Injury at work has been revealed as a huge problem for the leisure and hospitality industry, with a study revealing that 43% of staff have suffered an injury while working at some point in their lives.
The research is being lobbied to urge the management of sport and leisure organisations, such as golf clubs, to adopt better health and safety guidelines. It also identifies that the average worker has had three accidents at work, with at least one of those occurring in the last 12 months.
Commitment to staff
Every employer in every profession has a duty of care to their staff. They are also required to have employer’s liability insurance to cover themselves in the event that one of their employees does suffer an injury while carrying our their duties.
In most instances, accidents at work are avoidable and this is the message that Hayward Baker’s research is trying to promote. They found that 67 per cent of employees form the leisure and hospitality industry claim their working environment to be a health and safety hazard, which of course is extremely concerning.
The most common causes for injury in these professions include slippery floors, manual handling and lifting, falling objects and slippery stairs.
Out of the 43% that have suffered these types of injury, just 14% of people have sought legal advice and on average these claims can cost an employer up to £26,778. This is due to the type of injury risk that is carried from these types of accidents.
A slip on a wet floor may not sound like much but imagine if the person who has fallen is carrying something boiling, like soup of tea & coffee. The end result can have devastating consequences for the victim. Lifting and handling injuries can cause long term damage to a person’s spine, that can be difficult to recover from and falling objects, can cause head fractures depending on how heavy the object is and where it lands.
Suffered an injury at work?
There is no doubt that the fact that 43% of workers within any profession, suffering injury in an accident at work is shockingly high, but what is also concerning is that fact that only 14% of these have gone on to claim compensation for their injuries.
If you have suffered an injury in the work place that stops you from working and affects you physically, psychologically and financially, then you have a right to be compensated. One of the biggest reasons for people not claiming that we have come across, is a fear of repercussions from your employer.
This should not be a concern, as you are well within your right and you cannot be sacked or forced out of work for seeking compensation. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, your employer has a duty of care to you and every one of your colleagues. If they fail to provide the health and safety standards required then quite simply they have failed you.
What to do next?
We have been handling injury at work claims for more than 26 years, winning hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of compensation for our clients. To find out more information about how we can help you, simply visit our injury at work page.
Alternatively, if you have already made your mind up about claiming, you can start your claim today by calling us on 0808 278 2574 or visit our start your claims page.