Your seniors and officers have an authorized responsibility to protect your health and safety when you are at work. Whilst most employers take this responsibility seriously, accidents at work are still commonplace. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), some 27 million working days were lost during 2011/12 as a result of work-related illness or workplace injury. And this very important to know workplace construction signs to protect yourself and your colleagues from any injury. So, what should you do if this happens to you?
Tell Your Employer
If you’ve had an accident at work then you need to report it to your employer as soon as possible. This is not only for you benefit, but also to prevent anyone else from being injured in the same way. Make sure that your employer records the incident in their Accident Book. If there isn’t one, put the details of your accident in writing to your boss, making sure that you keep a copy.
Go for a doctor, even if you don’t believe that your injury is too serious. This is because your doctor’s records may be used if you make a claim for compensation or you later need to claim benefits.
Claim Under The Industrial Injuries Scheme
If you’ve had an accident at work then you may be able to claim the industrial injuries benefit that is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The scheme provides non-fault and non-contributory benefits for different types of disablement arising from an accident at work or over 70 different diseases. It is important to start your claim as soon as possible otherwise you may lose benefits.
Make a Compensation Claim
Regardless of whether you are able to claim under the Industrial Injuries Scheme, you may also be able to make a claim against your employer for compensation. Your employer may be held legally liable for your accident if he has failed to comply with legislative requirements or if the company has acted negligently in some way or another (usually by not doing something to keep your workplace safe).
You can compensate within 3 years against your employer, although it is usually advisable to start the process sooner rather than later as it is easier, for example, to obtain witness statements and other documentation.
Whilst you can make a claim yourself, most people prefer to get legal help. If you have been severely injured you might find that using a head injury solicitor for your claim is best as they specialize in these lines of work.
Make sure that you find out how the solicitor earns his fee, as some will charge you whilst others run on a no-win, no-fee basis, which means that you will not be charged a penny if your claim is unsuccessful. Fees should always be discussed with the solicitor before an agreement is made.