Accidents At Work - Where To Go And Who To See

In the period of 2009-2010 there was a significant drop in injuries at work in the north east compared to 2008-2009: 13.
9%.
This could be due to a number of factors: there is an increased awareness and better handling of health and safety issues in the workplace; during a recession there are fewer people employed in higher-risk industries; and better care is taken by employees who are concerned about being out of work if they suffer an accident.
Despite the reduction of industry in the economic downturn, the north east remains an area with large amounts of industry compared to the rest of the country, so it is hardly surprising that the figures are still higher than the average for Great Britain.
Employers themselves have a duty to ensure that their employees have the correct equipment to carry out their job.
They have a duty to ensure that the working environment of their employees including floors, surfaces, working areas and corridors are safe for use.
They also have a duty to provide proper training to carry out manual work involving lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling and wherever possible provide machinery or tools to avoid the need to lift heavy objects.
Employers have strict government guidelines and parliamentary laws to adhere to in an effort to decrease accidents in the workplace.
After all, it is in their interests to keep their employees safe.
Having an employee on leave due to an accident at work costs the business money.
In the period of 2008/2009, 24.
6 million working days were lost to work-related illnesses and 4.
7 million due to injuries in the workplace.
For the employee, the implications of an accident at work are far reaching.
Not only is there the injury itself to deal with, including any possible short and long term treatment, hospital visits and therapy, there is also the emotional side to deal with possibly resulting in a loss of confidence in the job.
Loss of earnings may result from the accident if long-term health problems are a consequence, which can impact on any dependants at home and cause mortgage or rent arrears.
The employee may miss out on the possibility of applying for promotions that have taken place whilst they are out of work and suffer a loss of earnings in that respect.
It is also important for the employer to follow up proper health and safety practices following the accident to ensure that other employees do not injure themselves in the same way.
In the event of an accident employees should consult their union, who often have their own solicitors or a list of solicitors who work on their behalf representing union members for a variety of work-related reasons.
A solicitor associated with the union will have an understanding of the industry and the company, however the injured employee may find themselves working with a solicitor they wouldn't ordinarily choose.
If the employee does not wish to involve the union, is not a member of the union or would rather choose their own solicitor then consulting an independent local solicitor who specialises in accidents in the workplace is vital.
A local solicitor will understand the area and the employer, they will be able to make home and hospital visits and provide a personal service, and they will have the knowledge of past case history to gain the best possible result for their client.
Statistics taken from http://www.
hse.
gov.
uk