HEALTH AND SAFETY MANUAL

Transcription

1 HEALTH AND SAFETY MANUAL A guide to the role of Health and Safety Representatives and how to deal with injuries in the workplace Unite Legal Services working together with: 1

2 CONTENTS: Foreword... 2 Legal Rights of a Health and Safety Representative... 4 What action should I take in the workplace?... 7 Risk assessments... 9 The law What to do in the event of an Accident How to make a claim What happens when a claim is made? What can you do about Occupational Stress and/or bullying and harassment in the Workplace? Criminal Injuries Compensation Claims / Civil Assault Claims What your Thompsons Branch Contact Representative can do for you Your UNITE solicitors: Useful addresses and publications Appendices: Appendix 1 UNITE membership information Appendix 2 Checklists Appendix 3 Leaflets available from Thompsons Solicitors Appendix 4 Other legal services available for members Appendix 5 South West Serious Injury Unit Appendix 6 South West Clinical Negligence 2

3 Foreword UNITE and Thompsons Solicitors have been working together to produce a comprehensive guide to the role of a Health and Safety Representative and how you should deal with accidents in the workplace. This manual will provide you with information so that you can understand what your legal rights are and the action that you should be taking in the workplace to prevent accidents from happening. It aims to give you an overview of the law and what to do when accidents do happen, guiding you through the information you should collect to help a member to pursue a successful personal injury claim as well as setting out the procedures for obtaining legal help. It is crucial that when accidents happen that these are acted upon and a claim is pursued. One of the best ways of stopping accidents happening in the workplace is pursuing claims against employers. We want to see a proactive approach to accidents in the workplace and an immediate referral to Thompsons Solicitors for legal advice. Every branch has a nominated individual at Thompsons Solicitors who you can turn to for help and advice. There is a time limit of three years to pursue a claim for compensation and you should ensure that you review all accidents that have happened in your workplace over the last three years and actively encourage members to make claims. 3

4 Legal Rights of a Health and Safety Representative The Legal rights of a Health and Safety Representative are governed by: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Safety Representatives & Safety Committees Regulations 1977 Health & Safety Executive's Brown Book (this includes the 1977 Regulations, the Approved Code of Practice and guidance). It is available as a Pdf download from the TUC website. It was updated in March Summary Recognised trade unions have the legal right to appoint workplace Health and Safety representatives The Health and Safety representative has a number of rights. The Health and Safety representative has a legal right to information about accidents and must be given it. The Health and Safety representative has the right to the necessary time off work to perform their duties and for reasonable training for their job (see page 17 of the Brown Book) Safety Representatives & Safety Committees Regulations 1977 Appointing Health and Safety representatives In a workplace where a trade union is recognised a trade union may appoint safety representatives. The employer must be notified in writing by the trade union of the names of the persons and the group(s) of employees they represent. The function of the Health and safety representative A Health and Safety representative has the right to: Investigate o potential hazards o dangerous occurrences o complaints by any employee he/she represents (relating to health, safety or welfare at work) Make representations o regarding above investigations o on general matters relating to health safety or welfare at work Carry out inspections 4

5 Represent union members in consultations at the workplace with inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and of any other enforcing authority Receive information from inspectors Attend meetings of safety committees. Inspections Health and Safety representatives are entitled to inspect the workplace every three months: need to give reasonable notice to employer more frequent inspections can be arranged with employer agreement If an incident/accident occurs the Health and Safety representative may carry out an inspection: when it is safe to do so Must not disturb or destroy any evidence The purpose of investigations is to identify measures to prevent a reoccurrence. Safety representatives are legally entitled to inspect records of accidents that employers have to keep under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. Releasing information The HSE website states: Employers have a responsibility to provide information to all workers that will enable them to participate fully and effectively in any consultation about their health and safety Safety representatives must be given information necessary for them to fulfil their function, for example: Proposed changes to current working practices which may affect the health and safety at work of their employees Technical information about hazards to health and safety and the necessary precautions to stop or minimise them Information on equipment, materials or substances 5

6 The results of any action taken by the employer in the course of checking the effectiveness of their health and safety arrangements. The employer must be given reasonable notice of any request for documents. Safety Committee Where at least two safety representatives request in writing, the employer must establish a safety committee: after consultation; notifying the work force; and not later than three months after the request. For more information on Trade Union Representative Duties and the rights to time off work to carry out union duties and activities please see our e-training page: Facilities and assistance The HSE advises that employers must provide the facilities and any assistance reasonably required for health and safety representatives to carry out their role. This may include access to: a telephone and quiet area where they can have private conversations; a lockable cabinet or desk for paperwork, records or reference material; intranet and internet facilities (if available); a photocopier and a notice board to circulate information to the employees they represent; and time with the employer to discuss health and safety issues. 6

7 What action should I take in the workplace? All Health and Safety Representatives should ensure that they are aware of the accidents which are happening in the workplace. If you have not previously looked at the Accident Book, then you should look at this as soon as possible. You need to be aware of all accidents that have occurred. You should refer injured members on for free legal advice from UNITE s solicitors. For the future, you need to continue to be aware of accidents in the workplace. Make sure that it is the procedure of your employer to inform you about all accidents and to send you a copy of all accident/incident report forms. This can be achieved in a number of ways but examples would include the following; a) You are one of the points of contact in the event of an accident b) The Accident Report form has a box where the injured person agrees for a copy of the form to be sent to you c) You are, or are notified by, the first aider who would be called in the event of an accident The other steps that you can take are: Make sure that your employer has carried out risk assessments Report all complaints about working conditions and relating to any health and safety issue in the workplace to the employer Make sure all accidents are reported (even where member does not wish to make a claim) to the employer Report all near misses to the employer Attend Health and Safety Meetings and obtain and keep copies of all minutes of those meetings In the event of an accident conduct an early and thorough investigation into the cause. This can be as part of your employer s investigation or independently of it. 7

8 If you have health and safety concerns that have caused, or have the potential to cause, significant harm, that have not been resolved after consulting with the employer you can contact the Health and Safety Executive about this by completing the Concerns and Advice form for safety representatives form which is available on the HSE website. Only Trade Union Safety Representative can use this form. This is likely to result in a HSE investigation and should not be used lightly Keep in touch with your Thompsons Branch Contact Representative and inform him/her on a monthly basis of any accidents that have occurred. Make yourself known/introduce yourself to all members and potential new members in your workplace and tell them about your role and how you can help them. Encourage potential members to join UNITE. Members can apply to join UNITE by: o Completing the application form enclosed at appendix 1 o Going online to o Members can also telephone to apply for an application form 8

9 Risk assessments All employers must carry out a risk assessment of the risks to their employees health and safety and of risks to anyone else not employed but who becomes involved in their business. The purpose of this section is to assist you in reviewing or implementing your employer s risk assessments. What is a risk assessment? It identifies any hazards and assesses the risk of harm threatened by the hazard It identifies the likelihood of an incident / accident happening and the severity of potential harm The more likely the risk and the more severe the potential harm, the greater obligation on the employer to act. What is a risk? A measure of the probability of the potential for harm posed by the hazard What is a hazard? An article, substance, machine, installation or situation with the potential to cause harm, such as unguarded machinery or a cluttered work environment. What is harm? This is defined as physical injury, death, ill health, property and equipment damage and any form of associated loss. What is an accident? Unwanted, unexpected, unplanned and unanticipated event which results in harm What is an incident? Unwanted, unexpected, unplanned and unanticipated event which does not result in harm a near miss. 9

10 What else should risk assessments cover? risk assessments should also consider the risks to employees of suffering occupational diseases and from dangerous processes What steps should my employer take? Look for the hazard Decide who might be harmed Evaluate the risks from the hazards and decide if existing precautions are adequate or if more should be done: Decide whether the risk can be avoided completely? Combat risks at source Adapt to technical progression Replace the dangerous by the non-dangerous Give appropriate instructions / training to employees Develop a coherent overall prevention policy Adapt work to the individual employee to reduce risk Record the findings of all risk assessments Review the assessment regularly 10

11 The law This section is intended to provide you with some guidance about the types of claims that could be brought by members when health and safety is breached by the employer. What types of claim could employees bring? Employees can bring either a claim for an accident at work or, alternatively, could bring a claim for an industrial disease which was caused by their work. An accident claim The date on which the member had an accident at work is clear and injury resulted. A disease claim A claim where an employee has gradually begun to suffer from symptoms such as a repetitive strain injury or an asbestos related condition. What time limits apply to claims? Accidents: The three year time limit starts to run from the date on which the member has the accident. Disease The three year time limit starts to run from the date on which the member knew or ought to have known that he or she has a significant injury related to his or her employment. This can often be a complex legal issue legal 'knowledge' can often be earlier than the date when a condition is diagnosed. Generally, the sooner a case is referred to Thompsons the better if there appears to be a disease or condition which may be caused by employment. How will a claim succeed? If there is no legal blame for an accident or condition, then there is no claim. Whether or not there is blame that can be attributed to the employer can be resolved by UNITE s solicitors. Members must prove on the balance of probabilities that the accident or injury was more likely than not to be the fault of their employer in order to succeed. What we need to prove to succeed in a claim 1. That the employer owes a duty of care to an employee 2. That the employer breached the duty of care 11

12 3. That the breach of duty caused the injury 4. That the accident or injury was foreseeable 1. Duty of care It is accepted that an employer owes its employees a duty of care. 2. Breach of duty There are two sources of law that we can use to show that an employer has breached a duty: Common law Statutory law Common law This is based on law that has built up over the years from previous cases. It concerns, amongst others, duties to ensure: A safe place of work Safe plant and equipment A safe system of work Adequate supervision and instruction Competent fellow employees Statutory law the 6 pack There are a number of statutory provisions that regulate employers. The most significant of these regulations are: The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (The Management Regulations) These regulations impose the following obligations: A duty to assess risks to employees A duty to train employees A duty to inform employees A duty on employees to take reasonable care in their work The Manual Handling Operations Regulations (The Manual Handling Regulations) These regulations impose duties to: 12

13 Risk assess all jobs done by employees involving manual handling Avoid manual handling tasks where possible Reduce the risk of injury to an employee through manual handling to the lowest level reasonably practicable if it cannot be avoided altogether The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (The Workplace Regulations) These regulations impose duties to: Ensure that the workplace is safe to include provisions to cover ventilation, reasonable temperature, reasonable conditions of floors, adequacy of workstations and seating arrangements The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (The Work Equipment Regulations) These duties state that: Work equipment must be suitable for use by the employee Work equipment must be inspected and maintained to avoid faults Employees should be trained on the use of work equipment The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (The PPE Regulations) This is a last line of defence! These regulations state: If a dangerous activity cannot be avoided altogether then the employer must put mechanisms and protection in place for the employee to prevent injury, such as eye protection or gloves. The Display Screen Equipment Regulations (The DSE Regulations) These regulations state: That the employer must risk assess the employees work station Employees can suffer ill health from poor work station organisation, working environments, posture and inappropriate working methods The Regulations are supplemented by Approved Codes of Practice and Guidance Published by the HSE. These are available as free downloads on the HSE website. The Coalition Government of removed the right to sue for a breach of statutory duty under the Enterprise Act although the right to sue for negligence remains. Employers' legal obligations to comply with the Regulations remain the same. In a negligence claim the Regulations remain highly relevant as evidence of standards to be kept to. 13

14 3. A link between the breach and the injury If we are able to prove that the employer has breached one of the above common law duties then we must show that this caused the injury. The position is more complex in relation to breach of statutory duties where it is no longer automatically the position that a case will be successful where a breach is proven to have caused the injury. In accident cases, this is more straightforward, i.e. a missing guard causes a severed finger In disease cases this is more difficult and the link generally will need to be dealt with by a medical expert. 4. Foreseeability To succeed in a claim we also need to prove that the employer could have foreseen that the injury could have been caused by action or lack of action: To show this, we look at: Reports of previous accidents / near misses Risk assessments Reports of complaints 14

15 What to do in the event of an Accident 1. Carry out an early and thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and where possible assist the member in completing the accident/incident report form. 2. Ensure that key witnesses (names and addresses) are recorded and kept. Witnesses can be eye witnesses and also witnesses to previous similar accidents and safe working practices. 3. Ensure that the accident is recorded correctly in accident reports. Provide as much information as possible as to what happened. The cause of the accident should be recorded. It is perfectly proper for an opinion to be given as to who or what was to blame for the accident. 4. Locate/retain relevant documents. Examples of relevant documents will be accident report form, risk assessments, RIDDOR form, health and safety minutes, safe system of work documents. 5. Take photographs if necessary to provide evidence of the cause of the accident, location, relevant equipment etc. The employer should not refuse permission for you to do this as this is an important part of the investigation. 6. The Health and Safety Rep should ensure that the member is immediately referred for free legal advice about making a claim for compensation. 7. The Health and Safety Rep should keep all documentation regarding the member s accident as it is likely that this will be requested by the member s legal advisor at a later stage. The Health and Safety Rep is encouraged to contact the member s legal advisor or Thompsons at the outset. Details of all Thompsons personal injury representatives and the branches they cover are provided in this manual. 8. It should be remembered that some accidents occur outside the member s usual place of employment. These accidents should be treated in exactly the same way. A member may suffer an accident whilst not at work. Such accidents should still be referred for free legal advice using the above procedure. 9. For additional information for the various types of accident and the documentation that you should try to collect, refer to Appendix 2. 15

16 How to make a claim - Unite For all accidents that members are involved in, you should encourage members to pursue a claim. This will not only help the injured person to obtain compensation but may also help in persuading your employer to make the workplace safer. Methods of Making A Claim Website then: Select Claim online Complete the Online Form and click submit. Your Member will then be contacted by telephone by a Thompsons team member who will take further details of the accident Press Request A Call Back by telephone Website then: Select Legal services then personal injury claims By Telephone Call Unite free from any landline Call your local Unite Office Call Thompsons free from any landline From your mobile call (charged at local number or free when covered by inclusive minutes) Text CLAIM to (Standard network charges apply) 16

17 What happens when a claim is made? The purpose of this section is to summarise the legal process which Thompsons Solicitors will follow once they have received a claim for an accident or disease on behalf of a member. Please remember that each case is different and that the below is intended only to be a brief outline of the process which would be followed in a typical case. We refer below to cases involving accidents but the process is very similar in disease cases. From 31 July 2013 Employers Liability claims with a potential value of between 1000 and are subject to a new protocol and will be processed via an online portal/website. This means the vast majority of members claims will be dealt with in this way. There are some exceptions which will be discussed with individual members should the need arise. Your member will be contacted by phone on the day the case is received to confirm receipt of their papers and to arrange an appointment to discuss matters over the telephone. We will discuss with the member the circumstances of the accident and the law that will apply to the case. Usually we will be able to give the member a preliminary indication of whether or not we feel they have a good case. Once all the information that is required has been obtained from the member details of the claim will be submitted on a form (known as the Claims Notification Form or the CNF) to the defendant and to the defendant insurers. The form will be sent through a secure website, referred to as the Portal, which has been built in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice. Upon receipt of the Claims Notification Form the defendant or their insurers have a fixed period of time within which they have to return to us with confirmation that liability is admitted in full or that liability is disputed. That period of time is 30 working days if the claim is against an employer. If the defendant or their insurers deny liability or fail to respond within the time limits the claim will leave this process and we will begin to gather evidence. This could include writing to witnesses and trying to obtain any documents relating to the accident, such as the accident report form or any pre-accident risk assessments. A Health and Safety Rep can play a very useful role at this stage in helping to obtain evidence. If the claim leaves the process, for whatever reason, the Defendant then has time to investigate the claim. At the end of approximately 2 months they must confirm whether or not they admit that the accident was their fault. If they do not accept this, then they should provide copies of all documents in their possession which are 17

18 relevant to the case. If they refuse to supply such documents, then in certain circumstances we can apply to Court to try to force them to do so. If the Defendants admit liability following receipt of the CNF the claim will enter Stage 2 of the Portal process. We will obtain medical evidence and once the medical report has been agreed by the member as being factually accurate and full details of their losses are known, a valuation will be given to you for the whole of your claim. This valuation will include compensation for your injuries (pain, suffering and loss of amenity) and also your out of pocket expenses/financial losses. Under the Rules the claimant must make a settlement offer to the defendant. There is no opportunity to allow the defendant to make the first offer. The exact stage when medical evidence is obtained will vary greatly from case to case and depends on a number of factors, for example whether your member s treatment is ongoing. The defendant or their insurers then have 15 working days from the day after we send the documents and the offer to agree to the amount we asked for or to send us a counter-offer. If we receive a counter offer further time periods will apply. We will advise the member once we have received any acceptance of an offer or any counter offer. If no agreement can be reached as to the value of your claim then court proceedings will have to be started. All necessary paperwork will be submitted to the court and a Judge will make a decision as to how much compensation the member should receive. All offers made or received will be not be made known to the judge until after the judgment has been given. This will be a quick process and may well mean that the member will need to attend court. If the Defendant denies liability for the accident, we will review the case. We will advise your member of whether we feel he or she has sufficient prospects of success to recommend starting Court proceedings. At this stage, we will also finish compiling all of our evidence. For example, we may chase a witness who has not replied or try to obtain any missing documents. If at the end of this process, we feel that your member does not have reasonable prospects of success we will advise them not to pursue the matter further. However, if we feel that there are reasonable prospects then, before starting Court proceedings, a document known as the Particulars of Claim will be drawn up. In addition, the medical evidence and the schedule of financial losses should ideally be complete, although if treatment is ongoing, this is not always possible. Once Court proceedings have been started they are served on Defendant. They then have 28 days to provide their Defence to the claim. From then on, cases can take very different paths and it is harder to give any more than the most general guidelines. 18

19 The Court will usually set a timetable for steps to be taken prior to a final hearing. These steps usually include exchange of documents and witness statements and provision for parties to put questions to the medical experts. In higher value cases, the Defendants are often given permission to obtain their own medical evidence. In some cases, a Court will hold a preliminary hearing some months before the date set for the final hearing to see whether there is a chance of settling the case. However, if a case does not settle then it may go to Trial. Your member and any witnesses supporting his or her case will give evidence and can be questioned by the Defendant s barrister. Any witnesses for the other side will give their evidence and be questioned by your member s barrister. In higher value cases, the medical experts will also be present to give evidence. The barristers will then sum up the case and the Judge will decide who has won and, if your member has been successful, will decide how much compensation to award. We hope the above is a useful summary of the process followed in a typical case. Please remember that the exact details will vary from case to case and each individual member will of course be given appropriate advice relating to their own case as it progresses. Fundamental Dishonesty The Coalition Government introduced a limitation on compensation claims. From April 2015 if a claimant is found to be 'fundamentally dishonest' then a Court will dismiss the whole of their claim, even if part or most of it is genuine. Clearly, fraudulent claims should not succeed but this may be widely interpreted by the courts so that it catches injured people who, for example, exaggerate the severity of their injury, perhaps because they are not used to giving precise evidence. This emphasises the need for members to be accurate about both how an injury occurred and the symptoms and losses arising from an injury. 19

20 What can you do about Occupational Stress and/or bullying and harassment in the Workplace? Brendan Barber former General Secretary of the TUC stated that: Excessive workplace stress is easily preventable if employers follow the HSE s management standards, and the key to changing behaviour is a strong regulatory framework supported by support, education and enforcement. As a Health and Safety representative you can help to avoid stress in the workplace by: Refer your employer to the Health and Safety Executive Guidance for Managing Stress in the Workplace. There are extensive materials available to download in the stress section of the HSE website including the Management Standards for stress at work, tools and templates and HSE guidance on Managing The Causes Of Work- Related Stress. Review your employer s stress policies and, if there is no policy in place, work with your employer to implement a policy to protect employees Ensuring that your employer considers the risks to employees by carrying out general risk assessments Encourage your employer to tackle risks at source if there are issues creating stress for employees, try to resolve these with the employer in the first instance Make sure that the employer takes account of the individual some individuals may be more vulnerable to stress so ensure that any risk assessment highlights this. If you suspect that one of your members is suffering particular stress and might be at risk of becoming ill as a result recommend to your member that they ask the employer to carry out an individual risk assessment and implement any measures promptly The employer must remove hazards if possible where it is possible to work collectively to remove problems that are causing stress, aim to do so If the risk remains ensure that your employer controls the risk/ exposure and protects the employee. 20

21 If you cannot avoid stress in the workplace or you are unable to resolve the issues: Encourage members to explain to employers the damage that is being done to their health. If an employer is not on notice to the risk of an employee being at risk of suffering from a recognised psychiatric condition (over and above the usual definition of stress and anxiety) then a claim cannot succeed. Ensure that your member seeks advice and support from their GP and / or Occupational Health Department 21

22 Criminal Injuries Compensation Claims / Civil Assault Claims If your member is assaulted at work then they may be able to claim compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). They may also be able to claim compensation from their employer and against the person who assaulted them but the latter is a claim that would not usually be successful as the assailant may well not have the money to pay compensation and experience has shown that in a claim against an individual even where a Judgment is obtained, compensation is unlikely to be paid. The present scheme is far inferior to the one it replaces and has far more stringent reporting requirements and lower levels of compensation. CICA CLAIM An application form must be submitted within 2 years of the incident. Your member will qualify for compensation if they have been injured as a result of a crime of violence and they satisfy the minimum qualifying criteria which is that the injury that they have suffered qualifies for an award of compensation of 1,000 or more. The new rules say that this scheme no longer covers psychological injuries caused by suicide or attempted suicide (e.g train drivers who witness suicides and suffer temporary anxiety). The incident must also be reported to the police immediately after the assault to avoid the CICA refusing to deal with the claim. CIVIL ASSAULT CLAIM A claim must be brought within 3 years of the incident. A member may be able to pursue a successful claim for compensation if they can prove that the assault was foreseeable and the employer should have taken steps to prevent the assault occurring. Typical claims could be made against employers where assaults have been committed by patients, pupils and other service users in hospitals, schools and care homes etc. It should be noted that compensation cannot be received twice for the same incident/injury but members should be advised in respect of all potential claims 22

23 What your Thompsons Branch Contact Representative can do for you. Every UNITE branch has a specified person at Thompsons Solicitors who has responsibility for our relationship with that branch. This person is known as the Branch Contact Representative (BCR). Each Thompsons BCR will have a number of branches for which they are responsible, often in the same area. If you do not know who your Thompsons BCR is, then please refer to the attached list or please contact us at any time for up to date details. Amongst the matters which your Thompsons BCR can do for you and your branch are as follows: Attend meetings, such as the branch AGM or Health and Safety committee meetings Present talks or training in relation to Health and Safety matters (See also Appendix 3 for leaflets available from Thompsons Solicitors) Ensure that you are provided with information and updates relating to Health and Safety, such as copies of newsletters and Thompsons Health and Safety news (See Appendix 3 for latest newsletter) Ensure that you are aware of any training or workshops on Health and Safety Law arranged by Thompsons and your Union Provide basic advice you on matters of general Health and Safety Law which might be relevant to your branch Keep in regular contact with you to assist with the development of Health and Safety knowledge and awareness within the branch. If there are any matters which you would like to discuss or if you would like to arrange a meeting then please contact your Thompsons BCR. Please note that your Thompsons BCR will not be able to answer queries about individual cases, particularly matters of employment law, which should be referred for advice through the usual processes. Please also note that, whilst your Thompsons BCR will often deal with personal injury, accident and disease cases for members from your branch, this will not always be the case, as some matters will be referred to specialists within Thompsons on particular types of cases. 23

24 BRISTOL OFFICE TELEPHONE LIST Main office number Branch Manager Secretary CDA Cathryn Davies Ella Igbiaye Team Manager PI Team 1 ICS Ian Cross Billy Dawson [email protected] [email protected] Executives RLA Robert Lawton [email protected] DCO David Coulthard Sally Norman [email protected] [email protected] JBR Jacqui Bridges Tracy Cox [email protected] [email protected] BPL Bobbie Tovey [email protected] Team Manager PI Team 2 HSW Helen Williams Kath White [email protected] [email protected] Executives KLB Kirsty Burlow Sally-Ann [email protected] [email protected] SLM Shelly Newman [email protected] MFY Michelle Finlay [email protected] JKI Joanne Atkinson [email protected] DGE Dimuna Gething [email protected] 24

25 SIU & Clin Neg Team Manager LGU Lisa Gunner Executives MMP Madeline Pinschof Christine George KH Kate Weaver Ellie Roberts JRR Paul Rosser Eleanor Stansbury

26 Thompsons Solicitors Plymouth The New Union House, 2 Harbour Avenue, Plymouth, PL4 0BJ DX: 8204 Plymouth Telephone: PI Fax: SAU Fax: Voice conference numbers: / Branch Manager Cathryn Davies: Office Manager Miriam Grazier: PI Team NSY YSG PEL SDO LIH WIS EDU EVE KED JUB ATAP Nicholas Seymour Team Manager/ South West Regional PI Coordinator [email protected] Stephanie Gerdes Secretary to NSY [email protected] Paula Elliott [email protected] Sarah Dowell [email protected] Lisa Pitt [email protected] Shona Wiseman [email protected] Emma Dunn [email protected] Lynn Acford [email protected] Kevin Digby [email protected] Julie Boote [email protected] Alia Taha [email protected] No 26

27 Useful addresses and publications WEBSITES:- The Health and Safety Executive British Standards Thompsons Solicitors TUC BOOKS:- Hazards at Work Organising for Safe and Healthy Workplaces TUC ISBN now also available to buy as a digital book from the TUC website Redgrave s Health and Safety Michael Ford & Jonathan Clark ISBN Munkman on Employers Liability Barry Cotter & Daniel Bennett ISBN Hunters Diseases of Occupation Peter J Baxter and others - ISBN

28 APPENDIX 1 UNITE Membership Membership forms come in a small pack. Attached to this appendix is an example of the types of membership available. For a full pack please contact your Unite Representative. 28

29 APPENDIX 2 Checklists what information / evidence to collect in the event of an accident 29

30 Checklists Introduction The following checklists set out the information that Thompsons Solicitors will look to obtain in support of an accident. Different information is required for some types of accident and it may be that you can assist members by helping to ensure that this information is available as far as possible. The checklists that follow relate to the following: General checklist for accidents at work Checklist for disease cases (such as noise induced deafness cases, vibration white finger, work related upper limb disorder) Checklist for slipping cases Checklist for tripping cases Checklist for manual handling cases Checklist for machinery cases Checklist for road traffic accident cases 30

31 1. GENERAL CHECKLIST FOR ACCIDENTS AT WORK 1. Full name, address, date of birth, national insurance number, telephone number ( address?) 2. The full name and address of the employer? 3. The date and time of the accident? 4. The place of the accident? 5. The names and addresses of any eye witnesses or witness who can give background information? 6. The names and address of safety representatives or Union representatives? 7. A description of the workplace/equipment involved? 8. A detailed step by step account of what happened? 9. Details of the injuries suffered? 10. When was the accident reported? How? To whom? Was it put in the accident book? By whom? What was said? 11. Had risk assessments been done: Pre-accident? Post-accident? Are copy risk assessments available? 12. Had there been previous similar accidents? Or near misses? Are there any documents in support of this? 13. Had there been previous similar complaints? Are there records of these? 14. Had the problem causing the accident been discussed prior to the accident at a health and safety committee meeting? Are there any minutes? Had the accident been discussed at a later health and safety committee meeting? 15. How much training had your member had; what did the training consist of? 16. How could the accident have been prevented? What steps should the employers or third party have taken? Who do you blame for the accident and why? 17. Have any changes been made since the accident which if they had been in place at the time, might have prevented the accident? If so how? When were the changes made? 18. In what way, if any, can your member be criticised or alleged to have been at fault? 31

32 19. Was any post-accident investigation carried out? If so, what recommendations were made? 20. What treatment did your member receive? From where? Hospital number? 21. How long was your member off work? 22. What wage loss did your member suffer? Are there other financial loses? 23. What is the present state of your member s injuries, treatment, and capacity for work? Has the injury caused your member to suffer loss of any sports or social activities? 24. [If relevant] Was personal protective equipment provided? Was it suitable? Did your member use it? 32

33 2. CHECKLIST FOR DISEASE CASES 1. Employment history with dates. 2. Dates of exposure to substance/chemicals/hazard. 3. What dates were the symptoms first experienced? 4. What symptoms were first experienced? 5. How did the symptoms develop? 6. When was the injury first reported to the employer? 7. What was said and to whom? 8. Has your member had any treatment at work? Are there any occupational health records? 9. When did your member first see his or her GP? Details of treatment. 10. Has your member had any hospital treatment? When and from where? 11. Has your member made any claim for social security benefits? If so, when and what documents exist? 12. When did your member first believe that the injury was caused by your work? 13. What made your member decide to pursue a claim? When did your member contact the Union about it? 33

34 3. CHECKLIST FOR SLIPPING CASES 1. What substances caused the slip? How big a spillage was it? What are the measurements? What colour was it? Are photographs available? 2. How did it get there? 3. How long had it been there? 4. Had the employers or occupiers carried out a risk assessment on the dangers of spillages: Pre-accident? Post-accident? 5. What was the floor surface made of? 6. Had there been any previous slipping injuries or near misses? Is there any evidence of this? Any documents available? 7. Had there been any previous complaints about spillages or slips on the floor in this area? Is there anything in the minutes of the safety committee meetings? 8. Are there any other dangers from slipping e.g. adjacent to moving machinery, risk of falling over unfenced hedges or downstairs? 9. When was the accident reported? How and to whom? 10. Does the accident report confirm what your member slipped on? 11. What cleaning system did the employers/occupiers operate? Who was responsible for cleaning and how often was it done? 12. What steps should the employers have taken to (a) prevent the spillage? (b) remove the spillage? 13. What was the condition of the lighting? 14. What footwear was your member wearing? 15. Why did your member not see the spillage? 16. Photographs? Sketch plan? 34

35 4. CHECKLIST FOR TRIPPING CASES 1. What did your member trip on? 2. Why was it there? What was its purpose? 3. Who put it there? 4. How long had it been there? 5. How big was it? What shape was it? What colour was it? What are its measurements? 6. Was your member on a recognised walkway or gangway? 7. What risk assessments had been carried out on the dangers of obstructions on the floor: Pre-accident? Post-accident? Are there any documents available? 8. Had there been any previous similar accidents or near misses? Any documents / evidence available? 9. Had there been any previous complaints? Had the problem been reported to the safety committee and are there any minutes? 10. Should the obstruction have been put somewhere else? If so, where? 11. What steps should the employers or occupiers have taken to prevent the accident? Who do you blame for the accident and why? 12. What lighting was there? 13. What footwear was your member wearing? 14. Why did your member not see it? 15. Photographs? Sketch Plan? 35

36 5. CHECKLIST FOR MANUAL HANDLING CASES 1. What tasks was your member required to carry out involving manual handling? 2. How often in a working day did your member carry out manual handling tasks? How long had your member been doing this type of work? 3. What was your member lifting or moving when the injury occurred? 4. What training had your member received in lifting, either generally, or lifting this particular weight? 5. What was the weight, size and shape that your member was lifting or moving? Was the weight distributed evenly or unevenly? 6. Where was your member lifting or moving from and where to? From what height and to what height? 7. Had a risk assessment been carried out pre or post-accident on the task of lifting/moving the load? 8. Give a step by step account on what happened; at what point did your member feel pain? 9. Could the job have been done by avoiding manual handling altogether? 10. Had lifting equipment or assistance been provided? 11. Had lifting equipment or assistance been requested? 12. Had there been any previous similar accidents or near misses? 13. Had previous complaints been made about the dangers of this manual handling task? Safety Committee Minutes? 14. What should the employers have done to prevent the accident? Who do you blame for the accident, any why? 15. When did your member report the accident, to whom and in what terms? 16. Photographs? Sketch Plan? 17. Could your member have sought assistance to move the object? If no assistance was given, why? 36

37 18. [If lifting with someone else] Did the person lifting with your member do anything to cause you to take more of the weight, or to cause your member s injury in some other way? 6. CHECKLIST ON MACHINERY CASES 1. What machine was your member working on? 2. What does the machine do and how does it work? 3. How often did your member work on it? How long had your member worked on it? 4. What exactly was your member s job? What did your member have to do with the machine? 5. What training had your member received on working this machine? When had your member been trained? Are training records available? 6. What risk assessments had been carried on the health and safety risks of this machine: Pre-accident? Post-accident? Any documents available? 7. Give a step by step account on what happened and how the injury occurred. 8. Were any moving parts of the machine not securely fenced or guarded? If so, how could this have been improved? 9. Was any investigation carried out after the accident? 10. Did the Health and Safety Executive investigate the accident? Any documents available? 11. Had there been any previous similar accidents or near misses? Any documents available? Witnesses? 12. Had there been any previous complaints about the dangers of the machine? Or any safety committee meetings? 13. What was the condition of the lighting? 14. Is the machine still available for inspection? 15. Photographs? Sketch plan? 16. What steps should have been taken to prevent the accident? Who do you blame for the accident, and why? 37

38 7. CHECKLIST FOR ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CASES 1. How many vehicles were involved? 2. Of your member s vehicle, state:- i. Type (i.e., car, van, motorcycle) ii. Make iii. Registration Number iv. Are you the registered owner? If no, please state:- i. Name and address of owner ii. The name and address of your insurance company iii. Your Certificate and Policy Number What type of insurance cover does your member have? i. Third Party ii. Third Party Fire and Theft iii. Comprehensive with excess (How much excess?) iv. Comprehensive without excess 3. Where, and between what hours, can the vehicle be inspected? 4. Has your member got an estimate for the repair of the vehicle? If so, please forward a copy to me. 5. Is your member s vehicle a "write off"? If yes, member to please obtain confirmation in writing from a reputable repairer, who should also be asked to confirm, in writing, the pre-accident value. 6. Is there a police prosecution pending? i. Who is it against? ii. What is the nature of the charge? iii. Which Court is it to be heard at? iv. When is the hearing? 7. What were the traffic conditions at the time of the accident? 8. What where the weather conditions? 9. What as the condition of the road surface? i. Wet ii. Dry iii. Ice iv. Snow 10. What caused the accident? 38

39 11. What evasive action, if any, did your member take? 12. Give details of the other vehicles involved, as follows:- (If more than one, give similar details) i. Type of vehicle ii. Make iii. Name and address of driver iv. Registration Number v. Name and address of owner vi. Details of insurance cover Name of Insurers Address Certificate Number 13. Were the police called to the scene? 14. What was the name, rank and number of the reporting Police Officer? At what police station is he based? 15. Sketch plan of the scene? 39

40 APPENDIX 3 Examples of leaflets available from Thompsons Solicitors 40

41 APPENDIX 4 Other legal services available to union members Employment Criminal Law Criminal Injuries Compensation Pensions Discounted Conveyancying Equity Release advice Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence Free Wills & Discounted Probate Discounted Lasting powers of Attorney Discounted Deputyships Discounted Financial misselling Free legal advice 41

42 Appendix 5 South West Serious Injuries Unit Thompsons Serious Injuries Team assists UNITE members and their families who have suffered catastrophic injuries. The team brings together specialist personal injury lawyers with medical and disability experts to fight for compensation for the most seriously injured victims of accidents. We have settled many serious injury cases resulting in awards of compensation from one hundred thousand pounds to multi million pound settlements. If a UNITE member or their loved-one suffers a very serious injury life is likely to become difficult. Spinal injuries, brain injuries, severe burns or amputations change lives forever. 24-hour care may become a necessity. Special equipment may be required and your member s home may need to be adapted. Months of rehabilitation may follow the accident which has led to the serious injury. Re-training may become necessary. For some members of their families, their serious injury will mean the end of their working lives. Your member will need financial and practical support to rebuild their life. UNITE Health and Safety Representatives can play an active role from the outset in ensuring that the vital link between UNITE and the seriously injured member is maintained especially in the difficult early stages. In the immediate aftermath of the accident early contact with the member and the family will ensure that they are made aware of their right to have a specialist serious injury lawyer through UNITE from the start. The link can be maintained through hospital, home and family visits. Away from work your member may feel isolated from their normal life work carried on without them. They may miss the contact and solidarity from work colleagues and may also want to update their friends at work on their recovery. It is also very common for other workers to be anxious about their injured colleague they may want to find out how they are getting on but are unsure how to go about this. In the South West the Serious Injuries Team advises and supports UNITE members and their families who have suffered: Brain injury Spinal cord injury Amputation injury Significant orthopaedic injuries Fatal injuries Serious burns Other Serious Injuries for example partial or total blindness or serious crush injuries. 42

43 How can UNITE help their members and/or their family? Serious Injuries inside or outside of work are often known about by colleagues/friends at work or publicised in the media A proactive approach to contacting the member or their family can ensure that your member gets advice from Thompsons utilising their membership with UNITE Done sensitively this can relieve the worry from a family member. They know where to turn to when they are ready. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 came into force on 01/04/2013 this Act allows deductions by solicitors from compensation. It is crucial that those affected by serious injury use their UNITE membership so that they secure 100% of their compensation with no deductions. If you would like more information about the work of the Serious Injuries Unit in the South West please contact Lisa Gunner at [email protected] or

44 Appendix 6 SOUTH WEST CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE TEAM Thompsons Clinical Negligence Unit assists Union members and their families who have suffered injury arising out of care received from medical or dental professionals. The NHS is wonderful and allows all of us free access to some of the best medical care in the world. Sometimes however things do go wrong. We can also help when things go wrong with private treatment The unit brings together specialist clinical negligence lawyers to fight for compensation for those injured through no fault of their own. We work closely with the South West Serious Injury Unit, another specialist unit dealing with complex and life changing injuries. Medical treatment involving injuries such as amputations, birth injuries, surgical errors can change lives forever for your member and their family. Just as with personal injury claims, the link between the union and their member can be vital in ensuring that the member is helped in the aftermath and to ensure that the member is aware that they can get access to a specialist clinical negligence lawyer. Our specialist lawyers will investigate a claim and will advise if a claim has reasonable prospects of success. Should liability be admitted they can endeavour to obtain interim payments to assist the client as to the immediate financial difficulties they may be facing. In the South West the Clinical Negligence Unit advises and supports Union members and their families who have suffered injuries such as: Birthing injuries Cerebral Palsy Delayed diagnoses Amputations Undiagnosed Fractures Gynaecological / Urological injuries As with personal injury claims, the Union can help their members and/or their family; Serious Medical injuries are often known about by colleagues/friends at work or publicised in the media A proactive approach to contacting the member or their family can ensure that your member gets advice from Thompsons utilising their membership with their union Done sensitively this can relieve the worry from a family member. They know where to turn to when they are ready. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 came into force on 01/04/2013 this Act allows deductions by solicitors from compensation. It is crucial that those affected by clinical negligence use their Union membership so that they secure beneficial terms through Thompsons. We are able to offer Union members a deduction of 44

45 up to a cap of 10% of their general and past losses only. Other firms are applying up to 25% of their general and past loss damages. Union membership is therefore very beneficial for your member and offers them access to legal advice at better rates than other Solicitors. If you would like more information about the work of the Clinical Negligence Unit in the South West please contact Madeleine Pinschof at [email protected] or