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Safety at Work News

Working from height remains to be the biggest cause of fatalities and major injuries in the workplace each year

Working at Height means that you are:

·         Working above ground level

·         Could fall from an edge or through a fragile surface or opening

·         Could fall from ground level into an opening, such as basements and manholes

Safety at Work News

Workplace Accidents

A total of 144 workplace accidents resulted in fatalities in 2018 as recorded by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) with 35 of these accidents being caused by falling from heights.

Under the Health and Safety at Work act (1974) and the Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations

(1999) employers have a legal obligation to keep you safe at work and should do everything they can to ensure

Your well-being, However accidents at work do happen, and they can have life changing consequences.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Britain’s National regulator for workplace Health and Safety, published its latest figures which suggest that the most severe accidents happen to those working at heights – such as construction workers, window cleaners, architects and warehouse operatives.

With sanctions put in place, such as the Work at Height Regulations 2005/07 to protect those working from height, Workers should be confident that they can go about their daily jobs without worrying about their safety, however many employees often don’t receive vital training or aren’t provided with adequate safety equipment, such as harnesses or secure platforms to work from putting employees in danger of tragic accidents. Employers have a duty of care to their employees to ensure that risk assessments are carried out prior to you having to work from height, whether it’s working on the roof of a building to using a stepladder to get something from a high shelf at work. Both you and your employer should be satisfied that you are competent to work from height before expecting you to undertake work and you have the right to refuse to undertake work that you think is unsafe.

Falling From a Height

Falling from a height can be extremely frightening and may have life changing consequences, affecting both your physical and mental health. It can have a huge impact on both your own, and on your family’s wellbeing. If you or a member of your family have been injured from a fall from height in the workplace in the past three years, Acclaim legal services can help, our expert personal injury lawyers, have over 30 years’ experience, and can get you the compensation that you deserve, whether it’s to cover costs for medical care and support, loss of earnings, necessary adaptations to the home, or towards funeral costs.

Call Acclaim Legal Services

Call one of our friendly legal experts today on 01244956434 or email info@acclaimls.co.uk for informal advice about your case. All cases will be treated confidentially.

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Hit and Run Accidents

Hit and Run Accident

There has been an increase of reports in both Flintshire and Cheshire news recently about ‘hit and run’ collisions, with these accidents having devastating consequences for victims and their families.

Shockingly a pensioner in Chester was assaulted last week, when he stopped to take photos of collision that he had witnessed. The driver of one of the vehicles ran over towards the 69 year old man violently pushing him to the ground, causing the good Samaritan; who had tried to take photos of the cars in case they would be needed as evidence, to sustain bruising to his chest and grazes to his knees. The driver then got back in his car and left the scene of the crash.

Cheshire Police are appealing for anyone who may have any information regarding the incident which took place on Queens Road, Vicars Cross, Chester at 5.40pm on Tuesday November 20th.

Cheshire Police are also urging witnesses, or for anyone who may have any information, about a hit and run in Elton on Saturday, November 24th, where a collision between a black Mercedes Estate and a red Range Rover in Meadowview.  Tragically the 37 year old female passenger of the Mercedes died following the accident, and the 56 year old driver of the Range Rover sustained minor injuries. The driver of the black Mercedes Estate is believed to have fled the scene before the emergency services arrived (arrived at the scene around 8.42 pm)

Hit & Run Accident Compensation Claims

Hit and run accidents are when the motorist that has caused the accident, leaves the scene without stopping, or failing to give insurance details. Hit and run accidents make up 12% of accidents reported to police, which is about 17,000 incidents per year. These may involve collisions with other motorists, or with pedestrians and often have devastating consequences.

It is against the law to leave the scene of an accident without swapping details first, but research from the Department of Criminology at Leicester University has found that are many reasons people leave the scene of an accident without giving details, These include having no insurance, being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or having knowingly broken the speed limit. The main reason older drivers give for being involved in a hit and run , is being unaware that it is a crime to leave the scene, (especially if they didn’t think significant damage was caused), and others stating that they were unaware there had been an accident ( often the case for hit and run accidents caused by HGV drivers)

Being involved in accident can already be both physically and emotionally distressing to victims and their families, without the added turmoil of being in an accident where the driver leaves the scene -without showing any concern for those they have hurt. Further anguish is caused because victims often don’t know that they can still pursue compensation without having the guilty driver’s insurance details to make a claim to.

Call Us for a Confidential Chat About Your Claim

If you or a loved one have been involved in a hit and run accident in the past three years call Acclaim Legal Services today on 01244 956434 or email info@acclaimls.co.uk for a confidential, informal chat about your claim. Their expert team of sympathetic solicitors understand how vulnerable and worried you might be feeling, and will look after every aspect of your claim, supporting you both practically and professionally, whether you are claiming for damages to your car, for loss of earnings as a result of your accident, for medical care and transport costs or adaptations to your home as a result of the accident or are preparing for a future without a loved one.

Specialist Road Traffic Accident Team

The specialist road traffic accident team at Acclaim Legal Services have handled thousands of hit and run cases and with over 30 years of experience they will endeavour to get you the maximum compensation that you deserve.

Uninsured Drivers
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Uninsured Drivers

Last week (12-18th November saw police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland back campaign ‘Operation Drive Insured’ Where they targeted uninsured drivers, removing them from the road in order to protect law-abiding drivers, motorcycle riders, cyclists and pedestrians.

Although it is a legal requirement, Churchill insurance believes that there are over 1 million uninsured drivers taking to the road in the United Kingdom, with the Motor insurance Database (MID) receiving 11,000 claims a year from victims involved in collisions with uninsured drivers, and tragically a large proportion of these victims suffer from life changing injuries.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau was set up in 1946 in order to provide compensation for those affected by accidents caused by uninsured and untraced drivers, this is funded by the law abiding insured driver’s premiums (at an estimated £30 a year) The Motor Insurers’ Bureau set up the ‘Operation Drive Insured’ campaign to help catch those who put other road users at risk.

35 police forces who backed the campaign used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify and stop drivers that they believe to be uninsured, allowing them to carry out relevant checks on the drivers’ insurance and could also check if they had been involved in any other road traffic offences.

In North Wales alone over 1000 cars have been seized by the Police so far this year, helped by campaigns such as ‘Operation Drive Insured’ which sees those found driving without insurance facing a range of possible actions, including penalties such as:- six points on their license, a £300 fine, having their vehicle seized  and possible court prosecution.

It is believed that uninsured drivers are more of a threat to road users because they are often involved in other criminal activities such as not being qualified to drive or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, with the statistics proving that uninsured drivers cause a high number of collisions each year.

It’s distressing enough being involved in a road traffic accident that’s not your fault, without the added upset of being hit by an uninsured or untraced driver, and it can often leave you not knowing what to do next. If you have been involved in or affected by an accident caused by an uninsured or untraced driver (such as a hit and run)  Acclaim Legal Services can help, with over 30 years’ experience , their trained  personal injury experts will support you every step of the way, getting you the compensation that you deserve.

Uninsured Driver Claims

For more information on uninsured driver claims call Acclaim Legal Services today on 01244 956434 or email us on info@acclaimls.co.uk

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November is COPD Awareness Month

What is COPD?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a group of lung conditions which cause narrowing of the airways making it difficult to breathe, symptoms of this debilitating disease can affect all aspects of everyday life, causing both worrying effects on health and financial burden to sufferers and their families. COPD is a progressive condition, and at present there is no known cure. Already affecting a staggering 1.2 million people in the UK alone, with millions more believed to have it unknowingly, COPD is a growing concern.

The British Lung Foundation has created a simple test for those who think they may be suffering from a lung condition, which can be found at breathtest.blf.org.uk

What causes COPD? The main causes of COPD are tobacco smoke, exposure to air pollution and family history. People suffering from respiratory conditions such as pneumonia, asbestosis or pleural mesothelioma also have a higher chance of suffering from COPD.

What is Asbestosis?

Asbestosis is caused from exposure to Asbestos, which is a highly dangerous substance, mostly used in the building trade. The UK government began to acknowledge the connection between asbestos and lung conditions in the latter half of the 20th century and began putting laws in place to ban the use of Asbestos – unfortunately for many of those working directly with asbestos, such as construction workers, factory workers, mechanics and ship builders, and many dealing with asbestos indirectly, Including family members in charge of washing uniforms of those working with asbestos, or people living near asbestos factories, the damage had already been done.

Call One Of Our Specialist Lawyers Today

If you or a loved one is suffering from a lung condition caused by exposure to Asbestos in the workplace, or if a family member has passed away due to an asbestos related illness, call one of our specialist lawyers today on 01244 956434 or email info@acclaimls.co.uk for an informal, confidential chat about your case. Our experts have a wealth of experience in handling asbestos claims cases and will endeavour to get you the compensation that you deserve.