VWF claims and gardeners

Many people are surprised to learn that gardeners in the UK are at a much higher risk of developing the industrial illness Vibration White Finger (VWF) than most other workers in the UK.

This is evidenced by the number of increasingly high-profile VWF compensation claims made by gardeners in the UK.

Generally speaking, gardeners who have come into contact with vibrating tools throughout the course of their work, and developed VWF as a consequence, will be awarded four-figure sums of compensation. However, in a minority of compensation claims made by acute sufferers of the illness, five-figure compensation payouts should be considered appropriate to the claimant's needs.

Not always the green fingers ideal
Many people have an idealistic view about the occupation of gardening. Spring, summer, vivid flowers in bloom and long hours spent, hands on hips, surveying romantic and pastoral scenes.

However, the reality is very different. Many gardeners work very long hours sometimes as many as sixty in a week and often begin work at the very first minutes of dawn. In addition, the pay is not always good, meaning those in the profession sometimes feel compelled to work these long hours. This can have the effect of lengthening the period when a gardener is exposed to VWF associated hazards.

Specific VWF risks
Gardening has not been exempt from the many technological advances that have drastically altered so many professions over the past fifty years.

A significant number of the job's aspects have now been industrialised. Part of this industrialisation has involved the introduction of vibrating tools to perform once laborious manual tasks.

Standard push mowers, ride-on mowers and strimmers are just a few of the vibrating tools the typical 21st century gardener will use.

The use of such tools during cold autumn and winter months exacerbates the VWF risk. Both cold and wet conditions have been linked with causing particularly acute VWF symptoms, so coupling such conditions with the use of hazardous vibrating machinery presents a clear and escalated risk to affected gardeners.

It is often corporate or council gardeners, rather than small-scale home garden contractors, who are at the highest risk of developing Vibration White Finger.

Typically, this is because council and corporate gardening work exists on a much larger scale. Such jobs demand more frequent and heavier use of vibrating tools than those in private homes.

This risk is reflected in the disproportionately high number of VWF compensation claims made by gardeners who work in these corporate and council settings.

Employers have a responsibility to provide their workers with assessment and prevention of the VWF risk. Any failure to meet these obligations not only endangers the health of workers but also risks making employers liable to pay compensation.

Making a no win, no fee VWF claim
If you have developed VWF as a result of exposure to vibrating tools and cold or damp conditions in your workplace, you may well be able to claim compensation.

Here at YouClaim we have a panel of the UK's leading workplace injury solicitors who have already helped thousands of VWF sufferers claim the compensation they deserve.

Making a compensation claim with us will never cost you a single penny in legal costs or fees.

In fact, not only do we assure you that, win or lose, you will never have to pay us a thing, we also guarantee to protect you from any legal costs incurred by the opposing side.

Furthermore, as we never take a cut from any of our client's damages award, in the event of your claim's win, you will get to keep 100% compensation.

If you would like to investigate your right to claim VWF compensation, you can fill out an online claim form, request a call back or discuss your claim on e-chat.

Alternatively, if you wish to discuss your VWF claim with a skilled legal advisor now, simply call 0800 10 757 95.