Leicester City Council Pays For Ill-Maintained Workplace
Leicester City Council recently accepted its responsibility for not properly assessing risk at workplace, which resulted in a severe back injury to an employee in October 2007. The victim, Sharon Kerry, worked as a hostel duty officer in the council and she was trying to put money into a safe placed on the floor when she strained her back. The accident worsened her existing back problem due to which she might have to be operated upon.
As the safe was positioned on the floor, one had to bend or kneel down to access it. The improper position of the safe had been brought to the notice of the council many times before this accident, but the council had always refused to take the matter seriously and act upon it.
After the accident, Sharon registered a formal complaint with her union, the GMB, which asked its lawyers Thompsons Solicitors to initiate legal proceedings against the council. However, the council admitted its responsibility for Sharon’s condition and paid her a compensation of 10,250 pounds in an out of court settlement.
Andy Worth of the GMB said that if the employer had assessed the health and safety risks or paid attention to the repeated complaints of the employees, this accident could have been avoided.
Laura Hadfield from Thompson Solicitors said in this regard that back injuries could be both incapacitating and painful. She added that back pain can be caused by anything and hence it is very important to assess risks at workplace to avoid any mishap.
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