Unsafe working practices - Accidents in unsafe work conditions

Unsafe working conditions solicitor

If you have been injured in a work-related accident due to a health and safety breach or a dangerous practices at work, then our health and safety at work solicitor can help you claim the compensation you deserve. Whilst taking legal action against your employer may seem daunting, it can make your workplace safer. The type of legal action can help to shine the spotlight on unsafe working conditions as well and highlight any illegal practices that go against workplace health and safety and welfare regulations.

When you contact us, you will speak to one of our health and safety solicitors and they will listen to your story. From this, they will be able to understand if you have a case and if you do, they will start the process. Our work accident solicitors are experts in unsafe work environment lawsuit cases and work on a no win no fee basis, so there is no financial risk to you. contact us today on 0161 696 6235. You only have three years from the date of the accident to claim, so don't delay.

Types of accidents at work

There are a number of different dangerous practices and procedures that can lead to accidents happening in the workplace, the following are examples that our expert work accident solicitors have had to deal with:

• Pedestrian and forklift traffic areas have not been separated resulting in injury
• Failure to have ladders and stepladders footed or stabilised
• Using ladders instead of scaffolding
• Workers using inappropriate or poorly maintained tools for the job at hand
• Workers operating machinery for which they have had no training
• Workers carrying heavy objects without the appropriate training
• Employers failing to illuminate working areas correctly, including walkways
• Employers failing to fix potholes or unsafe floors
• Employers not providing their workers with the appropriate safety gear to do their job
• Workers being exposed to dangerous chemicals
• Workers using tables and chairs when stepladders would be more appropriate
• Employers not providing their workers with suitable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Workplaces without cleaning procedures resulting in slipping and tripping hazards for employees

This is just a small example of the types of accident at work compensation claims our expert solicitors deal with. If you have been injured and you believe it is due to your employer enforcing dangerous practices or following dangerous procedures at work, contact us today. We operate on a no-win, no-fee basis which means there is no financial risk to you. For expert, no-obligation advice, contact our specialist accident at work solicitors on 0161 696 6235.

Risk assessment

All employers have a duty of care to their employees, but employees also have a responsibility to ensure that any unsafe working practices are eliminated from the workplace. Health and safety in the workplace is paramount and keeps everyone on or near the premises safe. Before you step foot in the workplace, your employer should have already carried out a risk assessment of the area in which you will be working as well as a risk assessment for the type of work you are going to do. This ensures that you are not expected to work in unsafe working conditions and that there is not an unsafe system of work that puts any employees at risk.

In places where there are five or more employees, an employer is required to make an official record of the assessment, documenting the risks to an employee’s health and safety as well as the procedures or safety parameters they will put into place to remedy an unsafe work environment (if one is deemed to be).

However, not all employers will follow these safety procedures and will allow dangerous practices to happen on their premises, resulting in injury to employees.

Can I sue for unsafe working conditions? Who do I contact about unsafe working conditions?

Yes, if you have been injured as a result of dangerous practices in the workplace, then you could be entitled to compensation. If you have been put in a position whereby you have experienced an unsafe situation at work and have been injured as a result, you should contact the experts at Stephensons right away. Unsafe working conditions are never acceptable and, at Stephensons, we will do our utmost to help you claim the compensation that you deserve, in accordance with the unsafe work environment law.

What are the types of unsafe acts at work?

Unsafe acts at work can present themselves in a wide range of different ways, all of which can cause employees and workers to be at risk in the workplace. These can include operating without clearance or warning, operating or working at an unsafe speed and making safety devices inoperative. All of these actions can create an unsafe situation at work, which can in turn cause employees to become injured. If there is dangerous equipment in the workplace, this should be operated with the adequate training and safety procedures every time. If you have realised that your injury was a result of an unsafe work environment, you should no longer suffer in silence.

What are deemed to be unsafe working conditions?

Suing for an unsafe work environment may come about because you have been injured when carrying out your job, as a result of the unsafe environment around you. Unsafe working conditions can manifest in many different ways, for instance in the form of exposed wires, asbestos exposure, broken equipment and hazardous materials. If you feel unsafe at work or fear you are being made to visit a dangerous workplace, that isn’t ok. Every employer has a right to safe working conditions and there is training on the health and safety regulations of the workplace that every employer must follow, to ensure that their employees remain safe at work. Speak to a member of the Stephensons team about an unsafe situation at work today.

How much compensation will I be awarded after being injured in unsafe working conditions?

If you have been injured in a dangerous workplace, then you will be entitled to compensation. The amount of compensation that you will be awarded for a successful claim will depend entirely on the extent of your injuries and how they have affected your day to life since the incident occurred. By speaking to an expert member of the Stephensons team, you will get a better idea of the potential size of your settlement.

What is health and safety in the workplace?

In law, health and safety in the workplace falls under the Health and Safety in the Workplace Act and the Health and Safety Executive and the local authorities are responsible for enforcing the legislation laid out in the act. Essentially, this act places a duty on everyone to comply. This includes employers, employees, trainees, self-employed, manufactures, suppliers, designers and importers of work equipment.

The act places the main duty on the employer and states they must 'ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees'. Under the Health and Safety in the Workplace Act, an employer is also forbidden to charge their employees for safety equipment such as personal protective equipment.

However, it is important to remember that anyone working on the premises also has a duty to follow health and safety regulations and procedures to ensure that no one is left feeling unsafe at work. If you have been injured at work because you did not follow the right procedures that you have had training for, rather than being in an unsafe situation at work through no fault of your own, it is unlikely that you will be able to claim compensation.

If you have been injured at work and it was due to someone else’s negligence and unsafe practices in the workplace, then it is possible to claim compensation. Contact one of our expert solicitors today on 0161 696 6235.