Some of the more Common Work Accident Claims by Industry

It’s hardly insightful to point out that some industries are more dangerous than others.

Frankly, it’s obvious that a construction site or a quarry carries more intrinsic dangers to human health than an office or an educational institute. As expert personal injury solicitors, the bulk of accident at work claims we represent are from clients in these higher-risk industries. However, this doesn’t mean accidents aren’t a common occurrence in all work environments. To give individuals a sense of the type of workplace accidents that oftentimes require legal redress, we going to outline some of the more common accidents by industry.

Building Site Accident Claims

The building and construction industry is consistently ranked as one of the more dangerous work environments. Year after year injuries in the hundreds are reported to the HSE. In 2020 alone there were over 700 non-fatal building site accidents reported.
From our own experience, representing clients injured while on a building site some of the more common injuries include

- An accident involving a ladder
Classified as a slip, trip or fall it’s generally agreed upon that 30% of falls from height involve a ladder. On a building site, an employee may be injured on a ladder due to the negligence of another employee or due to the failure of the building management company to prove appropriate training or safety equipment.

- Manual Handling Injury Claims
Common in almost all industries but particularly on construction sites, manual handing injuries oftentimes affect the neck back and shoulders. An injury to these areas can leave the injured party in pain for months or even years.

- Personal Injury claims related to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
On a construction site or a building site, employees have a duty of care to provide the appropriate protective equipment to their employees. If an employer has failed to provide PPE purely by negligence or in an effort to save money, they are in breach of health and safety standards.

- Claims Related to Dangerous Machinery
The nature of a construction site means heavy and potentially dangerous equipment will almost always be present. If an employer doesn’t take the proper safety precautions related to dangerous machinery and an employee gets injured, the employee is entitled to seek legal compensation.

- Dangerous Work Practices Or Procedures

It’s the responsibility of the employer to take all reasonable steps to minimise risk. If the employer fails to do so and allows dangerous work practices on their site, they greatly increase the likelihood of an injury and by extension a personal injury claim.

- Being hit by a fallen object
Unfortunately, this is an all too common and potentially devastating accident that can happen on a building site. Injuries to the head can lead to long-term complications and exorbitant medical costs.

- Slip Trip or Workplace fall
As is common on a building site as it is in any work environment, trips, slips or falls can cause serious injuries and can be a symptom of an unsafe working environment.

- Vehicle, Crashes and Collisions
Unique to construction sites will be the number of large vehicles in and around the workplace. Tippers, diggers and forklifts will likely be an ever-present feature of a building project. Employees are free to explore their legal options if they get hit by a vehicle or are involved in an on-site vehicle collision.

Factories & Warehouse Accident Claims

In a 2020 report from FORFÁS, Ireland’s National Policy and Advisory Board for enterprise, it was estimated that over 1.84 million people work in a factory or a warehouse in Ireland. This is a massive portion of the Irish workforce. While certainly accidents in manufacturing plants and factories continue to fall, injures still occur. Some of the more common accidents include:

- Repetitive Stress Injuries
So much factory work requires an individual to remain in one spot performing the same simple task over and over again. Repetitive stress is a person overusing a certain muscle group or if the employee is using equipment that vibrates. An employer must take reasonable steps to help limit the possibility of a repetitive stress injury being inflicted on one of their employees.

- Slips, Trips or falls
A messy work environment or a slippery floor can lead to slips, trips or falls in a factory or warehouse setting. Of this dangerous work environment by a failure of management or due to the negligence of a fellow employee, an injured party is within their rights to begin exploring a compensation claim.

- Machine Related Injuries
Manufacturing plants are usually filled with dangerous equipment that could cause serious harm to an employee. Therefore the employer has a duty of care to make working around this equipment as safe as possible. If an employer fails to do this and an employee is injured, the employer can seek legal redress.

- Exposure to harmful chemicals

Some manufacturing plants use dangerous chemicals in their manufacturing processes. These chemicals need to be handled safely and all necessary PPE must be issued to employees. If an employer fails to take all necessary safety precautions and an employee is injured due to chemical exposure the injured party can look to make a compensation claim.

- Falling Objects
Common in both factories and warehouses, falling objects, be it from an improperly stacked shelf or a vehicle can cause major injuries. We have helped numerous individuals get the compensation they deserve following a workplace accident involving a falling object.

- Vehicle Accidents
A busy factory or warehouse will have quite a few forklifts moving through hallways. There is legislation on who and how a person operates a forklift. This legislation must be enforced by the employer. If an individual is injured in a forklift accident due to a negligent employee or by the failure of the employer to enforce health and safety precautions the employee is within their rights to make a work accident claim.

The above covers some of the more common injuries within some of the industries where more accidents per year are reported. However, accidents not listed above happen every day. No matter the unique circumstances of your workplace accident you may be within your rights to seek compensation for pain and any post-accident medical expenses. If you’ve been involved in a workplace accident, contact our Dublin workplace accident solicitor today.