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Month: January 2021

Most Common Accidents at Work: Agriculture

Posted on by Jonathon

The agriculture industry is one of the biggest for accidents at work. Agriculture accidents are, according to the Health and Safety Executive, the biggest cause of musculoskeletal disorders in the UK, with 2,030 in every 100,000 workers.

Figures such as this show that the agricultural industry can be a dangerous industry to work in. however, many of these accidents can be avoided by regular risk assessments and adequate training and safety measures. If your employer does not do these things then you may be able to make a claim.

Causes of Agriculture Accidents

The main causes of agriculture accidents include being struck by a moving vehicle or object, falling from height, being injured by an animal, slips and trips, accidents involving machinery and getting trapped in something collapsing or overturning.

Exposure to Asbestos over a long period of time is something that farm workers can be injured by. This long-term exposure to Asbestos can cause serious conditions, such as Asbestosis, Asbestos related cancers, and pleural thickening. Other industrial illness claims that farm workers may develop include noise-related hearing loss, respiratory diseases, certain types of cancer, and even vibration white finger.

It is your employer’s responsibility to ensure that you do not have accidents at work that can cause injury.

Your Employer’s Responsibility

Your employer is responsible for keeping you safe at work. On a farm, this is even more important, as there are a lot of things that can cause an injury. Your employer must make sure that the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) are met, and they do so by conducting risk assessments to ensure that everyone is kept safe. Employers must make sure that they do everything possible to avoid staff having accidents whilst at work.

If you have an accident at work and have to take time off, you should get agricultural sick pay. This means that you should be paid at least the agricultural minimum wage whilst you are off. This is, however, likely to be less than your usual wage. This will be taken into consideration when you are making a claim.

If you are self-employed, you may still be able to make a claim. Farm workers are often self- employed on a contractor basis. This means that there is still a company that they are working for. If the company fails in their duty to keep you safe, then they may be responsible for your accident.

How We Can Help

Here at The Compensation Experts, we work with solicitors who deal with personal injury claims daily. This includes accidents at work, and agriculture accidents. Call us today on 0800 182 2187 to speak to our friendly helpful advisors or fill in the contact form on our website and we will call you back.

Cyclists Rights on Roads

Posted on by Jonathon

Cycling is a travel option that divides a lot of people. On the one hand, it is better for the environment and our health, but on the other hand some people argue that cyclists do not follow the rules of the road, and have a disregard of their and others rights. You may think that cyclists rights on the roads are different than vehicles because they do not have to pay the same road tax. That is not true, cyclists rights on the roads are essentially the same as vehicles rights on the roads.

Cyclists Rights on Roads

Cyclists have the same rights on the roads as other road users, but they also have other rules. For example, at a junction, cyclists are usually permitted to go ahead of vehicles to stop at traffic lights.

Cyclists can use the full width of the lane as much as anyone else. They are also allowed to ride two abreast. Cyclists do not have to use the designated cycle lane on the roads. However, cyclists are encouraged to ride single file where possible to avoid collisions.

Bicycles do not have to have a bell fitted by law. The law states that calling out to give a warning is sufficient. The only equipment that a bicycle must legally have are reflectors and working brakes, plus front and rear lights if the cyclist intends to bike at night. However, the Highway Code does advise consideration of pedestrians in this, and whilst calling out may be acceptable, a bell may be more socially considerate.

Lane Splitting

Lane splitting, when cyclists undertake and overtake cars and change lanes in order to move through traffic faster, is perfectly legal.

The Highway Code states that road users should be aware of others when travelling. It also mentions cyclists should avoid filtering in and out of traffic if it could cause conflict with another person. An example of this is when approaching a junction. Overtaking is the safest way to do this, as it is generally less dangerous than undertaking.

Speed Limits

Unlike vehicles, there is no speed limit for cyclists on the roads. However, some local authorities do impose speed limits for cyclists. They must also follow a speed limit in the Royal parks.

Although speeding is not an offence in itself, cyclists who cycle dangerously are committing an offence under section 28 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. This means that they can face fines of up to £2500. Careless cycling is also an offence under section 29 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. This is when a cyclist uses the road without due care and attention for other road users. A cyclist doing this may face a fine of up to £1000.

The Most Common Causes of Cycling Accidents

Accidents involving cyclists can happen for all sorts of reasons. However, in our experience, the most common causes of cycling accident claims include:

  • Hit and run road traffic accidents.
  • Collision with a car, vehicle or even another cyclist or a pedestrian.
  • Vehicle doors opening into the path of an oncoming cyclist.
  • Potholes, worn tarmac, raised manhole covers and other defects in the road.
  • Any slippery road conditions due to oil spills, ice and snow.

Many cyclists don’t realise that if an accident was someone else’s fault, a cyclist can claim compensation.

Who Is at Fault for Cycling Accidents?

There are instances in cycling accidents where the cyclist may be at fault, and there are instances where it may be someone else’s fault. instances where a cyclist may be at fault include not wearing high visibility clothing, not having lights on their bike, cycling whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or cycling carelessly. If a cyclist has not followed the rules set out in The Highway Code, then they may also be at fault.

Cyclists Rights on Roads: How We Can Help

Here at The Compensation Experts we work with solicitors who have years of experience in all manner of personal injury claims. This includes accidents on the road involving cyclists. Contact us today by filling in our contact form, or by calling us on 0800 182 2187 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisors.

Most Common Accidents at Work: Retail

Posted on by Jonathon

The retail industry is one of the major industries in the UK, employing around 3 million people. As with any industry, retail accidents are a risk factor that many employees face. However, if their employer is not taking care to do all they can to stop accidents at work, then they may be at fault if an employee has an accident.

Causes of Retail Accidents

There are two main causes of retail accidents at work. These are: slips, trips and falls and manual handling.

Slips trips and falls are the most common cause of any accident at work. According to the Health and Safety Executive, these accidents account for around 40% of all reported accidents in the retail industry. They can happen because of spillages, wet floors, uneven flooring, equipment or stock on the floor, damaged flooring, and much more.

There are a number of health and safety guidelines that your employer must follow to stop accidents like this happening.

Manual handling accidents often happen due to inaccurate or inadequate training. If someone does not have the proper training to lift stock or deliveries and they injure themselves whilst doing so, then their employer may be responsible. There are health and safety rules which employers must follow to minimise the risk of these accidents happening.

Your Employer’s Responsibility

Employers must make sure that they do everything in their power to make sure their employees do not have any accidents whilst working. There are health and safety guidelines that they must follow to do this. These guidelines include the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Employers must also ensure that they carry out regular risk assessments. These risk assessments cover both working practice and working environment. For example, risk assessments must be carried out on any carpeted areas at work to ensure that they are not damaged and safe to walk on. They must also carry out risk assessments for how the employees work, such as lifting and handling assessments. This ensures that employees are trained safely on how to do their jobs.

If employers fail to carry out these risk assessments and an employee has an accident, then they may be to blame for the accident.

Claiming Against Your Employer

When you make a claim against your employer for an accident at work, the claim comes from an insurance policy. This is known as Employer’s Liability Insurance. All employers in the United Kingdom must have this insurance. It protects them when accidents happen, as the compensation comes from the insurance. Therefore, it is the insurance company that pays the compensation; it does not come directly out of your employer’s pocket.

How We Can Help with Retail Accidents

Here at The Compensation Experts we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with all manner of personal injury claims. This includes retail accidents at work. Contact us by filling in our contact form, or by calling us on 0800 182 2187 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisors.

Most Common Accidents at Work: Warehousing

Posted on by Jonathon

There are many different industries where accidents at work can happen. In fact, accidents can happen in any workplace. However, there are some industries where accidents at work are more common. One of these industries is warehousing. Statistics show that warehousing accidents are amongst the most common accidents at work.

Warehousing Accidents

Warehousing accidents are very common. In the warehousing industry, there were over 23,000 injuries at work in 2019/20 according to the Health and Safety Executive. There are some injuries that are more common than others, with lifting and handling accidents being the most common. These injuries accommodated for 19% of injuries to workers in warehouses in 2019/20.

Lifting and Handling

Lifting and handling accounted for the most accidents to warehouse staff. When you are lifting and handling at work, your manager must make sure that they are following the manual handling safety rules. This is to minimise the risks of accidents at work, and keep employees safe. One of the biggest aspects of the manual handling regulations is carrying out risk assessments.

Hit by Moving Vehicle/ Falling Objects

The other two main areas of accident at work that are common in the warehouse industry are being hit by a moving vehicle, and being hit by falling objects. These accidents happen a lot due to reckless driving and lack of training on forklift trucks. Only people who have had the correct training should use forklift trucks. Accidents that involve falling objects usually happen because of poor stacking and loading of items.

Your Employers Responsibility

It is your employer’s responsibility to ensure you are safe at work. This means that they must follow correct health and safety guidelines to minimise the risk of accidents and to keep all their employees safe. They must carry out adequate and frequent risk assessments on the machinery and equipment, and make sure that staff training is always up to date.

If you are a temporary or agency worker, your employer has as much of a duty to protect you as a full time, permanent employee. This means they must also ensure that your training is adequate and correct before you do the job. They must also ensure they maintain this training.

If your employer does not follow the correct health and safety guidelines, such as the Manual Handling Regulations and the Health and Safety at work regulations, and you have an accident whilst at work, then you may be able to make a claim. All employers must have Employer’s Liability insurance. This covers the business in case accidents at work happen. If you have had an accident and make a claim, then it is the insurance that pays the compensation.

How We Can Help with Warehousing Accidents

Here at The Compensation Experts we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with personal injury claims. This includes accidents at work. Contact us by filling in our contact form, or by calling us on 0800 182 2187 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisor.