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This article was published on January 5th, 2022
Your employer has a duty of care to keep you safe when you are in your workplace. However, unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen and accidents often occur. If you have been injured in an accident at work and it wasn’t your fault you may be entitled to compensation. This blog will outline the common causes of workplace accidents and the injuries that can occur.
Slips, trips, and falls are common accidents that can occur in any workplace, they are often regarded as trivial, however, the injuries that occur can vary in severity depending on factors such as the floor surface and the height of the fall. Many jobs require you to work at a height and employers have a duty to ensure that they are doing all they can to prevent an accident. Falls from a height tend to be serious and they are still the main cause of a fatal accident in the workplace.
Muscle strain is another common workplace injury, particularly for people in jobs that involve regularly lifting heavy objects. Neck and back strain are also commonplace whilst working. However, these types of injuries, whilst may not be severe, can be avoided and your employer should ensure that you are trained properly to avoid these injuries.
Being hit by a falling object is a particularly common workplace accident for people that work on building sites or in factories. Although the risk is there, your employer should have safety measures in place to prevent it from happening. Injuries sustained from being hit by a falling object can vary in severity from minor cuts and bruises to brain damage or even death.
Manual handling accidents are common, particularly in workplaces such as warehouses, factories and hospitals. Although manual handling itself is not a dangerous activity, there are risks of injury if not done properly, the majorities of injuries as a result of a manual handling accident are musculoskeletal.
Walking into objects in your workplace is something that most of us have done in our lifetime and it rarely results in a serious injury. However, if dangerous objects are misplaced it is likely to cause more serious injuries. Your employer should ensure that objects in the workplace are placed in their correct areas and are not misplaced where they might cause injuries.
The misuse of office equipment such as paper trimmers can cause injuries including cuts and lacerations. This is something that your employer should make the effort to prevent by providing safety equipment and adequate training.
Crashes and collisions including forklifts and trucks are common workplace accidents for people that work in factories. Common accidents include being struck by a moving vehicle, falling from a vehicle or overturning of a vehicle. These types of accidents can have serious consequences. Employers have a duty of care to provide secure seatbelts and other safety equipment.
Above are just some of the most common workplace accidents, their causes and the injuries that can occur. If you have been involved in a workplace accident and it wasn’t your fault, we can help. Thorneycroft Solicitors provide thorough advice on all aspect’s of injury at work compensation, information on employment-related issues and benefit claims advice where appropriate.
To speak to a member of our specialist personal injury team about your workplace accident, get in touch by calling 0800 1979 345 or by filling out our simple enquiry form.
