Do you know what to do when you have an accident at work? The workplace can be fraught with health and safety dangers, with some professions posing more obvious hazards than others. According to the Educational Institute of Scotland and the Labour Force Survey, in 2019, 581,000 injuries happened in the workplace in Great Britain.
Although improved health and safety practices have reduced the numbers of accidents at work, many still occur for a variety of reasons. Employers have a duty of care to all their employees, so it is possible that you could claim compensation if you have suffered an injury at work. So, what are the primary causes of accidents at work and what should you do when you suffer an accident in the course of your work?
What are the main causes of accidents at work?
According to the EIS, employees suffered 69,208 injuries that were reported under RIDDOR. Reportable incidents under RIDDOR can include serious injuries such as amputations, permanent loss of sight, crush injuries, serious burns or scalds and severe head injuries. Deaths in the workplace are also reportable under RIDDOR.
However, there are also less serious injuries that can occur at work. Although some injuries may present fewer and more temporary physical symptoms, any kind of workplace injury can be extremely psychologically traumatic too. For example, statistics show that at least 1.4 million working people annually suffer from work-related ill-health. Some of the most common causes of injuries can be falls from a height, heavy lifting, and accidents from machinery. These can leave long-lasting scars and can cause employees to be forced to take time off work or undergo medical procedures to help them recover. Injuries at work can be extremely painful and it can be even worse to know that many of them were preventable and avoidable.
What should you do if you suffer from an accident at work?
If you have recently experienced an accident at work, the best course of action is to seek advice from a trusted and professional team of legal specialists. Your employer has a legal duty of care to you to ensure that you remain safe from harm when you are in your workplace. If you have been injured, you may be eligible to claim compensation for your injuries as well as for any loss of earnings or medical expenses that have been incurred as a result of your injuries.
Why choose Farleys Solicitors?
At Farleys Solicitors, we have the skill, knowledge and experience to guide you through a compensation claim for a work-related accident. We have already helped hundreds of people that have suffered accidents at work to claim the compensation they were entitled to. We understand that injuries at work can be extremely traumatic, both physically and emotionally. Whatever your injuries may be and no matter how severe they are, we can help you.