Engineering workshops can be dangerous places.
The accident risks workers face are numerous and potentially very serious. Not only do engineering workshops contain machinery that can injure employees if not maintained and used properly, but they are busy places, with vehicles, people and equipment moving about in close proximity.
Meanwhile, hazardous substances, such as metalworking fluids, are also often found in engineering workshops, while the engineering processes themselves can result in excessive noise and vibration, or produce harmful dusts and fumes from activities such as welding, soldering, and painting.
Common injuries suffered in a workshop
The various workplace hazards result in many thousands of injuries and instances of work-related ill health each year, according to the Health & Safety Executive. Around two-thirds of these are caused by ‘movement’ around the workshop – about half consisting of manual handling accidents and the other half of slips and trips – while 10 – 15% are accidents relating to the use of machinery.
There are always risks in using any sort of machinery, but the more dangerous machines include:
- Turning machines and lathes
- Drills
- Presses
- Saws
- Bending machines
- Boring machines
- Grinders
- Guillotines
- Milling machines
An accident involving any of the above equipment is likely to result in a severe injury to the operator, usually to the hands and fingers. Lacerations, broken bones, and dislocations are all common, and sometimes these can be so serious that they lead to amputations and even fatalities.
Working with these machines can also lead to illness. Occupational diseases that are the most likely to arise from working in an engineering workshop include:
- Contact dermatitis, caused by skin contact with metalworking fluids when handling components,
- Noise-induced deafness, often caused by the high noise level generated by many powerful machines operating in the same space,
- Asthma and bronchitis (usually caused by breathing in aerosol gases, oil mists, and fumes from metalworking fluids),
- Pain in the back and upper limbs, which is usually down to unsafe handling of components, and
- Vibration white finger (caused by continued use of vibrating machinery, such as a grinder).
In addition to this, there is also a significant risk of electrical accidents in engineering workshops, which are likely to cause a serious or fatal injury.
But every worker has the right to be safe at work, and while engineering workshops can be very hazardous places, proper management should ensure all risks are kept to a minimum. Employers have many strict guidelines to follow so that their workplace is clean, safe, and suitable for their employees, and they must also make sure each of their staff has received the appropriate training for any potentially dangerous tasks – for instance, training on how to use dangerous machinery or lift heavy objects safely.
Contact Thompsons to start your claim today
If your employer has failed to do provide you with a safe working environment and you've been injured in an engineering accident or have developed an illness as a result of your employment, then you could be entitled to compensation. And that's where the advice and guidance of an experienced personal injury solicitor, such as the workplace accident team at Thompsons, becomes invaluable.
If you want to take the first step towards starting your claim today or have any concerns about the process and want to talk it through with a specialist solicitor, give us a call on 0800 0891 331.
