Work Injuries and Their Causes
Injuries at work remain common in the UK despite the raft of legislation and regulation aimed at preventing them
. The Health and Safety Executive estimate that almost 5 million working days were lost during 2008/09 due to workplace injuries, while the Labour Force Survey records 250,000 serious work injuries over the same period. Given the amount of injuries which go unreported the true figure is likely to be far higher. An injury at work may be caused by physical trauma sustained in an accident, or may develop slowly over time as a result of working practices. This is often the case with injuries and long-term conditions which fall under the general category of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The majority of injuries at work are however caused by simple, avoidable accidents. Slipping and tripping is the direct cause of over a third of reported major injuries in the workplace, followed by falls from height, and objects falling and striking those below. Most injuries at work are preventable, and employers must take all reasonable measures to protect the health of their workers. Where they negligently fail in this duty of care an injured person should seek specialist legal advice from a qualified solicitor.Any part of the body may be damaged in a workplace accident. The back is especially prone to injuries, ranging from mild soft tissue sprains to fractured or crushed vertebrae. The vertebrae protect the spinal cord, which itself controls all movement and sensation in the human body. Back injuries are normally caused by the lifting of heavy weights, or the repetitive performance of motions which place strain on the back, such as bending and twisting. Head and neck injuries at work may result from falls from height, objects falling, or work vehicle accidents. The head is the most sensitive part of the human anatomy as the skull shields the brain, and traumatic injuries to the head may cause unconsciousness or death. Injuries to the neck may have severe repercussions if the vertebrae or spinal cord become damaged. The spinal cord carries messages between the brain and the body, and serious injuries in this area may involve paralysis and loss of bodily functions. Injuries to the face can be extremely traumatic, combining as they do physical and psychological factors. Compensation awards in this area normally reflect the extent of any facial scarring and residual disfigurement. Loss of one of the major senses such as sight or hearing will also lead to higher damages being awarded by a court.
Other upper body injuries include sprains, strains, burns, lacerations, bruising, fractures and dislocations. Arm, wrist and hand injuries are commonly the result of a person seeking to break a fall or attempting to protect themselves from a falling object. Limbs may also become caught in machinery, on a factory production line for example, or may become trapped between two heavy objects. The resulting crush injuries from this type of accident are often particularly severe, and may require the amputation of limbs in extreme cases. The most serious types of leg injury at work involve simple or compound fractures and dislocations. These are most commonly caused by slips, trips and falls. A fractured or dislocated hip will normally take months to heal, while damage to the knee may render an injured person completely immobile. Injuries such as these, along with sprained ankles and damaged Achilles tendons, are usually the result of a sudden movement which forcibly stretches the joint in an abnormal direction. Any working environment that involves physical exertion will have a higher incidence rate of injury, particularly factories, construction sites and warehouses. Bartletts Solicitors have experience with all types of injury at work compensation claims.
Work Injuries and Their Causes
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