Kent Compensation, personal injury solicitors, have made an infographic to illustrate some of the key facts and statistics about accidents at work in the UK.
Whether you are an employer or an employee, accidents at work pose a real risk if the proper safety precautions are not adhered to. For employees, a serious workplace accident can prevent you from earning a living for prolonged periods of time; if you are an employer – the financial consequences of being liable for the accident – as well the potential damage to your company’s reputation – can be devastating. So how often do accidents at work actually occur in the UK?
Even with all of the health and safety regulations that are now in place, there were a total of 133 deaths/fatal injuries as a direct result of workplace accidents throughout 2013/2014. Unsurprisingly, the most dangerous of all industry sectors was construction, accounting for a total of 42 fatalities. As well as 133 fatalities, a total of 629,000 people suffered injuries at work during the same period, the most common causes of which were as a result of falling from height, being injured by moving machinery or being struck by a vehicle.
As well as the obvious physical and psychological impact that workplace accidents can have on the victim, the financial pressure of being unable to work for long periods of time can have a lasting impact too. Some employers refuse to be held responsible or liable for any accidents that occur – even if they are at fault – which can leave the victim in a difficult position. There are almost certainly a great number of accidents and injuries that go unreported by staff members each year, for fear of jeopardising their career or even losing their job altogether.
The number of claims related to workplace accidents is getting higher year-by-year, and the amount of financial compensation being paid out to victims of workplace accidents is also rising. Local authorities throughout the UK prosecuted a total 92 cases, of which one conviction was made. This goes to show that employers are responsible for their employees’ health and safety at all times in the workplace, wherever an office, construction site, road or school. If your employer neglects any of their health and safety responsibilities such as providing adequate health and safety training, administering the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) or providing safe and hazard-free working environments responsibilities, then they could be held liable for any accidents that occur on their premises.
Kent Compensation are one of the leading personal injury solicitors in Kent, specialising in providing legal advice and information on medical negligence, road traffic accident and workplace accident compensation claims.
Approaches to managing the risks associated Musculoskeletal disorders
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, we hear from Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomics Consultant at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, about the different approaches to managing the risks associated with Musculoskeletal disorders.
Matt, an ergonomics and human factors expert, shares his thoughts on why MSDs are important, the various prevalent rates across the UK, what you can do within your own organisation and the Risk Management process surrounding MSD’s.
Two questions: 1. Why use a machinery entanglement info-graphic for manual handling injuries!!! 2. Why is SHP accepting an article from the cancerous element of society which is driving the safety culture within the UK? NWNF lawyers are the reason so many companies are excessive about the levels they try to go to, when trying to eliminate all risk and achieve OH&S nirvana. Driven by the insurers, who want to mitigate claims and reduce their costs; we have the ridiculous examples of “elf and safety” which dominate the tabloid press and make life difficult for the professionals who wish to… Read more »