The Health and Safety Executive has recently produced a list of tips regarding the obligations of an employer in relation to health and safety law. Employees are not without responsibilities in this area, but employers keen to avoid accident claims would do well to follow some straightforward advice.
The following measures to limit the chances of an accident at work are worthy of scrutiny:
• Assess what is a potential threat to health and safety. Consider what policies should be implemented to limit risk
• Explain to workers how risk will be managed
• In collaboration with health and safety appointees, protect everyone from danger at work
• Provide all workers with the necessary health and safety training. You should not charge them for this
• Give workers whatever tools or uniform is required to protect them from being placed at undue risk
In return, employees should always raise any issues of concern through the proper channels of communication. They can also obtain more information from the Health and Safety Executive if they feel that their health and safety requirements are not being met.
Health and safety should not really become a divisive issue of ‘them and us.’ Good employers and responsible workers share many interests. Acting in partnership and with respect can achieve positive outcomes in safe ways. However, if a worker incurs a personal injury through no fault of their own they should not hesitate to pursue compensation claims. In these circumstances, the worker should get their condition assessed by a doctor and speak to experts in the field.
Related Personal Injury News
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- The seriousness of accidents at work
- Construction – Health and Safety at Work
- Complaining about health and safety
- How to stop an accident at work from happening
It is a shame so many employers fail to follow these straight forward steps and innocent workers end up suffering personal injury.
Comment by SimonC — January 26, 2010 @ 3:20 pm