August 19, 2009
Flawed Bath Panel Forced Day Care Employee to Go for Physiotherapy Sessions
A worker at a day care centre for Alzheimer’s and Dementia was forced into visiting a physiotherapist after she suffered injuries at her workplace due to defective equipment.
At the time of the accident the employee, a care giver, was bathing an inmate. When she was helping the patient to get out of the bath, the bath seat got trapped in a broken panel and its jolt caused serious injuries to the care assistant. The accident forced her to miss work for the next 12 weeks.
Since the accident was caused by broken equipment, she contacted her union, the GMB. The GMB asked Thompsons Solicitors to claim compensation from the employers, the Leeds City Council, which settled for an out of court agreement and paid £4,000 as damages to the injured worker.
To avoid any such incidents in the future, the council also changed the type of baths used. However, Tim Roache from the GMB said the council should have taken this action long back. He said it was their duty to ensure the safety of their employees.
Thompsons Solicitors also agreed with the GMB. Their representative said the injury suffered by the claimant was serious and such injuries were usually caused by car accidents. They maintained that the accident would not have happened, if equipments been maintained properly. For advice on the needs of a particular organisation – click NEBOSH Certificate – for courses to help Management manage safety and learn how to promote a positive health and safety attitude in the workplace.
