Accidents at Work: The Onus is on the Employers

Yet another firm has been hit with a hefty fine after an entirely avoidable accident at work left two workers seriously injured.

While many believe that work-related accidents are usually down to mistakes made by employees, the blame actually often lies with the employer, which is why a large proportion of incidents like this lead to personal injury claims and subsequent compensation being paid out to those affected.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), two workers - Ashley Emes and Nick Stone - were hurt after a trolley load of glass panes fell on them at manufacturer Pilkington's Imperial Park site in Bristol.

Bristol Magistrates' Court was told how the trolley had been overloaded by colleagues, with the majority of the weight on one side of the trolley.

Mr Emes suffered a broken leg and required 72 stitches in his neck, while Mr Stone suffered severe tendon damage, cuts and bruises. Pilkington was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,646.

Commenting on the case, HSE inspector Mehtaab Hamid said: "This horrific incident could have been avoided if Pilkington had a system in place to ensure its staff knew the loading capacity of the trolley, the weight of the loads being put on it, and how to load it correctly.

"Employers have a duty to ensure their staff have the information and training necessary to carry out their duties safely, and higher standards should be expected from such a large and well known company."

At Carrs Solicitors, we agree that employers across all industries need to make health and safety a top priority, having seen the effects from working closely with victims of personal injury.

As the HSE stated in its report, this incident could easily have been had more care been taken by Pilkington. We would hope employers don't only emphasise health and safety in the aftermath of an accident, but do everything they can to anticipate and evade them.

To find out how we at Carrs Solicitors can help following an injury at work, call 0800 587 0746 or complete our online enquiry form.