Whilst you are at work, there will always be potential exposure to accidents, with some professions carrying more risk of injury than others, of course. But whatever work you do, your employer must make sure that the risk of you being injured at work is reduced to the lowest reasonable level possible. This duty is enshrined in law in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which can be found here:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/3004/contents/made
That said, all workers also have a duty to minimise the risk of injury to themselves and their colleagues as far as possible. Some tips for this are:
- Always adhere to any Health & Safety training you have had. These training plans have been set to help you understand possible risks at work and are a crucial element to your day-to-day activities.
- Communication. It is always best to discuss potential risks with your supervisor/manager and colleagues to ensure all risk factors are considered before a particular task. This can be useful to help you be aware of a risky situation you may have not previously considered.
- Ask questions. If you are unsure of a workplace or task that could lead to potential accidents, ask questions to make sure you understand the scope of work you are being asked to do (and what you are not to do) and ensure you are not at any unnecessary risk.
- Be aware. Take time to understand your environment as part of your daily tasks to consider all potential risks to you and your colleagues.
- Always stay alert to the dangers around you. Whilst performing your duties, you may get engrossed with the task at hand and can lose concentration and awareness of the risks around you.
- Participate in training. Your employer will have likely have Health & Safety training and policies that you need to be aware of. Ensure you are up to date with refresher training so that you do not become complacent, as this is imperative to help you avoid accidents and what to do in that situation if one occurs.
- Follow any safety plan. Make sure that you do not take situations into your own hands and follow any safety plan that has been put in place by your employer. Do not put yourself at risk to rectify any problems, but report issues to your managers.
- Keep alive to new risks. If you have observed new or unusual scenarios that could be a possible issue, make sure you communicate this to your manager so that this risk can be considered and is factored into the day-to-day risk assessments so accidents can be avoided.
If you do suffer an injury at work, Bakers are here for you. We pride ourselves on our experience in representing claimants who have been injured through no fault of their own, helping them to receive compensation that they are appropriately entitled to. Our professional, friendly claims team will give you an honest, accessible and ‘plain English’ appraisal of your claim, and we love delighting our clients when they receive the injury compensation they deserve.
If you would like us to handle your personal injury compensation claim, you can contact us online or by phone on 01252 744600.