The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are an important set of regulations that govern manual handling activities in the workplace. Any lifting and carrying in the workplace can be dangerous and lead to serious injuries; normally to the back.
Slipped disc injuries are amongst the worse as they often result in a lot of pain, a need for a lengthy period of rehabilitation, a lot of time off work, and possibly even surgery and lifelong problems. So if you have slipped discs at work due to carrying and lifting, can you make a claim for personal injury compensation against your employer?
Negligence
We must show that your employer has been negligent in the duty of care they have for you, and as such have breached the above regulations. Classing examples are:
- Inadequate or no training provided resulting in poor manual handling practice
- Lifting too much weight
- Lifting a high volume of loads over a prolonged period of time
- Lifting in awkward areas – like in a cellar having to lift at low heights
- Moving large or awkwardly shaped objects
If any of the above has happened to you, you may have a valid claim for personal injury compensation from your employers insurance. Ultimately the regulations put a duty on employers to:
- Avoid the need for manual handling
- Risk assess manual handling activities
- Take all reasonable steps to prevent an injury
To achieve this, equipment should be used where possible, training should be given, warnings should be provided, tasks should be supervised, and there should be enough people to carry out the tasks.
If you’re injured at work because your employer failed to uphold their duty to you, we may be able to assist you with a claim on a No Win, No Fee basis. This means you pay nothing if the claim is lost.
If the claim wins, we can recover legal fees from the insurance and unlike other firms we will not take a deduction from your payout – we still offer 100% compensation to our clients for accidents and injuries in the workplace.
You have a right to claim and you are protected by law when making a claim – so you don’t need to worry about the affects of making as claim on your employment. Most employers are quite happy for you to claim and will often suggest you claim if you’re injured in the line of duty. They have insurance and it is there to be claimed from!
