Simple Training Would Have Avoided Accident
The mother of Yorkshire lightweight boxing champ John Ibbotson has been awarded £2000 in an out-of-court settlement from her employer Sheffield-based Domnick Hunter Technologies Ltd following an unpleasant work accident.
According to Yvonne Ibbotson, aged 41, she had been instructed to move several heavy boxes while working at the company two years ago. As a result of incorrectly picking up the boxes she strained muscles in her arm and shoulder.
Because of the muscle strains she missed two weeks of work as well as suffering considerable pain and discomfort. Yvonne also says that after two years this seemingly minor accident still causes considerable distress.
She claimed that if she had been given the correct equipment or even basic training she would have known how too correctly lift the boxes without causing herself injury. She also pointed out that at 22kg each the boxes exceeded the official Health and Safety Executive guidelines.
She also says that she considers that the injuries were entirely preventable and there should never need to be situations where people are requested by management to lift objects that are heavier than they are capable of moving.
Her legal representative said that Yvonne wanted other employees in Sheffield to know that they are not be required to list items of excessive weight just because they are instructed to do so by management. She went on to say she was happy to receive the money as compensation but would rather have not suffered the injury which has plagued continuously since the event.
It is essential that employers do not request workers to perform tasks for which they have not been trained or that exceed official health and safety guidelines. Contact Workplace Law for full IOSHtraining to bring both management and staff up to date with government safety regulations.