Office Accident Claims
You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that offices are fairly safe environments in which to work. After all, nothing much happens in them, certainly not compared to some of the more hazardous working environments, (factories, construction etc) where operating heavy machinery and the like means that there are huge risks involved. Despite this, every single year there are a great many injuries, accidents and compensation claims that occur up and down the country as a result of poor working practices in the office.
Many of these occur as a result of something that appears rather trivial; such as poorly designed work stations and seating – others from things like faulty wiring, trips/spills over objects left unattended on the floor and poor manual handling, (lifting items incorrectly).
If any of these accidents/injuries occur as a result of an employer being negligent with regard to safeguarding employees from potential hazards and not taking the correct steps to ensure safe working practices then, like all personal injury claims regardless of the environment they occur in, compensation may very well be sought.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Health and safety legislation applies every bit to the office as it does any other working environment. This means that all employers have a duty to safeguard their employees from risk and potential danger, as well as ensuring that any duties the employee carries out are conducive to safe working practices. Failure to do so means that employers are in breach of all relevant health and safety legislation.
It is vital therefore, that employers take all the relevant precautions to ensure the safety of their employees at all times. In this respect prevention is always better than cure, so every effort should be made to prevent any accidents happening in the first place. This means ensuring the workplace is free of any potential trip hazards, (a tidy workplace is usually a healthy workplace); all walkways are left clutter free and employees are given adequate facilities in which to work. Something as simple as talking through any potential hazards with an employee also goes a long way. If an employer fails to provide any of these measures, they are again in breach of health and safety legislation and an accident claim can be supported.
OFFICE INJURIES
Below are listed just some of the types of injury that can be sustained in an office working environment. If you have suffered from any of the following, it is definitely worth calling Claim 500 to see if you could claim compensation – particularly if you have suffered a loss of earnings through taking time off work.
Injuries include:
SLIPS/TRIPS: This may be through objects such as cables or boxes blocking walkways or even as a result of wet floors due to the external of the premises not being correctly gritted/salted. This type of injury can easily lead to broken bones.
BACK INJURIES: This is one of the more common injuries sustained in the office and often occurs as a result of lifting heavy boxes without the appropriate training.
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING: This may seem farfetched but it has been known that some fuel burning appliances (such as gas boilers) are prone to leaks and other faults.
HOW YOU CAN CLAIM COMPENSATION FOLLOWING AN INJURY AT THE OFFICE
For anyone that may be afraid of making a claim for compensation against an employer, you should be aware that it is against the law for anyone to be dismissed from their job as a result of making such a claim. Employers should be insured against any claims made by employers so you shouldn’t ever be apprehensive about claiming compensation. If your employer has failed to take the adequate steps to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and it can be proven that you have been injured as a result, you may well be entitled to compensation.
So, if you have suffered an injury at work due to unsafe working practices, call Claim 500 now. We specialise in office accident claims, helping thousands of people up and down the country to get the right advice and representation throughout the claims process. If you feel that you may be entitled to make a claim, don’t hesitate to call us now on 08458 123 456 or fill in one of our online claim forms.