person is too worried to ask for compensation and this can be for a number of reasons. These fears can be anything ranging from the fear of losing a job to becoming unpopular with co-workers. Therefore many accidents at work go uncompensated.

When employees are involved in an accident at work, they need to make the correct injury claim. This means showing that the injuries at work are caused because of negligence on the company’s or employer’s part.

The employer or the head of the organisation is required to work under the Reporting of Injuries and Diseases and Dangerous Regulations putting a requirement on them to report an accident at work or any other dangerous occurrence at worksite. This needs to be reported under legal act that is RIDDOR Act of 1995. The Local Authority as well as Health and Safety Executive concerning this issue helps the owners to protect from future occurrence of similar accidents and at the same time reduce other risks concerned with the employees.

Accidents at work occur in different ways, eg hand or leg injuries, inhalation of a harmful substance, skin burns, eyes damage or back pain as a result of lifting something really heavy. The most common grounds of injuries at work occur due to handling of heavy items, exposure to perilous chemicals, long hair or jewellery becoming tangled in machines, misuse of vehicles and importantly inadequate training for safety given to employees. There are further hazards at work such as electricity, working at height, sharp or powerful machinery, liquids or high pressure gases, poisonous gases, heavy structures or heat all of which might ruin their health and their physical fitness.

If an employee meets with an accident at their workplace without it being any fault of their own, then the person has civil or legal rights to be compensated by the employer.

Common Injuries at Work

Naturally different workplaces result in different accidents therefore specific kinds of accidents may be more frequent than the others. For example, workers in a chemical factory are more likely to suffer from breathing problems and burns rather than those working in an office. Injuries at work are quite common, but it is the employers’ duty to minimise these risks as far as possible so that the employees has a safe environment to work in.

The majority of common injuries at work are as follows;

Slips & Trips: It has been estimated that almost three quarters of workplace injuries are the results of slips & trips. Such accidents may seem to be minor and often end up as a source of humour, but in reality some of them can result in broken bones, head injuries and some major fractures of bones. It is the employers’ duty to ensure that the flooring is suitable, clean and not worn out, trailing cables and wires are hidden out and there is sufficient lighting with adequate hand and guard rails.

Manual handling: This term includes any activities related to lifting, pushing, lowering, pulling, moving, carrying, holding and restraining any animal, person or object. A majority of such injuries are strains in hands, feet, arms, tendons and musculoskeletal disorders.

Workplace accidents due to vehicles: Such injuries include being hit by moving vehicles, falling from a vehicle, or being hit by materials falling from a vehicle, or overturning or collapse of a vehicle. Such accidents are not only restricted to vehicles of heavy goods, but also to those vehicles which the workers operate inside the work place. The employers should ensure that the vehicles and pedestrians are segregated by distance or barriers.

Electric shocks: A large number of workers suffer from electric shock injuries at work every year. In order to avoid them, the employers should make sure that all the electrical equipments in the workplace are well-maintained, well-designed and suitable for the work and ensure that the workers using the equipments are well-trained for their use.

Other areas of common injuries at work include working in the presence of fire, working with dangerous chemicals are working with heavy and plant machinery. While no one can predict injuries at work, it is the duty of both employees and the employers to minimise the risks of accidents as much as possible.

If you have suffered personal injury or illness caused by the negligence of another party you are likely to be entitled to financial compensation from the responsible person. We are specialist No Win No Fee accident claim solicitors handling all types of injury claims including industrial injuries and illnesses, work accidents, slips and trips etc.

If you have been injured in the last three years and would like a Free Legal Assessment of your claim please complete the Application Form. Workaccidentclaim.net will handle your claim on a No Win No Fee basis at no cost to you.