How to Claim Compensation for Injuries Related to Dangerous Workplace Procedures and Practices

As an employee, you have various rights. Your rights would include having a safe working environment – an environment which has a low risk of accidents or injuries and a workplace which makes use of safe equipment and safe processes and procedures. But if you have had an accident or injury in the workplace due to unsafe or even dangerous workplace procedures and practices, you may have a right to compensation.

Facts on dangerous workplace procedures and practices

All employers in the UK are required to carry out a risk assessment of the working environment, especially if the working environment deals with different types of equipment, tools, or machinery. In fact, even if you are working for a small company, if your company already has five employees, your employer is obligated to have a risk assessment, which is also done regularly.

But not every employer is as thorough as the government would like, and this is why certain workplace accidents and injuries occur. Let’s have a look at some common dangerous or unsafe workplace procedures and practices:

• Using inappropriate equipment for different tasks, such as tables in place of ladders
• Using ladders which are not fitted or secured with stabilising elements
• Using inappropriate tools for particular tasks
• Carrying or lifting heavy items or objects with no proper training or equipment
• Workers not having the right PPE or Personal Protective Equipment
• Having no clear or appropriate procedure for cleaning, leaving the workplace full of hazards (especially from slipping or tripping) for workers
• Not having enough illumination for particular working sections and areas
• Having workers exposed without proper safety wear to unsafe or dangerous substances, such as chemicals and gases
• Having failed to initiate regular risk assessments for the workplace, or having failed to address complaints or accidents in the workplace

Your options

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to unsafe or dangerous workplace procedures and practices, you may be able to claim compensation, especially if you can prove that the injury was due to those unsafe workplace practices. You have to gather proof or evidence, however, and this could include photographs of the injury, eyewitness statements, accident book records, and other pertinent records and reports, such as medical diagnoses and prognoses.

Remember, though, that there is a three-year time limit in the UK for making claims for personal injury, as the experts at http://shireslaw.com will tell you. If the accident happened within the limit of three years, you can still try to make a claim for compensation.

But with the right knowledge, information, procedure, and evidence, your claim for compensation can be pursued with confidence. After all, it’s your future life and comfort that is at stake.

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