Inadequate PPE Claims

If you have experienced injuries from not wearing PPE, we may be able to help you claim the compensation you deserve

The function of Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, is to keep you safe at work. If your employer fails to provide you with the correct protective equipment, or if they provide you with inadequate PPE, and you have an accident because of this, then you may be able to make a PPE claim.

Some of the most common types of PPE include safety goggles, hard hats, steel toe cap boots, masks, full body suits, gowns, gloves, ear plugs and ear defenders. Its use is to minimise the risk of accidents at work. Everyone who works in a dangerous environment, such as construction and manual labour, or provides healthcare must wear PPE.

Some examples of injuries from not wearing PPE include burns, lacerations, breaks and fractures, tissue damage, scarring, sight loss, hearing loss, industrial illnesses, and respiratory illnesses. In each of these PPE accidents, a worker may have a legitimate claim for compensation.

Employer’s Responsibility

Your employer has a duty of care to make sure that you are safe at work, and not susceptible to injuries from not wearing PPE. They must make sure that they meet the health and safety regulations, and that they carry out regular risk assessments to minimise the risk of PPE accidents. Ensuring that everyone has the correct personal protective equipment is a part of this.

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 states that all employers should ensure that suitable PPE is provided to employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work. If you suffer injuries from not wearing PPE, and it wasn’t your fault, your employer may be responsible.

An employer providing incorrect or inadequate PPE can also cause industrial diseases, such as HAVS/vibration white finger or noise induced hearing loss. These conditions can affect you for the rest of your life and can worsen over time. If your employer did not provide the correct PPE, such as ear defenders and gloves, then they may be responsible.

If you have had to take time off work because of your injuries from not wearing PPE, you will usually get statutory sick pay. However, this is often less than your regular wages. The solicitors we work with can help to recover lost earnings as part of any compensation you may be able to claim.

Making A PPE Claim

In most cases, PPE accidents occur due to incorrect or inadequate equipment. Generally, you have three years from the date of the accident to make a PPE claim, but there are exceptions to this rule:

  • If you had an accident when you were under 18, for example, you have until you turn 21 to make your PPE claim.
  • If the incorrect or inadequate PPE leads to an industrial disease, such as hearing loss or vibration white finger, then you have three years from when you first found out that you have either condition to make a PPE claim.
  • In cases where you haven’t had a diagnosis, you have three years from when you first thought that the cause of your symptoms was your job.

We understand that you may feel uneasy about making a PPE claim against your employer or former employer, but you do not need to worry. The law requires all employers to have Employer’s Liability insurance, which covers the costs of PPE accidents at work. The insurance company would pay any compensation, so it would not come directly from your employer.

How We Can Help

Here at The Compensation Experts, we work with leading law firms who have years of experience in dealing with claims of work injuries from not wearing PPE. This means that we are well placed to help you get the compensation you may be entitled to. Call us today on 01614 138765, to speak to one of our friendly, knowledgeable agents, or fill in our contact form and we will give you a call back.

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