Many employers provide compulsory training in a variety of areas, including customer service, human relations, communication skills and more. These are advisable in the running of your business but one of the most vital pieces of training above all of these areas is safety training. The Health and Safety Executive reports that on average 200 people a year are killed in work related accidents, health and safety training helps reduce the risk of avoidable accidents.
All employers have a responsibility to keep their employees as safe as possible in the work place, this is a legal duty. One aspect of adhering to this legal requirement is the provision of health and safety training for employees. The law outlines situations to employers in which training is specifically important, e.g. for new employees, when new risks are introduced to the workplace and to update existing knowledge. In any circumstance an employer is tied to “provide whatever information, instruction, training and supervision is necessary to ensure, so far is as reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of…employees.” Furthermore all training sessions must provided during an employee’s paid working hours.
What If Your Employer Does Not Provide Training?
In the eyes of law if you have an accident at work which has been caused due to your employer’s failure to adequately train you, your employer will be responsible for your accident. If you are on a work experience placement and have an accident at work, you will also be covered by Health and Safety Law. Your employer can choose whether they provide training themselves or bring in an external company to provide the training, but either way steps must be taken to give employees all the information they need to do their job safely.
If your employer has not provided training and you have an accident you have a right to make a compensation claim against them for the physical and psychological injuries you have incurred from the accident. You will also be able to claim for financial losses such as loss of earnings, prescription costs, travel costs and more.
Can I Claim?
If you have had an accident which was not your fault, you will be able to make a claim against the third party whose actions caused your injury. You may have grounds for a viable claim against your employer if lack of training has caused you to have an accident:-
- Involving machinery.
- Involving a vehicle.
- Due to trailing cables and other trip hazards.
- Involving heavy lifting.
Each circumstance is different and these are merely a few examples. You should contact a specialist work injury solicitor today to discuss your situation in more detail and receive legal advice in an instant. There is a time limit of 3 years from the accident date to make a compensation claim, but contacting a solicitor sooner rather than later is always extremely advisable.
Contact Us
For a free initial consultation regarding your work injury compensation claim contact us here at Freeman Harris today. Call us on 0207 790 7311 or fill in an online enquiry.