Work Place Accident

Work Place Accident- Employment Law- Solicitors Dublin

There is a legal duty on employers to ensure that they provide their employees with a safe place and system of work; and ensure that they take all reasonable steps to eliminate all foreseeable risks, which could cause their employees to suffer injury, during the course of their employment. It is therefore hugely important that an employer creates and maintains a safety statement for all employees and also ensures that their employees are provided with appropriate training and equipment.

Below are a number of examples of the most common types of accidents a person may have in work which if found to be the fault of their employer may entitle him or her to make a claim for compensation:

Slip Trips and Falls

Injuries from Trips, Slips and falls are some of the most common, and avoidable types of accident which occur in the workplace and can lead to claims for compensations. It is important that employers ensure that they have policies and procedures in place to ensure, for example, that floors are properly cordoned off when being cleaned, that there are policies in place and notice up that employees are not to leave, boxes, machinery or cables on any walk way whether in an office, warehouse, showroom etc. A huge number of accidents could be avoided in the work place if common sense approaches were taken to the working environments, this could save employers millions of euros every years in respect of claim for personal injuries by employees

Lifting Accidents

There have been a huge number of personal injury claims arising out of lifting related accidents in the work place in recent years. Employers should ensure that they have proper procedures and systems in place to ensure that employees are not put at risk when they are required to lift objects as part of their work. Employers should ensure that employees are given training in this area and provided with appropriate equipment. Back injuries are one of the most common types of injuries a person may suffer as a result of a lifting accident and these types of injuries can be extremely serious, causing a person to be absent from work for prolonged periods of time.

Accidents involving Machinery

As stated above there is an obligation on employers to ensure that their employees are provided with training in respect of machinery they are instructed to use as part of their employment. Employers should ensure that equipment and machinery is properly maintained and serviced on a regular basis. They should also ensure that employees are provide with proper training in respect of such equipment/ machinery and that there training is recorded and provided on an ongoing basis. Ensuring employees are properly trained in the use of machinery; and also that machinery is properly maintained will ensure work related accidents involving machinery are kept to a minimum.

Occupational Stress

These types of claims can be very significant and debilitating, they have only really been recognised by the courts over the last 20 or so years. Injuries such which case depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder can have a devastating affect both on the person that suffered the injury but also on the family and friend. Employer need to be mindful that they are not just responsible for preventing employees suffering physical injuries as a result of an accident at work; but also the must ensure that they do not act in a way which will cause a person to suffer psychological injuries. This injuries can be caused from being too demanding of employees, for example giving an employee too heavy a work load and not providing them with the training or support to ensure that they can manage same.

If you would like further information on work place accident whether you're an employer or an employee why not contact us today by phone on 01-679 3539 or via email on info@pposullivan.ie to arrange a consultation.