Baker is compensated after work fall
A bakery worker has received £17,500 in compensation after he fell from an unstable and unsafe ladder in a work accident.
The 28-year-old from Newcastle, was unable to do heavy manual work for two years as a result of the work accident in April 2006 and is still unemployed.
He was using the ladder and a broom to clean sensors on a piece of machinery at a Newcastle factory, when it slipped and he fell to the floor. The firm makes bread products for the well known brand, Hovis.
He suffered a serious personal injury to his back, which needed ongoing physiotherapy. He was in severe pain and discomfort for two years and he is unable to do any heavy lifting.
The man was made redundant when the bakery closed down. He has found it impossible to find another job at the same pay level because he was unable to do any heavy lifting.
Unsafe system in use
Following the accident he contacted his union, the Bakers, Food & Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) which instructed its personal injury lawyers at a solicitors firm.
The solicitors, who represented the baker during the case, argued that the bakery was using an unsafe system of work by employees having to climb the ladder with a broom and then having to lean over a conveyor belt to clean the sensors.
The owner admitted liability and the solicitor's firm was successful in securing a settlement for the injured baker.
The member said: "It is a great relief to have this compensation I was unable to work in my usual job for two years because I was in so much pain."
He also said: "Now I am able to return to work I have had to apply for less skilled jobs where no heavy lifting was needed. As a result I've found it difficult to get back into employment."
Alan Milne from the union, BFAWU, said: "Falls from heights are the number one cause of workplace deaths and this member was lucky to escape with the injuries he did."
More understanding needed
Mr Milne also said: "With a proper assessment of the risks, understanding of the limitations of ladders and regular maintenance, these accidents could be avoided."
Jane Gulliford, a spokesperson for the solicitor's firm, also added: "Simple and cheap measures could have avoided this accident, like making sure the appropriate ladder for the job was available. It is the employers' responsibility to ensure ladders are safely used."
Waitress accident
In a related incident, a waitress received thousands of pounds in compensation after she suffered an injury to her arm as well as burns from boiling water, when she fell in the kitchen of the restaurant, where she worked.
The woman knocked a pot of boiling water from the stove which splashed all over her upper body and the legs of the sous chef who was very angry and started shouting at her. The girl also landed awkwardly on her left arm, which doctors later revealed that this had caused a broken wrist.
The female worker had entered the kitchen to collect three plates of food during a busy weekend shift, when she slipped on a spillage that had not been cleared up.
The waitress was awarded with £6,500 for her personal injuries.
Updated on 12/24/2009