EigenAnalysis

In a glaring incident of safety negligence that occurred in February 2007, an employee working for a Newcastle based company, had slipped from a ladder and injured himself severely. The injuries were so serious that the employee was bed ridden for 4 months and has not been able to make it to work ever since. The employer has now accepted his liability and agreed to pay a compensation of £120,000.

The employee was injured while performing his regular duty. He was using a ladder to climb up and reach the roof of a van, when he slipped and hurt himself. It has since been proved that the worker had slipped because the ladder had become slippery due to the rains, and if proper anti-slip runs had been provided the accident might have been easily avoided.

An official of the trade union called Unite, which the injured employee was a member of, reiterated that it was a clear cause of negligence on part of the employer. Others like Angela Collins from Thompsons Solicitors also stressed on the absolute responsibility of the employers for providing safe working conditions.

It is quite clear that despite existing regulations and frequent incidents of severe injuries to the employees, many companies still show an utter disregard towards employee safety. Employees rely on their employer to provide safe working conditions, and until that happens, mishaps like these will continue to affect the lives of workers in irreversible ways.

Employers need to keep themselves up to date with health and safety developments to avoid potential legal action from employers by making sure their staff and managers attend health and safety courses such as the working at height training available from Workplace Law Training.