Accidents can occur at work at any time. Accidents can occur due to a lack of sufficient training, supervision or equipment, all of which an employer is legally obliged to provide to their employee. If you have been injured in work, your employer may be held responsible.
Employers have a duty of care to their employees and they are required by law to ensure that their employees have the proper training in respect of the work they are carrying out. This may include manual handling training for example. Employers are also obliged to provide employees with proper Equipment – this may include safety equipment such as gloves, visors, goggles, and protective clothing amongst other things. Employers are also obliged to provide their employees with proper and adequate supervision. If an employee is injured due to a breach of any of these duties, they may be entitled to compensation for their injuries and loss.
It is vitally important that there is a record of the accident and therefore you should ensure that you have reported the accident to your employer. Most people have camera phones and we would recommend that as many photos are taken as possible. As the old adage goes a picture paints a thousand words. Feel free to take as many photographs as you need, however we recommend you take pictures of both the area and ideally, what caused the accident to occur; for instance, the photograph may show a spillage of liquid or a crack or a machine. We recommend that you use some kind of object (preferably a bank note such as a €10 note) to add perspective in terms of depth and width. These photographs must be kept safe and the details noted of the person who took them. These photographs could prove vital to the prosecution of any case which may be brought.
If there are any witnesses to the accident, ensure you get their details and keep them safe, most witnesses in these cases are co-workers however cases can take some time and employees can move on, so it is better that you have this information to hand rather than seeking it later on in any potential case.
For more information please contact us on info@mglaw.ie or 01-514 3800.