We can help you claim
compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
Call: 0800 10 757 95
It may seem obvious, but employees who are tired are more susceptible to becoming victims of an industrial accident and then have grounds to make a work injury claim.
With our 24-hour society, more and more people are working longer or unsocial hours including in factories where technology allows constant operation and it is more cost-effective for management to keep sophisticated machinery running constantly.
Many workers, who are seeking extra wages, are happy to complete an extra four-hour shift or longer after they have finished their regular day in order to earn overtime money, usually paid at a higher rate, while others need to supplement income from a day job with extra hours at another business at night.
Canadian researchers reporting in November 2010 said they found that night shift or rotating shift workers were nearly twice as likely to suffer a work-related injury as their colleagues in similar industries who only worked in the day.
And women had a greater risk of coming to harm than men, especially if they worked on rotating shifts.
The researchers decided this was probably because of women taking on domestic chores, including child-care when they were at home rather than catching up on their sleep and, for both sexes, it is this tiredness which is behind the accident statistics.
Although there have been some well-publicised campaigns to remind motorists of the risk of road traffic accidents if they fall asleep at the wheel, there is not much publicity about the need for alertness when working in an industrial environment.
Inattention or complacency by the employee is a major cause of work accidents, both in the daytime and at night, but usually there are sufficient managers and supervisors around in the day to minimise the chance of accidents through neglect of safety procedures.
However, it can be a different story on a night shift where working is more relaxed, partly because the volume of activity throughout the building is reduced compared to the day but also because there will be fewer bosses on the premises.
Guards on machinery may be left open for speedier working, debris could remain on floors because there are fewer cleaners, dangerous short cuts in working methods could be common and, if an accident occurs, fewer first-aiders may be on the premises.
Even if the bosses are not in the building they still have a duty to protect the people working for them and ensure health and safety procedures are being practised. They should also set standards for the number and length of breaks for workers to avoid them getting over-tired and, where possible, provide them with catering facilities and rest rooms.
Employees have a duty to look after themselves and must keep to safety guidelines at night but, equally, employers must do all they can to avoid their workers coming to harm at whatever time of day they are working.
Work injury claim information from YouClaim
If you, or a loved one, believe you have suffered pain or loss of earnings, for which you were not to blame, as a result of employment and are considering making a work injury claim you can get immediate advice from the legal experts at YouClaim.
We have a panel of personal injury lawyers working throughout the UK on behalf of victims of industrial illness and accident whose lives have been adversely affected through their jobs.
We offer not just experienced professional people who are overseen by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, an arm of The Law Society, but also our guarantee that you will receive 100% of all compensation won for you.
To find out more about our services for those making a justified work injury claim, you can call free to speak to one of our helpful advisers on 0800 10 757 95 or, if you prefer, one of them can phone you at a convenient time, otherwise use the internet links on this page.
