Published in Truckstop News - October 2008.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors considers “LIFTING AND MANUAL HANDLING TASKS”.

Many truckers suffer with back pain caused by various factors, including the requirement to lift objects and perform general manual handling tasks.  The term “manual handling” is used to describe a wide variety of jobs, including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, moving and holding or restraining an object, animal or person.  It also covers activities that require the use of force, for example pulling a lever or operating power tools.

HSE records suggest that over 30% of all work accidents involve manual handling issues, with an estimated 300,000 people each year suffering the agonies of back pain.

Published in Truckstop News - August 2008.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors considers the “DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH FORKLIFT TRUCKS”.

The Health and Safety Executive estimates that each year there are around 8,000 forklift truck (”FLT”) accidents resulting in injury, about 10 of which are fatal.  Inadequate training appears to be a significant cause of these accidents, but other issues such as operator error, unsuitable premises, poor layout and design of the FLT operating areas, and poor maintenance are also contributory factors.

Published in Truckstop News - July 2008.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors considers the “HAZARDS INVOLVED WHEN LOADING AND UNLOADING LORRIES”.

Recent evidence suggests that each year around 60 workers are killed and 5,000 seriously injured while working in haulage and distribution.  A further 23,000 sustain injuries severe enough to keep them off work for several days.

Many of these injuries are due to accidents during the loading and unloading process, often caused by:-

Insurers for employers are recommending more staff training as part of a safety campaign to help prevent transport accidents in the workplace.

Figures provided by the Health and Safety Executive indicate that one quarter of all workplace transport incidents involve forklift trucks, and it is felt that additional training could help prevent a work accident from occurring.  In the event of an accident, if injuries are sustained, this could result in claims for personal injury compensation.

In the workplace forklift trucks can be particularly dangerous and can result in accidents involving workers being struck or run over, or being hit by something that has fallen from the vehicle.  Other accidents can happen when workers themselves fall from the vehicle, or when it is overturned.

Published in Truckstop News - May 2008.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors considers the measures in place to prevent “ACCIDENTS THAT HAPPEN WHEN WORKING AT A HEIGHT”.

Falls from a height account for the majority of workplace accidents resulting in fatality or serious injury.  To combat this the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (amended 2007) were brought into force, placing more detailed and stringent requirements on employers and others who control work that is undertaken at a height.

The Regulations apply to all work at height where there is a risk of injury from falling, and also cover instances where an injury is caused by falling objects.  No minimum height is set; there simply has to be a risk of injury from falling.  Therefore the Regulations apply at ground level or even underground, if the accident was as a result of falling a distance likely to cause injury.

Published in Truckstop News - April 2008.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors considers employers duty to minimise the risk of “ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE WORK EQUIPMENT”.  

Accidents and injuries at work are often caused by defective or faulty work equipment.  The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 apply to all work equipment.  If the employer has breached the duty to provide a safe working environment and/or a safe system of work and as a result the employee has suffered injury, the employer may be liable to pay compensation to the employee for his or her injuries and any financial losses, such as reduced earnings.

Published in Truckstop News - March 2008.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors considers the causes and consequences of “TRIPPING AND FALLING ACCIDENTS AT WORK”.   

Approximately 37% of all major accidents in the workplace are caused by slipping and tripping.  Of those, 95% result in broken bones or dislocated limbs.  A slip or trip could lead to even more serious consequences, such as falling from a height or colliding with a motor vehicle, and the possibility of falling into a machine or into a container of hot liquid or acid hardly bears thinking about.

Published in Truckstop News - January 2008.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors discusses the topic of “ACCIDENTS ON THE ROAD” 

At this time of the year travelling on the UK’s roadways can be a dangerous challenge, especially when you have to cope with icy road conditions, bad weather and increased congestion caused by holiday traffic, not to mention the inconsiderate and downright reckless behaviour of drivers who may have been drinking at a party, distracted by a phone call or simply with their minds on other things, such as 11^th hour Christmas shopping.

It is a shocking fact that around 10,000 accidents occur on the roads every day, which results in approximately 300,000 injuries each year.  Roads are therefore very dangerous places to be.

Published in Truckstop News - November 2007.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors deals with the problem of “FALLING OFF THE BACK OF A LORRY”. 

“Falling off the back of a lorry” conjures up images of cartoon antics and shady dealings, but anyone who has suffered this type of accident takes the matter very seriously indeed.  Accidents can be caused by - a defect with the lorry or trailer - the means of getting on/off the lorry or trailer - difficulties with the load.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to Everest Ltd, after workers were repeatedly put at risk of falling while working at height.

The HSE inspected properties where roof refurbishment was being carried out by the company.  Its employees were working on mobile scaffolds and platforms without having suitable protection to prevent them from falling.  There was a lack of handrails and parts of the equipment were not properly set up.

At a hearing in the Luton Magistrates Court, the company pleaded guilty to breaching Health and Safety Law, including the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and was fined £6,000.  The company was also required to pay almost £16,000 in legal costs

In 2007 over half of the workers who died on construction sites were engaged in refurbishment work, with the number of fatal accidents increasing by 61%.  Also during that year working at height was a factor in the deaths of 23 construction workers.