Accidents in the workplace are extremely common, with large numbers of very busy, sometimes stressed-out people, who are not concentrating on managing their health and safety.
These accidents at work can range from comparatively minor incidents leading to non-serious injury or illness, to major incidents that can lead to potentially life threatening conditions.
In addition to the risks to the health and wellbeing of employees, accidents at work can have serious consequences for employers – possible compensation claims and prosecution, for one thing – but also due to the costs of absent workers. This is why businesses should perform risk assessments and set out clear health and safety policies. And even if you have a very small business, you still have a care of duty and a legal responsible to do this.
One type of accident in the workplace, which will be more prevalent among those working regularly with electrics, but which can potentially affect almost any worker, are electrical accidents. These can vary from unpleasant, but not life threatening accidents such as small electric shocks and electrical burns, to serious ones such as electrocution. Each year a number of people are killed in the workplace as a result of electrical injuries – making them an issue which all employers have an absolute duty to address when undertaking a risk assessment of their business premises.
These types of injuries will obviously be most likely to affect those who come into close contact with electrics on a daily basis (such as electricians) but as virtually every business uses electrical systems in some form or another, a dangerous fault in one can affect any employee.
If you want to discuss work injury claims with a professional solicitor, contact www.theaccidentsatworksite.com.
Employers have a duty to ensure that any electrical equipment or systems on the premises are checked regularly and maintained properly. They are also responsible for ensuring that, should staff be required to operate any electrical equipment as part of their job that they have received the necessary training to be able to do safely. In general employers are required to ensure that safe practices of working are promoted should their workforce be utilising electrical equipment and/or systems as part of their work.
If you don’t know what your legal obligation is, seek professional guidance to make sure you know what is expected of you, should the worst happen.
