We are personal injury solicitors specialising in claiming compensation for clients injured by defective work equipment. Stephen Morse has experience with these types of injuries, and introduces our services in this short video.

Read more about defective work equipment injuries below, or use our free legal advice service opposite to ask us a question or to get started making a claim.

Accidents Caused By Defective and Faulty Work Equipment

Work equipment is defined as any equipment used by employees in the course of their work. The last HSE survey in 1996 found that over 100,000 workers a year were injured as a result of defective equipment in the workplace. Other studies indicate a much higher number of injuries occur as a direct or indirect result of defective equipment. Though the range of potentially dangerous work equipment that employees come into contact with is extremely wide (from a kettle to a crane), defective work equipment injuries are known to especially affect more heavily industralized sectors such as construction and factory production line. Much of the equipment used in these industries is automated, which increases the risk of injury, as an increased number of factors can go wrong.

Definitions Of Work Equipment

The performance of every job requires the use of equipment, and the range of workplace injuries that can occur as a result of defective equipment or machinery is similarly broad. Equipment can refer to a piece of machinery, an appliance, an apparatus, a tool or an installation. The processes involved in the use of such equipment is what causes injuries, including starting, stopping, repairing, maintaining, cleaning and servicing of equipment, as well as the programming of automated or computerised procedures.

Typical Causes Of Defective Work Equipment Injuries

The causes of defective work equipment injuries vary from industry to industry. In the construction industry common causes of accidents are due to faulty ladders and defective scaffolding that collapse, hand and finger injuries due to a lack of quality protective guards, and accidents from poorly maintained tools and defective machinery. Collapsing work platforms or any type of faulty safety equipment such as harnesses can lead to falls from height resulting in permanent injury or death. Broken tools can result in injuries. Faulty or poorly designed tools can cause repetitive strain injury. Weakened hammers, worn screwdrivers, defective spanners, blunt knives, saws, and scissors are known to be particularly dangerous tools that cause accidents if not regularly maintained. Defective work equipment can however include seemingly innocent apparatus such as a desk or computer that is badly positioned, subjecting the body to dangerous stress and strain. Faulty electrical appliances, from a defective power tool down to a humble kettle can lead to electric shocks and burns, potentially resulting in severe injury.

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Injuries Resulting From Defective Work Equipment Accidents

Defective equipment injuries often involve fractures to the wrists, arms or legs caused by a fall from height. An absence of suitable protective guards on tools or pieces of machinery can lead to crush injuries and amputations. Contact with sharp edges and surfaces with extremes of temperature can cause abrasions, lacerations and burns. Defective equipment can also cause injuries where the body is struck by the material being worked on, or by a part of the actual machine.

Employers Must Take Steps To Prevent Accidents At Work

Your employer has a duty of care to prevent you from sustaining a work related injury as a result of defective work equipment. Your employer must provide safe and suitable work equipment, that is regularly inspected, tested and maintained. Your employer should also ensure that you are adequately trained in methods of use, potential risks and corresponding precautions. Environmental factors that relate to the use of equipment, such as lighting and ventilation must also be considered. Your employer's duties are governed by a number of workplace regulations and in particular:

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. (PUWER)

Defective Work Equipment Injury Claims And Compensation Awards

A claim for compensation for a defective work equipment injury will not need to prove that the employer had prior knowledge of the defect. The Employer’s Liability (Defective Equipment) Act 1969 introduced this presumption of employer's liability in any case of defective equipment injury. You will still need to prove that the defectiveness of the work equipment caused your injury. Consultants or engineers may be required to test equipment and provide expert technical testimony. Bartletts Solicitors are specialists in the field of defective equipment injury claims, and work on a no win no fee arrangement meaning if you win your case your employer's insurance company will pay all of your legal fees.