The Dart Maker Blog

In October 2007, Sharon Kerry, a hostel duty officer with Leicester City Council, injured her back when she was putting some money into a safe at her office. The safe was placed on the floor and workers had to kneel or bend down to open it, which resulted in Sharon’s injury. Sharon is now seriously considering undergoing surgery on her back.

The problems regarding the position of the safe were known to the council, and yet it chose to ignore it. Employees had repeatedly requested the authorities to change the location of the safe but their pleas had always been ignored.

Sharon approached her union, the GMB, after the accident. The GMB immediately instructed its lawyers Thompsons Solicitors to handle the case. However, the council accepted liability for the accident and settled the case out of court by paying a compensation of 10,250 pounds to Sharon.

Andy Worth from the GMB said that the council should have been more careful and conscious regarding the placement of the safe. He was of the opinion that the council should have assessed the risks once it came to know about the problems regarding the safe. He added that if this had been done, Sharon’s injury could have been prevented. He also revealed that Sharon’s condition is so serious that she may have to go under the knife.

Laura Hadfield from Thompsons Solicitors said back injuries among workers are very common and that they can be extremely painful and incapacitating. She pointed out that Sharon’s accident could have been avoided by a simple risk assessment, which would have spelled out the health and safety risks associated with the positioning of the safe.

Companies need to be sure that they are giving the correct instructions to employees with regard to health and safety issues. The consultancy services from Workplace Law Training can assist companies in training staff to be aware of the proper health and safety procedures by identifying and improving upon awareness and attitude, and communication about safety to improve the safety culture within an organisation.