24th April 2009
Communication Lapse on Employer’s Part Leads to Workplace Mishap
Camas UK Ltd., a company involved in a workplace injury to an engineer due to communication failure, has accepted its responsibility for the accident and the two parties have arrived at an out-of-court settlement in which the firm paid £6,000 in compensation for the accident.
Mr. Lacey, an employee with the company, was given the task of replacing the face plates of the company’s machinery. The standard procedure for applying the face plates was to spread glue all around the boundary of the plate, which meant that full strength had to be applied when pulling the pads off with a crowbar. However, this practice was changed and glue was only used at top and bottom of the plate. The change in the practice was not brought to the notice of Mr. Lacey, and when he was trying to crowbar the pad off, the magnet fell from its place onto his thumb and fractured his thumb in two places.
However, payment of compensation does not exonerate Camas UK Ltd. from its moral responsibility according to Andy Worth, a member of Mr. Lacey’s union. He pointed out the negligence of the firm in not forewarning Mr. Lacey about the introduction of the new practice, saying that it cannot be justified. He said that it was unfortunate that efficient communication channels for informing the employees about the change in working procedures were not established, otherwise, the accident would not have occurred.
A similar opinion was also expressed by Laura Hadfield, working with Thompsons Solicitors, who commented that there is a legal duty of care upon employers to keep the working atmosphere safe for employees. This duty also includes informing employees about new working practices. She said that it was tragic to see how a minor communication gap can cause such extreme suffering to the employee.
Keep your staff up-todate with health and safety courses with regular training, such as fire risk assessment courses from Workplace Law. Well trained staff improve your health and safety culture and prevent accidents like this happen in the workplace.
