Forklift accidents and children in the workplace

Almost all parents will at some stage want to take their children to their place of work. After all, there is real pride in being able to say "this is where daddy (or mummy) works". For those working in offices, it will be a relatively safe thing to do. However, for those working in factories or on construction sites there are more hazards to consider, and how to avoid a forklift accident should be one such consideration.

There is little in the way of universal guidance on the issue of bringing children into the workplace. Obviously, it is illegal for organisations to employ children under a certain age. This protection of the right's of young people is legislated for in the Children and Young Person's Act 1933. However, it may be possible for some children of 13 to commence limited work with the approval of local authority by-laws. The issue of informal, non-working, visits is much less clear-cut.

Some employers within hazardous industries, particularly construction, have a blanket ban on employees bringing their children into the workplace, even in the case of newborns. Others will, with prior permission, permit it - provided things have been planned in advance.

It is also worth remembering that some organisations are not insured against a workplace accident that involves children, so will seek to dissuade employees from bringing their offspring into work.

However much children may want a go on Daddy's drill, to ride on his forklift or see the holes dug by his excavator, construction sites can be dangerous, especially for young and excitable children prone to erratic behaviour. In these instances, in order to avoid any child suffering personal injury, however minor, it may be a good idea to reach a compromise whereby children are allowed to meet their parent and their parents' colleagues in a reception or a foyer area.

While many children, and particularly boys, will be filled with wide-eyed wonder at the prospect of seeing all the machinery and vehicles typical to a construction site, the risk of something unfortunate happening should never be forgotten. A reminder of this, if ever one was needed, happened in Queensland, Australia, in 2008, when a three-year-old boy was killed in a forklift accident after being run over by the vehicle.

No win, no fee lawyers representing work accident victims
Employers should have risk assessments for all potential workplace hazards, as employees, and visitors to work sites, need to be protected from personal injury.

Suffering a work injury can be both physically painful and financially draining, claiming compensation can help guard against the effects of this, and is the right of all those who have suffered injury as a result of another party's negligence.

Forklift accidents can be particularly grave, often resulting in death or serious injury. There are no win, no fee solicitors on our UK panel firms who specialise in representing people who have been injured in accidents involving forklifts.

They work on a, win or lose, no fee basis, are governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and seek to explain the legal process in plain English, without jargon.

Furthermore, they protect the claimant from costs incurred by the opposing legal team and deliver 100 percent compensation to every winning case.

We can be reached online or over the telephone, just fill out a claim form or call us now on 0800 10 757 95.