A man in his fifties sought legal advice from Oakwood Solicitors regarding an accident at work which injured his back and entitled him to compensation; he made a manual handling injury claim with help from his lawyers in the UK.

51 year old Mr T from Tonbridge in Kent suffered injuries to his back whilst moving a heavy metal sideboard at work. If any employer is not controlling manual handling risks in the workplace they can be legally liable for any injuries sustained by their employees which are directly related to heavy lifting.

Manual handling relates to the moving of items either by lifting lowering carrying pushing or pulling. But it’s not just a case of ‘pulling something’ due to the weight of the item although this can be a cause of injury. Injuries can be caused because of the amount of times you have to pick up or carry an item the distance you are carrying it the height you are picking it up from or putting it down at (picking it up from the floor putting it on a shelf above shoulder level) and any twisting bending stretching or other awkward posture you may get in whilst doing a task.

Manual handling is one of the most common causes of injury at work and causes over a third of all workplace injuries which include work related Musculoskeletal Disorders such as upper and lower limb pain/disorders joint and repetitive strain injuries of various seriousness. Oakwood ensure that every genuine accident at work compensation claim is handled by their specialist team of lawyers in the UK who are skilled at negotiating the maximum compensation.

A back injury can affect a person’s entire day to day life and often result in financial loss as well. Oakwood will pursue compensation for physical emotional and financial damages.

Manual handling injuries occur in nearly all manual labour roles pre-existing injuries and having received no training will all increase the chances that an injury will occur. Work related injuries are very expensive for the employee in terms of their quality of life outside the workplace. Sometimes repetitive strain injuries or back injuries which are picked up in the workplace can prevent the employee from enjoying hobbies which they once loved. Sleep patterns can be disrupted due to the pain that the employee is suffering from an injury which was caused by something as simple as having an incorrectly aligned desk.

It is essential therefore that employers manage the risks to their employees. As an example you should not carry out any manual handling tasks; where manual handling is unavoidable then the risk should be minimised by using equipment such as trollies fork lift truck and other machinery such as conveyor belts to take goods over shorter distances. Wheeled trolleys like those used by delivery men and packing firms should be utilised. In all cases where lifting or pushing of objects is needed risk assessments should be carried out to cover the role which the employee undertakes by a person who is suitably qualified to do the job.

Mr T was awarded compensation. He didn?t have to pay any of the legal costs as Oakwood recover their fees from the third party. If you have had an accident at work which was not your fault and you think you may be entitled to make a compensation claim call lawyers at Oakwood Solicitors in the UK: 0844 499 9302.