Fallen at Work Compensation Claims

If you have fallen at work then your injuries could be minor to major. Falling accidents at work are the most common type of personal injury claim but are often the easiest to avoid.

Types of falls at work

The nature of your working environment will dictate just how much risk there is of a falling accident at work. If you work with ladders on a daily basis, for example, you are more at risk of a falling accident. You may be employed to work on a building site where there are a lot of obstacles in the way. Office environments present a surprising number of falling hazards; boxes left in walkways; holes in carpets or loose tiles to name but a few.

An employer’s responsibility for falls in the workplace

An employer must do everything reasonably possible to avoid falling accidents in the workplace. This includes communicating the danger to staff; averting the danger and minimising the danger or stopping it completely.

The Health and Safety Executive specifies certain duties that an employer must undertake to ensure they are compliant with the law. Some are highlighted below:

• Risk assessments must be carried out to emphasise and prevent any potential falling accidents
• Warning signs of slipping hazards should be displayed
• If the surfaces are slippy then anti-slip methods like anti-slip mats should be used
• Health and safety training should be given to all staff both in general terms and specific to the job they do

Types of falls at work

The term ‘fallen at work’ suggests a minor injury has happened yet some of the most debilitating accidents happen after a fall. If you have fallen from a height and/or landed on a sharp or dangerous surface then the results can be devastating.

Your injuries could result in paralysis, a brain injury and sometimes death. There are approximately 2 falling fatalities per year which happen in the workplace according to the Health and Safety Executive.