Hurt myself at work...

rancid-a

Hello everyone

I hurt myself at work a few nights back (Thurs 11th) I'm so annoyed about it and don't know what to do. I don't know if it's my own stupid fault.

Whilst working on my machine in the food production hall, I was walking over an empty pallet to get to a supervisor to hand a form in. I didn't see that this pallet was broken, (missing planks) because there was a sheet of pallet paper laid out on it (hygiene purpose). If I remember rightly, the pallet was left there by the machine operator on the line next to me - for my use later. Anyway, my foot went through the gap in the pallet and I fell over, banging my knee. I got up, rubbed myself down a bit and got on with everything, just feeling a bit raw on the legs but trying not to show my embarrassment, thankfully I don't think many people seen.

I was okay until I tried getting out of bed on the Friday afternoon. I couldn't bend my left leg properly without a sharp hot pain.

At work on Monday night, I grabbed my friend who is a first aider & we filled an accident form in. I've worked all week and hated it, I somehow managed to get all the the jobs that were difficult to do. Whilst walking isn't a problem. getting up/downstairs is painful, as is just picking things up off the floor.

Mum said get compensation but they might fire you (thanks Mum)
Shall I go to the Doctor? what if he gave me a sick note? I've never had sick pay before, if it's like Job Seekers Allowance, I can't afford to have it. Shall I just get on with it, the pain might disappear.....It's sore now actually and I'm only sat typing It feels hot, throbbing a bit.

Savvy_Sue

We do not know what is wrong with your leg.

No-one on the internet can tell you what is wrong with your leg.

You need to get it looked at.

If there is a walk-in or minor injuries clinic in your area, that's where you need to go.

Google NHS Direct to find out about that.

dmg24

Are you supposed to walk on the pallets? If so, was it reasonable for the employer/ anybody to know that it was broken, and did anybody take steps to minimise the risk to others?

rancid-a

Yes, Sue I guess going to the doctors should have been a priority. I'll make an appointment on Monday.

@ dmg24. I don't think there's any hard rules about walking on/ over pallets on the floor. It was in my way. There was and usually is little room mannovre with various other pallets, stock & machinery in the way. I do know there are various notices on the wall around the factory saying that broken pallets aren't allowed to come from warehouse into production area, but I think the reason behind that is that goods on damaged pallets will only be brought back to re-palleted. Thinking about the risk thing, Maybe that pallet shouldn't have been put there by the other machine operator?

Horace

Why havent you been to your local casualty dept?

Ideally you should have entered the accident into the book at the time rather than waiting for a few days because if you do decide to take them to court then your employer could claim that you hurt yourself at home.

If I were you I would speak to the Health & Safety officer to see what he/she thinks about broken pallets being left where people can walk on them.

geri1965_2

Employers have a duty under regulation 12 (3) of the Workplace (Health Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992 to ensure that

So far as is reasonably practicable, every floor in a workplace and the surface of every traffic route in a workplace shall be kept free from obstructions and from any article or substance which may cause a person to slip, trip or fall.

In simple terms, the pallet represented a tripping hazard and shouldn't have been there.

In the short term you need to see a doctor and get some treatment - your sick pay will depend on the terms of your contract.

In terms of compensation, you have three years to make a claim so there is no need to rush into anything now.

SomeBozo

In simple terms, the pallet represented a tripping hazard and shouldn't have been there.

I don't think this is a valid argument considering the environment the OP is in, for example the OP said :

There was and usually is little room mannovre with various other pallets, stock & machinery in the way.

So it sounds like the factory is consistently awash with bits of equipment and hence common sense probably applied not to walk on pallets rather than H&S legislation.

Bozo

hundredk

geri1965 wrote: »

In simple terms, the pallet represented a tripping hazard and shouldn't have been there.

Legal speak. OP said it was left there "for my use later" and was aware it was there, otherwise why walk over it.

I wonder if the section completed in the accident form describing the incident started with "if I remember rightly"

geri1965_2

SomeBozo wrote: »

So it sounds like the factory is consistently awash with bits of equipment and hence common sense probably applied not to walk on pallets rather than H&S legislation.

That is no defence - those items shouldn't be there, there should be clearly defined and clear walkways.

There may be arguments of contributory negligence but primary liability will still attach to the employers for allowing tripping hazards to go unremoved.

In any event if the pallet is broken it is defective work equipment, for whcih there is strict liability.

Pssst

It is reasonable for the pallet to be on the floor and the op admits he deliberately walked over it. The pallet is not designed to support the point weight of a human body concentrated on the surface area of the human foot. Anything placed on the floor could be a slip,trip fall hazard. Whether there is negligence depends on whether it is reasonable for that object to be where it is.

sillyvixen

surely it is the employees responsibilty to make sure they walk around the pallet and not over it!