What are the responsibilities of your employer? Falling objects are responsible for many accidents at work.
Your employer’s primary responsibility is to take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent the fall of any object. If that is not practical, then the company must take suitable steps to prevent any person from being struck by a falling object.
Employers are specifically prevented from throwing or tipping any objects likely to cause personal injury.
Materials and objects should be stored in such away so that the risk of personal injury is prevented from the collapse or even unintended movement of objects that are likely to cause injury.
Employers must make sure that head protection is worn unless there is no anticipated risk of personal injury.
Those who are in control of workers have a responsibility to make sure that hard hat zones are designated especially at construction or building sites. Rules must be set up for the wearing of hard hats.
You therefore have a right to expect your employer to protect you properly from risks of being injured by falling objects.
Work places such as construction sites and warehouses have the bigger risks of falling object accidents but injuries from these types of accidents can happen anywhere.
Sometimes, falling objects may cause injury in poorly maintained buildings. For example, falling objects may be ejected unexpectedly from the ceiling, the walls, shelves or machinery.
The common injuries caused by falling objects
• Brain injury- a blow to the head by a falling object can cause serious damage to the brain and sometimes permanent disability. The seriousness of the injury will depend on the height from which the object fell not necessarily the size of the object.
• Facial injuries
• Head injuries
• Back injuries.
If you have suffered injuries in an
accident at work due to a falling object, you should seek advice from specialist personal injury solicitors who have experience of conducting these kinds of cases to improve your chances of success and to get maximum compensation.
Asiimwe Balinda
Personal injury solicitor