When you are operating machinery at work, it is the responsibility of your employer to ensure that you have had all necessary training and all health and safety procedures are followed correctly. When an employer cuts corners and ignores training regulations, an accident at work can be waiting to happen. This was the case for one man who came to see Bartletts specialist personal injury solicitors in Chester.
The 40-year-old man worked in a factory making products for a food company. He was working on a machine which is used to cook products along with another operator. When his colleague went on his break, the man continued working but a fault meant that the machine stopped dispensing products.
A supervisor came to check the machinery and diagnosed a blockage and ordered the operator to strip down the machine. However, the operator had not been trained to do this task while the machine was still running. The supervisor explained the process and loosened a bolt on the machine with his spanner, causing hot, pressurised product from the machine to come shooting out of the machine.
The food product, which was at a temperature of 85°C, went all over the back of the operator’s hands and forearms causing him severe burns with blistering, pain and swelling. Luckily, the man was wearing a long coat, a snood to cover his beard, an apron and a helmet with a visor, which protected his face and body. The man was taken to hospital where his burns were treated with cold wraps and was administered pain relief.
When the man came to see our expert personal injury solicitors in Chester, he had been left with significantly scarred skin on his hands and arms. He was also suffering from a reduced sleep pattern due to the pain of the burns and had developed anxiety about similar accidents happening, which made it difficult for him when working around machinery. As our lawyers are always looking to go the extra mile for our clients, we looked into getting a camouflage expert to cover the scarring, but as the scarring was healing well on its own, it was not necessary.
Our solicitors established that the man’s employers were liable for the accident as they provided insufficient training, and successfully claimed against them for compensation for personal injuries.
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