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Survey reveals litigation
from slip and trip injuries
is on the increase
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 press release |
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March 2004
Almost two thirds of businesses are facing increasing compensation claims as a result of slips, trips and falls according to the findings of a new survey.
The survey of almost 400 UK companies employing over 400,000 staff, undertaken on behalf of safety footwear specialists Jallatte, revealed that for almost half of those surveyed, slips and trips were the main safety problem they were having to deal with.
And of those who were dealing with slip and trip injuries in the workplace, over 61 per cent said they had witnessed an increase in the levels of people seeking compensation.
Perhaps more worrying for employers is that of those who were seeing an increase in litigation, 55 per cent said the increase was being driven by employees.
“Whilst slips and trips remain a major workplace injury issue, the growing trend for staff to actively seek compensation claims should be a major cause for concern for employers,” said Paul Hamer of Jallatte.
“We are living in a era where we are being bombarded with adverts 24 hours a day seven days a week promoting the compensation culture, and from this survey it would seem these messages are sinking in, making people more inclined to make a claim,” added Mr Hamer.
According to Jallatte, more than ever, health and safety managers need to ensure that they are guarding against the threat of slips, trips and falls by assessing workplace risks, engineering out potential slip and trip hazards and ensuring that staff are supplied with safety footwear designed specifically to protect against hazards specific to the job being undertaken.
Statistics provided by the Health and Safety Executive, reveal that slips and trips are the most common cause of major injuries at work in the UK. Occurring in almost all workplaces, 95% of major slips result in broken bones and are also the initial causes for a range of other accident types such as falls from height.
On average, slips, trips and falls account for 33% of all reported major injuries, 20% of over-3-day injuries to employees, 2 fatalities per year and cost employers £368 million annually.
“If organisations can show that they have properly assessed the workplace risks and worked with leading manufacturers to provide the right type of safety footwear in addition to providing training to increase awareness and understanding of the dangers of slips and trips, then they are going to reduce the impact that slip and trip injuries can have,” added Mr Hamer.
For more information on how Jallatte can help employers select the right safety footwear for their staff, contact 01827 831260.
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Press Relations
Graham Buckley
Mercury Public Relations
Tel 01872 561120
07881 560955
Fax: 01872 561489
e-mail: graham@mercury-pr.co.uk
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, Auda
