subject: Slips And Trips At Work [print this page] Slips and trips are the most common cause of major injury at work, with over 10,000 workers suffering a serious injury because of a slip or trip over the past year alone. Although blame cannot always be attributed to one party or another, many of these accidents are in fact the employer's fault, as it is their duty to implement appropriate health and safety measures. If there is a failure to do so, the injured employee could stand to receive a compensation award.
If you are one of the people unfortunate enough to have sustained an injury during a slip or trip accident at work, you should contact a work accident solicitor without delay.
Why do slips and trips happen at work?
Slips and trips at work can occur for a whole host of reasons. Most commonly, a slip will happen when a floor surface is wet. Often this will be because housekeeping have mopped a floor and failed to erect a warning sign. Similarly, a slip may arise if rain water has been traipsed into the building or if a spillage has happened and no cautionary signs are put in place. Furthermore, workplace slips may be caused by adverse weather conditions (such as ice) or a lack of slip-resistant footwear.
Trips on the other hand are usually caused by hazardous obstacles. In fact, 50% of all trip accidents occur due to poor housekeeping, whereby there is a failure to ensure walkways are kept clear, wires are not left trailing, work spaces are kept tidy and obstructions removed. Poorly fitted carpet or a badly maintained floor is also often to blame.
Who is to blame for slip and trip accidents at work?
While everyone in the workplace has a responsibility to stop slip and trip accidents from happening, it is an employer who must ensure preventative measures are put in place. This should include implementing an effective management system, carrying out regular risk assessments, employing competent staff and enforcing slip and trip regulations. If there is a failure to do any of these things and an employee suffers injury as a result of a slip or trip accident, an employer will be held accountable. The injured employee will subsequently be entitled to make a claim for the damage their employer's negligence has caused.
Making a slip or trip work accident claim.
If you believe your slip or trip work accident was the fault of your employer, you need to seek expert legal advice as soon as possible.
