Many people find themselves performing heavy lifting in the workplace regardless of their job role. For those who didn’t expect to be performing any heavy lifting the risk of suffering an injury increases significantly and this is usually due to poor lifting technique. Without the proper technique heavy lifting can be very dangerous for anyone.
Heavy lifting is one of the biggest causes of accidents in the UK and every year there are nearly 3,500 injuries caused by heavy lifting in the workplace alone, most caused by poor heavy lifting technique and lack of training. Back and spinal injuries are the most common injuries caused by heavy lifting and serious damage can lead to permanent pain and injury.
Serious back injuries are very difficult to deal with and back injuries that develop into permanent problems caused by a bent spine or slipped disc can be life changing. Treating back injuries can be very difficult as operations can be very complicated and many medical professionals advise against this as they could worsen the injury.
Any injury caused by heavy lifting, whether it is a complicated back injury, muscle and tendon damage, or broken limbs, can be very expensive to treat. There are very high medical treatment costs involved with treating back injuries and as most people are unable to work when they develop a back injury, adding to their financial implications and problems.
It is the responsibility of the employer to provide adequate training and safety precautions when asking an employee to perform any heavy lifting tasks as they have a significant duty of care. The employer must make a risk assessment whenever heavy lifting is required and provide the correct training. The employer has a duty of care to ensure employees are kept safe during working hours and failure to do this will make them liable for the injury and medical costs involved.
Find out more about claiming compensation such as Back Injury Compensation and Spinal Injury Compensation.
