We spend most of our lives at work. Therefore, our desire to have comfortable and safe working conditions is absolutely natural. But even in perfect workplaces, occupational accidents cannot be avoided entirely because of human error or machine breakdowns.
A prerequisite for most employers, according to the Employers’ Liability
(Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 is the existence of liability insurance for work-related injuries and illnesses.
Therefore, if you have an accident at work or are diagnosed with an occupational disease, you are entitled to claim fair compensation.
What is an occupational injury?
Basically, any injury you experience at work can be classified as an occupational injury.
From the moment you came to your place of work and marked your arrival by signing in or using an electronic pass and until the moment you leave, your employer is responsible for your life and safety. And this applies to every stage of your working day, including meal and rest breaks. Even situations such as a fall caused by a chair in the break room breaking beneath you, or a burn injury sustained in the company canteen, or injuries deliberately or unintentionally caused by a work colleague will be treated as a work-related injury.
What should I do if I have an accident?
Suppose the injury is severe, or you are not sure of its seriousness. In that case, the apparent priority will be to seek immediate medical attention. If you are surrounded by co-workers, ask them to call emergency number 112 and report the incident. It is much worse if there is no one around, well, then nature itself will tell you - Shout, and shout out loud!
If the incident did not affect your mobility and your company has a medical room, you urgently need to go there as soon as possible. Once you have received first aid, make sure that your accident is recorded in the incident logbook. To do this, inform your manager or other supervisors about the incident and ensure that all the facts and circumstances you have stated are recorded.
Is it time to make a compensation claim?
The decision to file a compensation claim is purely your decision when making which it is essential to consider:
- The seriousness of the injuries or Severity of injury
- Loss of ability to work or loss of performance
- Unexpected or unforeseen financial loss
- Changes in your usual way of life and giving up a hobby
- Psychological problems
The law provides for a period of 3 years from the date of the accident, during which you have the right to file a claim for compensation for your physical or financial loss. It is important to remember that you can only claim compensation if there are medically documented facts. Do not self-medicate!
What about your employer?
Any employer is careful about the statistics of injuries in the company. And the fact that an employee has been injured at work will most likely make him upset. After all, usually, after serious accidents at enterprises, in addition to the compilation of mandatory acts and reports, inspections are carried out by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
In connection with such a prospect and in order to prevent negative consequences for themselves, the employer can offer you his own "program" for solving the current situation. Basically, its main point is the promise of career growth in exchange for your consent to solve the problem by agreeing. But by doing this, you run the risk of being cheated and losing your chance or opportunity to receive fair compensation in the future. Do not enter into negotiations! Seek professional advice and understand that it is your health we are talking about! Voicing your concerns, in addition to the obvious benefits to you, will help to correct the deficiencies in your work processes and prevent the possibility of reoccurrence.
I will probably be fired from my job...
It is against the law to fire an employee for exercising his or her right to compensation!
Tricky methods of "layoffs" when you work through an employment agency, of course exist. You are simply informed that the enterprise where you worked no longer requires as many workers as it used to, and you are "surprised" to find yourself among those who are not required.
If, on the other hand, you work directly, under contract, there is no legal way of firing you for exercising your right to compensation.
Thoughts of Dmitri Malyshev
