Company admits liability and compensates employee
It is the duty of the employer to ensure that its employees are safe at the workplace in all conditions. This area of concern was brought into light in the case of a 60-year-old employee from Gateshead who broke his heel in an accident in February 2007, caused due to the use of unsafe equipment.
The employee who was trying to access a company van’s roof rack fell from the ladder as the steps had become slippery due to the rains. The employee who was bedridden for four months has never recovered completely from the accident and has been unable to work for the last two years. What makes the issue a clear case of negligence on part of the employer, is the fact that the ladder could have been quite safe if it had been equipped with anti-slip runs.
The employer, a Newcastle based company has accepted its fault and settled the matter outside the court by paying the employee £ 120,000 as compensation.
According to an official of Unite (the injured employee’s union), the employers must be more careful as it is their responsibility to ensure their workers’ safety. The employee’s representative, Angela Collins from Thompsons Solicitors adds that the accident has had a huge impact on her client’s life, as he has not been able to recover completely from the injuries. She went on to say that, the case highlights the urgent need for the employers to be more careful about the safety precautions for their workers.
Employers need to keep themselves up to date with health and safety developments to avoid potential legal action from employers by taking a health and safety courses such as the accredited iosh distance learning course available from the specialists at Workplace Law Training.
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