Nobody goes to work expecting to be involved in an accident; but unfortunately, slips, trips and unforeseen incidents are quite common in workplaces, it’s what you do afterwards that really counts. Personal injury is one of our specialist areas; so if you believe you are the victim in a work-based incident, we’d be happy to offer a little advice, especially if your employer is guilty of any of the following:
- Badly maintained equipment: One of the biggest culprits of workplace accidents is poorly maintained equipment. Receive an injury because of faulty machinery, for example, and you have a strong case for a claim. Your employer has a duty of care to ensure that any equipment you use is fit for purpose and in good mechanical condition. Did you get a shock off electrical equipment, were dangerous parts of the machine exposed and was the machinery the main cause of your injury? If so, seek legal advice.
- Poor training: Having the right tools for the job is one thing. Receiving proper training in the use of workplace equipment is a totally different matter. Before you use any equipment within the workplace you should have received proper training for the task, if the accident was due to poor workplace training, this isn’t your fault.
- Lack of protective clothing: Do you need safety shoes, gloves, ear defenders or hard hats to perform your duties safely? Were you provided with these items? Your employer is responsible for providing you with all the protective clothing you need, get injured and make a claim if adequate safety gear wasn’t provided.
- Poor working conditions: What are the standards of your working conditions like? Is there adequate lighting and ventilation, was the accident caused by uneven or dangerous flooring, would proper site maintenance have removed this danger?
- Lack of manpower: Risk assessments should have been provided by your employer to ascertain how many people are required per task. If you are asked to lift something for example, or carry out a task that requires extra manpower, was the right level of cover provided?