Reducing Manufacturing Personal Injury Cases

Whether you are an employee or an employer, you may be alarmed by the amount of manufacturing accidents that occur in the UK. For example, manufacturing was above the annual average in the category of fatal injuries in 2018/2019. Over a five-year period, 17% of deaths were due to falls from height, 14% were due to contact with moving machinery and 12% were due to being struct by a moving/falling object.

This is not to suggest that all manufacturing accidents are fatal. However, the injuries caused by manufacturing accidents are often very serious and they can potentially take a long-time to heal. There are certain steps that can be taken to help improve health and safety in the manufacturing industries. First Personal Injury have outlined four below:

Keep On Top Of Machinery Maintenance

All workplace machinery should be checked, serviced on a regular basis. If any issues are noticed with a piece of machinery, whether that is a forklift truck or a conveyor belt, the item must then be maintained. Even if it might be expensive to repair, it is the duty of the employer to ensure that all the machinery that is being used in a plant is up to scratch. Not only does this help to ensure that the quality of the products don’t suffer but it also helps to ensure that everyone is kept safe.

Provide Proper Training

All staff must be properly trained for their job role. For example, if your job role involves lifting heavy items, you should be given manual handling training. This training ensures that you can safely lift any items and you know the procedures to go through if an item is too heavy. Furthermore, if someone has stated that they are unsure about how to perform a certain task or they seem unsure from observance, they should be retrained if necessary. Training isn’t necessarily just a one-time event which happens at the start of the job. If training needs to be repeated, it should be so that everyone can be kept safe.

Report Any Dangers

It is the employee’s responsibility, just as much as the employer’s, to take notice of any dangers in the workplace. For example, if a machine appears to not be working properly or if you have noticed an employee performing their job role in an unsafe way, you should report this to management. Similarly, shortcuts to get the job done in a quicker but less safe way should not be taken. The few moments that may be spared are not worth the potentially life-threatening injuries that could be caused.

If you notice a danger or a hazard in the workplace, you may be able to claim compensation as a result.

Keep Workspaces Tidy

While it may seem more difficult to keep a workspace tidy in an environment like a warehouse compared to an office, it is even more important to do so. A clean work environment can greatly reduce the risk of injury. This is because a clean workspace makes it easier to move around, which reduces the likelihood that someone is going to fall over because of an obstructed walkway. Always airing on the side of precaution can help to greatly reduce the likelihood that an accident is going to happen.

Amount of Compensation

Compensation is decided on a case by case basis, taking into account the severity of the injuries and the impact that these injuries have had upon the victim. The pain and suffering causes by your injuries will first be taken into, as will the impact of the injuries upon your ability to function.

For example, if you can no longer complete certain tasks as you would have done before, or if the incident has impacted upon your mental health, then this could be accounted for through compensation. Compensation will also take financial losses into account. If you have had to pay for treatment or have lost income due to being unable to work, then compensation may be able to account for these financial losses. To view general compensation estimates for injury types, visit our compensation calculator.

Making Personal Injury Claims

You may be entitled to compensation for a range of compensation claims under accident claims. Our experts will help assess your potential claim going forwards and provide you with proficient advice.

Contact First Personal Injury to discuss your potential compensation claim today by ringing 0333 358 2345 or by filling out the online claims form.