We can help you claim
compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
Call: 0800 10 757 95
School accidents tend to have an anomalous status within the Health and Safety Executive. For, although they are commonly referred to as accidents at work, the HSE rarely inspects schools and only investigates 6% of all school accidents.
Jenny Bacon, head of the HSE, comments, "We do not intend to investigate every accident, only those where there is a substantial breach." And while this low investigation rate does reflect the relatively low-risk accident status of most schools, it fails to account for the fact that education is a higher risk environment than many similar workplaces, such as offices, health organisations, hotels and restaurants.
It is also a situation incongruous with the findings of the HSE's own inspectors. For example, only last year inspectors identified "a significant number" of hazards in one of ten of all schools. Such findings have led to calls for schools to consider a more vigorous approach to risk assessment.
There are also concerns that the HSE is able only to record a minority of school accidents in its accident at work log, mainly because pupils are not classified as employees and as such fall outside the area of the its usual remit. The grand-scale inadequacy of this recording is well-demonstrated by the fact that official HSE figures indicate 0.2 accidents per school per year, something that is clearly an unrealistic picture.
Carol Sheriff, director of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, believes that school accidents need to be better understood. "The low-level nature of the problem keeps it hidden. How many school days are lost each year through accidents? We estimate that it could be as many as six million days a year."
And it seems that better understanding may be the key to preventing accidents in the future, "If you do not know where, when, how often, it's difficult to break the cycle and prevent future accidents", says Sheriff.
Cost free representation for your work injury claim
If you need the help of an expert no win, no fee solicitor following an injury sustained in the workplace, YouClaim has a panel of specialists who may be able to help you.
They can assist you in presenting your case, compiling your evidence and, ultimately, proving negligence on the part of your employer.
They have an excellent success rate in representing workplace injury claimants and always do so on a cost free basis.
This means, win or lose, you will never be liable for any costs, fees or disbursements, while also being protected from those of those of the opposing side.
Furthermore, our 100 percent compensation guarantee is an assurance to all winning claimants that they will receive their settlements without any cuts.
Personal injury claims must usually be made within three years of the date of accident, so it may be worth considering your chances of success before the expiration of this time limit.
To contact a legal advisor, call us today, on 0800 10 757 95.
Alternatively, post your details in an online claim form, or use our echat service.
We look forward to helping you, even if it is only to provide some obligation-free legal advice.
