Workplaces in Australia and in many other places around the world are covered by Health and Safety Laws. These laws have been developed over time to try and protect workers from being expected to risk their health and in some cases life without proper care being taken to minimise that risk by the employer. The risk can be minimised by various means, sometimes just the simplest thing can make all the difference.
Until fairly recently in historical terms, it was not known deafness could be caused by noise endured by people in workplaces. Many citizens today in their 70s and 80s have had to endure impaired hearing as a direct result of working factories where they had to endure hours of loud noise day in day out, and no measures were taken either to reduce the noise at its source, or to provide them with hearing protection. Today there are rigid guidelines and rules in regards to the levels of noise and the duration of exposure to noise. Employers are legal obliged to seek to out methods to reduce noise and exposure to noise and many technological solutions are now available.
Another medical condition that has been caused through lack of knowledge is the range of conditions referred to as RSI. (Repetitive Strain Injury). These conditions are varied and numerous and it is not appropriate to list them here, however suffice it to say, that many people who have operated machinery, worked on production lines, lifted and pulled for a living in bygone days are now suffering as a result. Once again there are now strict guidelines within health and safety law in regards to how long the same action or activity can be undertaken and other measures, to try and minimise the risk of employees developing RSI.
If you believe that you are being exposed to a danger to your health or life at work you should discuss the matter with your Supervisor, Company Safety Officer or Union Safety Representative and ask that the matter be looked into. The first step should always be that your employer either conducts a risk assessment or produces evidence to you that one has been done, and that the results and recommendations from that assessment are being taken notice of.
However be aware, that if you continue not to receive any satisfaction you do have the right to contact the health and safety authority in your country and ask that investigation be undertaken. By law it is the employer who should provide a safe and healthy work place and the onus is fairly and squarely on their shoulders.
However, you must always be aware that you the employee too can be at fault at law. If you do not heed instructions in regards to health and safety at work, you too may be held to blame.
Health and Safety Law, like all law has been developed over the years for the protection of everyone.
A personal injury may be best described as any injury which was caused by the negligence of another person, corporation or business.
You may suffer a physical disease, injury or illness or a psychological injury or illness. Personal injuries can result from: an accident, harassment or stress at work, a motor vehicle accident, faulty goods or services, or a hospital or physician treatment, just to name a few.
You may file a personal injury claim if you believe a company, individual or business was responsible for your injuries or illness. A personal injury claim will generally include a claim for compensation to cover your financial losses, future financial losses, and/or your physiological and/or physical injuries.
The following steps should be taken when you feel you suffered a personal injury as a result of someone else’s negligence:
• Immediately inform the police, if necessary. Police reports may be necessary in the case of a motor vehicle accident, for example.
• If you believe a road injury caused your motor vehicle accident, immediately inform your auto insurance company.
• If the injury occurred in the workplace, immediately inform your employer so that the incident or incidents can be recorded and reported to the appropriate state department.
• Immediately seek medical attention from your doctor, even if you feel the injury is minor. You will need these records if you choose to pursue a personal injury claim.
• Keep detailed notes about the injury or injuries, and take photographs, when necessary. If you were injured as a result of a road defect, for example, you will want to take photographs of the defect.
• Contact a personal injury lawyer who will explain your rights and a course of action.
Although personal injury compensation if often hard to calculate in terms of money damages, your personal injury lawyer will take many factors into consideration, including your pain and suffering (also called punitive damages), your loss of wages and your present and future medical bills.
Putting a price on pain and suffering is often a difficult task, although your personal injury attorney will fight for your injury compensation with the other party’s insurance company.