Manual Handling Accidents

If you have suffered injuries caused by poor manual handling, you may be able to make a claim.

Manual handling injuries are amongst some of the most common accidents at work. They occur when someone is lifting, pulling, putting down, and moving objects by hand. Injuries from manual handling can be serious, ranging from muscle injuries to more serious, life-long musculoskeletal disorders. These types of manual handling injuries may also worsen, causing you pain and discomfort for a long time. If you have experienced injuries from manual handling, through no fault of your own, we may be able to help.

Manual Handling Accidents at Work

Manual handling injuries often happen due to incorrect or inadequate training. Injuries caused by poor manual handling can be avoided by employers ensuring all staff receive the correct training. If you have had incorrect or inadequate training, your employer may be at fault for your poor manual handling injuries. According to The Health and Safety Executive, manual handling injuries accounted for 20% of all workplace accidents in 2018-2019, with the most common injuries from manual handling being back injuries.

There are laws in place to protect you from suffering common manual handling injuries at work, and your employer is responsible for ensuring the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are being followed. By following these guidelines, the chances of an employee suffering all types of manual handling injuries are reduced.

The industries where workers most commonly experience manual handling injuries include:

  • Warehouse and storage – poor manual handling injuries often come from staff doing picking and packing work.
  • Construction – staff usually suffer various types manual handling injuries by moving heavy tools or everyday items, such as bricks and cement.
  • Care and medical workers – because staff are often moving and working with people, poor manual handling injuries are common within care work.
  • Factory staff – pushing and pulling heavy loads with no equipment can contribute to common manual handling injuries.
  • Retail workers – those working in stock areas are susceptible to injuries caused by poor manual handling, as they spend a lot of their day lifting and moving deliveries.

Within these sectors, risk assessments must be regularly carried out by employers, to both ensure that everyone is working safely and prevent manual handling injuries from occurring.

Agency Workers

Employers have a duty of care to everyone who is working for the company, including agency staff. This means:

  • Agency staff must have an adequate site induction when starting at a new company.
  • Agency staff must have the same level of training as permanent employees.
  • To avoid common manual handling injuries, agency staff must have access to the same risk assessments as permanent employees.

If you have experienced injuries from manual handling whilst working for an agency, you have the same right to manual handling claims as a permanent employee.

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are vital in ensuring common manual handling injuries are avoided, and employers are responsible for completing all assessments. During a risk assessment, your employer takes into consideration factors such as:

  • Training needs and manual handling techniques for each object being moved.
  • The number of people required to lift an object safely.
  • Whether especially large loads can be split down for easier handling.
  • if any equipment is required to help with manual handling.
  • Whether manual handling can be avoided.

Employers should, where possible, provide equipment or extra staff members to avoid common manual handling injuries. Every employee who has to do manual handling as part of their job must also have the correct training.

Manual Handling Claims

Despite experiencing poor manual handling injuries at work, you may have reservations about claiming against your employer. However, you should know that it’s mandatory for all employers to have employer’s liability insurance, to cover them in instances of injuries caused by poor manual handling. As such, the solicitors we work with deal with the insurance company rather than directly with your employer.

Manual handling claims should be made within three years, but it’s better to begin the compensation process as soon as possible. This makes it easier for a solicitor to

Manual handling claims should be made within three years, but it’s always better to begin the compensation process as soon as possible. This makes it easier for a solicitor to access records the closer to when you experienced your manual handling injuries.

How we can help

Here at The Compensation Experts, we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with manual handling claims, so they are extremely well placed to help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today via our contact form, or call us on 01614138765 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable agents.

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