Watch Your Step
According to the government every hour someone in Britain breaks a bone at work. Much of this is as a result of simply falling over. Slips, trips and falls are obviously distressing for the person involved but will also be of concern to their employers and colleagues alike.
The cost to businesses of slips trips and falls is a staggering £500 million a year. Over 90% of those injured are absent from work for at least one week. Accidents from trips account for 16% of compensation claims. This is something most businesses will recognise as something they will want to avoid.
That is probably why this week saw the launch of the “Watch Your Step” Campaign by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). The campaign highlights that many of these accidents are easily preventable and need not happen in the first place. Swift attention to wet, dirty, uneven and damaged floors can prevent accidents that could result in injury and absenteeism that is not only painful to the person falling over but also to the profit margin.
The HSE recommends that you put in place a management system, carry out regular risk assessments and keep up to date with relevant legislation to help improve the work environment and keep other costs to a minimum.
Risk assessments are something employers should be doing in any event. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require every employer to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work and of the risks to the health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out of or in connection with the conduct by him of his undertaking.
Amongst other requirements these regulations require every employer to make and give effect to such arrangements as are appropriate, having regard to the nature of his activities and the size of his undertaking, for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the preventative and protective measures that he will have had to have implemented to comply with the regulations.
The obligations placed upon employers are many and varied and extend far beyond the requirements described above. For more information about the way Health & Safety Legislation affects you then contact Timothy Dixon at Lemon & Co Solicitors on 01793 509 831 or by e-mail timothy.dixon@lemon-co.co.uk.
All statistical information contained in this article was provided by the Health & Safety Executive as at 10 October 2005.
This article gives a general overview only and the legal position at the time of writing this article. It cannot be relied upon in any particular case. Specific legal advice must always be considered to include consideration as to whether the legal position contained in this article has changed since going to print. For further information and advice, please contact Tim Dixon or Nita King on 01793 527141 or alternatively by email on Tim.Dixon@lemon-co.co.uk or Nita.King@lemon-co.co.uk.
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According to the government every hour someone in Britain breaks a bone at work. Much of this is as a result of simply falling over. Slips, trips and falls are obviously distressing for the person involved but will also be of concern to their employers and colleagues alike....</p>
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