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Dangerous Machinery And Equipment Claims

By Julie Glynn

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 29Jan2012
Word count: 436
Viewed: 215 time(s)

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Injuries caused by dangerous machinery and equipment at work can have devastating consequences. You may be forced to take time off work, and you may even be left with long-term damage. Such an injury will, therefore, have serious impact on your life, often causing physical, financial and emotional damage.

Dangerous Machinery and Equipment at Work.

When it comes to dangerous machinery and equipment at work, there are a number of factors an employer must take into consideration.

Firstly, before an employee handles dangerous machinery and equipment at work, it is of the utmost importance that he/she has received the appropriate training. Without it, that member of staff (and possibly those around them) will be put in danger.

An employer has a legal obligation to ensure all staff are trained to the necessary level, which includes the use of machinery and equipment. If a new piece of equipment is introduced to the workplace, employees should not be allowed to use it without having been trained. Otherwise their health, safety and well-being could be put at risk - something which an employer has a legal duty to protect.

Alongside training, it is vital that employers carry out regular risk assessments. This allows the risks and hazards of dangerous machinery and equipment to be identified. Solutions to reduce these risks can then be devised and implemented.

Machinery and equipment must also be checked on a frequent basis to ensure it is free from defect. If any faults are found, or if an employee reports a defect, that piece of machinery or equipment must not be used until the problem has been fixed.

Lastly, dangerous machinery and equipment will often be used in conjunction with personal protective equipment (PPE), such as protective goggles or clothing. If PPE is needed, it is an employer's obligations to provide it (free of defect).

Dangerous Machinery and Equipment - Employer's Responsibilities.

Therefore an employer has a variety of responsibilities regarding dangerous machinery and equipment in the workplace. These can be summarised as follows:-

* To provide training;

* To provide personal protective equipment;

* To carry out risk assessments;

* To implement findings of risks assessments;

* To carry out checks on machinery and equipment;

* To prevent defective machinery and equipment being used;

If an employer neglects to adhere to these responsibilities, they will have breach their legal duty to protect their staff. If an employee is subsequently injured, he/she will be in a position to make a work accident claim.

Visit Work Accident Solicitors if you have been Injured At Work. Read more about Work Accident Claims to discover everything you need to know about making a claim.

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