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Work related accidents, youclaim.co.uk

Production line accident compensation claim

Employers have a responsibility to protect their workers, whatever their function within the company. Factories are dangerous places, since workers might often be in close proximity to heavy machinery used to make or pack the product the company deals in, but there are health and safety regulations which should be followed to reduce the risk of a production line accident.

Some causes of personal injury on production lines are due to faulty machinery, the lack of personal protective equipment, or the lack of training given to those who work with and around the machines.

However, many accidents are simply a result of the factory having no safe working platforms or barriers. As well as this being dangerous for those working with the machines when they are switched on, it can also be hazardous for those whose job it is to clean or otherwise maintain the mechanism when it is not in operation.

Production line accident
The HSE website explains the case of a woman who was trying to clean a machine in a food production factory. There was no safety system in place for cleaning the machine without climbing on top of it. There was no safe working platform on which to stand, and nothing to stop the employee falling off the top of the machine. Loosing balance, the victim fell into a rotating drum used in the production line and broke both of her wrists and one leg. A fine of £18,000 was received by the employer.

Avoiding injury
To protect the worker from injury, the HSE note that the employer should consider these preventative measures.

  • Giving an employee a long-handled cleaning tool so that they may perform their job from the ground, or the safety of a catwalk above or to the sides of the machine;

  • If working from the ground is not possible, safe working platforms with guard rails to protect the employee from falling should be in place; and,

  • In some circumstances safety harnesses may also be appropriate;

Ideally the machine being cleaned should not be in operation, as this could lead to much greater personal injury should a production line accident occur.

Making a production line accident compensation claim
If you have been injured in an accident at work on a production line while cleaning the machinery and the incident was not your fault, then your employer could be found liable and you could receive 100% compensation for your pain, suffering and loss of earnings.

Breaking Health and Safety at Work Regulations is a serious offence, and YouClaim solicitors can help you to make your claim and get remuneration, which we won't take a cut from.

To see if you could get help from us, fill out the short online claim form, chat to an adviser on live help, or phone us direct on 0800 10 757 95.

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