Câncer causa Seu câncer pode ser 100 por cento causado pelo seu trabalho, mas um jogo de números desonesto jogado pela indústria e os tribunais significa que, na maioria dos casos, seu empregador não suportará o custo. Os perigos desafiam um sistema que significa quando se trata de compensação, a maioria dos cancers não contam. Perigos 130, abril-junho de 2015 Teste médio Para sete das 10 principais inscrições no ranking oficial de risco de câncer no Reino Unido, você pode esquecer os pagamentos governamentais. O professor Andy Watterson e o editor de Riscos, Rory OrsquoNeill, argumentam que um regime injusto de compensação do estado significa que a maioria das condições, incluindo os cânceres de mama ligados ao trabalho por turnos, nunca superará um obstáculo arbitrário de qualificação do duplo risco e exigirá a reforma desse sistema em dificuldades. Perigos 129, janeiro-março de 2015 cultura de compensação roubada eu não penso assim. O governo pode querer que você acredite que somos uma nação de cacatuas ganhadoras de dinheiro ganancioso, diz o editor dos perigos, Rory OrsquoNeill, mas os números de afirmações contam uma história diferente. Mesmo aqueles que morrem de doenças ocupacionais têm pouca chance de garantir um pagamento. Perigos 122, abril-junho 2013 Grã-Bretanha: Benefício de incapacidade de acidentes industriais - um guia TUC O TUC publicou um breve guia para o regime de Benefícios de incapacidade de acidentes industriais do governo, que abrange lesões e certas doenças ocupacionais causadas pelo trabalho, incluindo asma ocupacional, surdez E doenças de vibração, e algumas doenças de poeira, lesões por tensão e câncer ocupacional. Aviso de publicação de TUC e Benefício de incapacidade de acidentes industriais - um guia TUC. Riscos 679 Grâ Bretanha: Gangmasters estabelecem reivindicação moderna da escravidão O guru da base de Kent, o DJ Houghton Chicken Catching Services, concordou com um acordo histórico que vale mais de 1m de compensação e custos legais para um grupo de migrantes que foram traficados para trabalhar em fazendas que produzem ovos para a rua principal Marcas. O acordo alcançado com seis coletores de frango da Lituânia é o primeiro acordo de uma reivindicação contra uma empresa britânica em relação à escravidão moderna e veio depois que o grupo ficou frustrado com a falta de uma ação criminal. Leigh Day. O guardião. Riscos 782. 7 de janeiro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: Lâmina corta a mão dos trabalhadores Um trabalhador que sofreu uma lesão de laceração profunda e dano no nervo na mão direita garantiu 75 mil em danos em uma reivindicação apoiada pelo Unite. O técnico de preparação de ferramentas, Marc Jobes, estava conversando com um colega na sala de ferramentas da fábrica de embalagens de alimentos Kobusch UK Ltdrsquos, perto de Stanley, County Durham, quando perdeu o equilíbrio e colocou a mão em um banco de trabalho para estabilizar-se, cortando-se nas lâminas para a esquerda A superfície de trabalho. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 782. 7 de janeiro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: os pagamentos dos professores refletem a queda de orçamentos e padrões O pessoal docente está enfrentando pressões que induzem o estresse, à medida que os orçamentos e os níveis de pessoal caem, disse a EIS Scottish. O sindicato, que no último ano conseguiu mais de 600 mil pessoas em assentamentos de compensação para membros prejudicados por seus empregos, disse que a maneira de reduzir essa conta de compensação era tornar o trabalho mais seguro e saudável. EIS news release. BBC News Online. Riscos 782. 7 de janeiro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: feridos perderão à medida que as seguradoras bolsem milhões de planos governamentais para reprimir a fraude percebida em reivindicações de lapidação inclui medidas para remover o acesso a conselhos legais gratuitos ou acessíveis para 95% de todos os reclamantes de danos pessoais, sindicatos de serviços públicos A PCS alertou. A união diz que as reivindicações de que os prêmios de seguro de carro serão reduzidos devido à restrição de reclamações falsas de chicotadas, é uma tentativa de ldquosinister de impor um aumento sem base de 500 por cento ao limite de pequenas reivindicações para todas as reivindicações de ferimento pessoal, sejam eles na estrada, No local de trabalho, ou em qualquer outro lugar. rdquo PCS news release. Riscos 782. 7 de janeiro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: a compensação muda um ataque aos direitos dos trabalhadores O governo planeja mudar as regras para os pedidos de compensação tornaria muito mais difícil para os trabalhadores obter o dinheiro para o qual eles têm direito quando uma negligência do empregador os prejudica ou os faz Mal, o TUC disse. O órgão da união diz que os casos de compensação classificados como lsquosmall claimsrsquo donrsquot se qualificam para custos legais, então mesmo os requerentes bem-sucedidos podem executar uma conta de custos se um advogado for necessário, mas o governo quer muito mais reivindicações no âmbito do sistema de pequenas reivindicações. TUC Stronger Unions. Lançamento de notícias MoJ. Comunicado de imprensa da APIL. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. UNISON news release. Comunicado de imprensa da UCATT. Unite o comunicado de imprensa. Riscos 780. 10 de dezembro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: Alívio à medida que o governo deixa cair o plano para descartar registros da empresa Planos controversos para excluir mais de 2,5 milhões de registros públicos da Casa das Empresas, que poderiam ter frustrado os pedidos de compensação de doenças relacionadas ao trabalho, foram abandonados pelo registro da empresa governamental agência. Os planos provocaram um clamor quando eles se tornaram públicos em agosto, com advertências de que eles iriam dificultar a habilidade de rastrear criminosos de colarinho branco, combater o branqueamento de capitais e obter compensação por trabalhadores prejudicados por seus empregos. Leigh Day. O guardião. Riscos 779. 3 de dezembro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: mudanças de compensação para ferir vítimas de doenças do trabalho O governo planeja reformar reivindicações de ferimento pessoal na Inglaterra e no País de Gales levaria o sistema de compensação de volta às idades das trevas e significaria que muitas vítimas de doenças ocupacionais perderiam, disseram os advogados . Uma proposta - aumentar o limite para os casos no tribunal de pequenas reivindicações para todas as reivindicações de ferimento pessoal de 1.000 a 5.000 significaria que a maioria dos trabalhadores que sofrem de uma doença profissional não teria nem os recursos nem o apoio legal para prosseguir uma reivindicação genuína. Lançamento de notícias MoJ. Comunicado de imprensa da APIL. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. UNISON news release. Comunicado de imprensa da UCATT. Unite o comunicado de imprensa. BBC News Online. Riscos 778. 26 de novembro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: engenheiro de custo de outono no local de trabalho seu trabalho Um homem de Cheshire que sofreu uma lesão incapacitante em seu braço em uma queda no local de trabalho foi redundante antes que sua longa recuperação fosse completa. O engenheiro de manutenção, de 50 anos, estava reparando um tanque de água no celeiro do celeiro de uma empresa agrícola, elevada 15 pés acima do solo, quando ocorreu a lesão. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 777. 19 de novembro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: trabalhador cortado depois que o gerente diz que continua com isso. Um operário de fábrica sofreu uma profunda laceração em seu dedo depois que um gerente descartou suas preocupações e disse-lhe para continuar o trabalho. O membro da Unite, cujo nome não foi divulgado, foi contratado na Grays Packaging em Bristol. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 777. 19 de novembro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: Trabalhador deixado parcialmente cego por produtos químicos Um membro da Unite recebeu um assentamento de seis figuras depois que ele foi deixado parcialmente cego em um olho após produtos químicos no local de trabalho sob pressão pressionados em seu rosto. O homem de 45 anos, cujo nome não foi liberado, trabalha como técnico de fabricação para uma empresa de processamento de químicos não identificada. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 776. 12 de novembro de 2016. Grã-Bretanha: o trabalhador sofre hérnia como empregador deixa cair a bola Um engenheiro de manutenção recebeu mais de 6.000 em danos depois de sofrer uma hérnia na virilha fazendo o que deveria ter sido um trabalho de duas pessoas. O membro da Unite Paul Hodgson, de 65 anos, estava desmontando as tubulações em cima de uma cabine de pulverização de 10 metros de altura, quando caiu para trás e ficou preso sob uma seção de tubo de oito metros de comprimento. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 770. 1 de outubro de 2016. Grã-Bretanha: o amianto pleural causado por engasamento causado pelo amianto Um antigo trabalhador ferroviário de Luton recebeu uma compensação depois que a exposição ao amianto o levou a desenvolver uma condição pulmonar incapacitante. Mick Whelan, secretário-geral da ASLEF, disse: "O nosso membro nunca foi providenciado com nenhum equipamento de proteção ao longo de sua carreira, o que o deixou indefeso contra a inalação do comunicado de imprensa do Asbestos. rdquo Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 679. 24 de setembro de 2016. Grã-Bretanha: o ex-trabalhador ferroviário compensou o acidente com a mão no trabalho Um trabalhador do trilho de Nottinghamshire que sofreu uma lesão na mão enquanto trabalhava em reparos ferroviários recebeu um pagamento de 15.000 em uma reivindicação apoiada pelo sindicato. O membro da Unite, Trevor Allen, 65, estava tentando usar uma máquina de aplainar, que é usada para moldar uma trilha, quando ele ficou ferido. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 768. 17 de setembro de 2016. Austrália: o tribunal federal australiano pediu à gigante mineira Rio Tinto que pague quase 0,3 milhões de reais (0,74 milhões) em danos, compensações e pagamentos de juros a uma minera de carvão que demitiu após reclamar uma indemnização Por uma lesão no local de trabalho. O assentamento de vitimização de Michael Haylettrsquos veio em um processo judicial apoiado pelo sindicato de mineração e construção CFMEU, descrito pelo sindicato Stephen Smyth como uma batalha de lsquoDavid e Goliathrsquo contra um gigante mineiro. Comunicado de imprensa CFMEU. Riscos 767. 10 de setembro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: Prevenção de deslizamento custam o plasterer seu trabalho Um plasterer que esticou suas costas quando escorregou em seu caminhão de trabalho e teve que se aposentar como resultado recebeu um pagamento de 50.000 em uma reivindicação apoiada pelo sindicato. O membro da Unite, Kenneth Berkeley, de 67 anos, que era empregado como colocador por Kensington e Chelsea Tenant Management Organization (TMO), estava coletando ferramentas da parte traseira aberta de um caminhão basculante fornecido pelo empregador - quando ele escorregou em sua superfície úmida e Caiu, esticando as costas. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 767. 10 de setembro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: mudanças nos registros ameaçam a compensação O TUC expressou sua preocupação com as mudanças propostas na forma como os registros da empresa serão mantidos com base em que isso poderia ter um efeito negativo sobre as reivindicações de compensação. As propostas estão sendo consideradas para reduzir a quantidade de tempo que os registros de empresas dissolvidas são mantidos, de 20 anos para apenas seis, mas esses registros são freqüentemente usados para rastrear empresas que saíram de negócios, onde os ex-funcionários desenvolvem uma doença ocupacional muitos anos depois Eles estavam expostos. O guardião. Blog TUC. Riscos 763. 13 de agosto de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: deixar a máquina sem proteção foi um erro caro. Um trabalhador da fábrica de Yorkshire recebeu 16 mil danos depois que uma máquina não protegida infligiu uma laceração profunda no dedo anelar em sua mão dominante. O membro da Unite Kenneth Powell, de 60 anos, estava operando uma serra Altendorf, usada para cortar blocos de papel, na fábrica não identificada quando o incidente aconteceu. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 762. 6 de agosto de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: Sports Direct paga ao motorista do camião ferido Um motorista do Sport HGV direto que sofreu uma lesão no ombro esquerdo quando ele foi atingido por uma gaiola caindo no trabalho recebeu 12.500 em danos. O membro da Unite Stuart Valente precisava de feitiços intermitentes fora do trabalho durante o resto do ano, durante o qual ele teve uma operação para reparar o tendão e aliviar a dor no ombro. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 761. 30 de julho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: Swarf rasgou manrsquos thumb Um operário da fábrica de Hinckley recebeu mais de 21.000 em compensação depois de lacerar seu polegar em um pedaço de metal. O membro da Unite de 27 anos estava operando uma máquina usada para cortar seções de metal quando um pedaço de swarf enrolado em sua mão e rasgou a luva, causando um corte profundo no polegar direito que danificou seus tendões e nervos. E a tensão financeira que a lesão colocou nosso membro para que eles façam isso. Aviso de imprensa do advogado Thompsons. Riscos 760. 23 de julho de 2016 Bangladesh: justiça para as vítimas de fogo de Tazreen Mais de três anos depois de mais de 100 trabalhadores morreram no incêndio da fábrica de moda Tazreen em Bangladesh, os pagamentos de compensação às vítimas finalmente foram concluídos. O Tazreen Claims Administration Trust diz que um total de US $ 2,17 milhões foi pago às famílias de 112 trabalhadores mortos e desaparecidos e a 174 pessoas feridas no incêndio em 24 de novembro de 2012. Comunicado de imprensa da IndustriALL. Clean Clothes Campaign news release. Tazreen Claims Administration Trust. Riscos 759. 16 de julho de 2016. Grã-Bretanha: trabalhador de aquário lsquoscarred por lifersquo por doença de peixe Um homem de Sheffield foi deixado permanentemente com uma cicatrização por uma doença rara descrita por especialistas como lsquoTB para fishrsquo. O técnico de peixe, que deseja permanecer anônimo, foi diagnosticado com granulometros de tanques lsquofish cerca de um ano em seu trabalho, limpando tanques e cuidando de peixe para JMC Aquatics, baseado em Dronfield. Comunicado de imprensa Irwin Mitchell Solicitors. Derbyshire Times. Riscos 758. 9 de junho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: o laboratório hospitalar superaquecido levou a lesões de desmaie. Um médico que se desmaiou em um laboratório de NHS sufocante e sofreu uma lesão debilitante do pé ganhou um pagamento de compensação não revelado nos tribunais. Helen Stidwill sofre dor crônica após o colapso no laboratório no Kingrsquos College Hospital, Londres, em março de 2009. Croydon Guardian. Croydon Advertiser. TUC temperatura no guia de trabalho. Riscos 758. 9 de junho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: lesão de empilhadeira seguida ignorada quase-falha Um membro da Unite que sofreu múltiplas fraturas ao pé depois de ter sido atingido e depois atropelado por uma empilhadeira no trabalho recebeu 35.000 em danos. Paul Winter, que trabalha para uma empresa de impressão de revistas cujo nome não foi divulgado, estava colecionando novas bobinas para inserir em grandes impressoras quando ocorreu o incidente. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 758. 9 de junho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: Outono que deixa o exame de contabilidade acrescenta-se a um pagamento Um oficial de finanças recebeu um pagamento não revelado depois de fraturar seu pé direito em uma queda, o que levou a sua evolução na trombose venosa profunda. O membro da Unite acabara de terminar um exame de contabilidade em uma faculdade em Cornwall e estava saindo da sala de exame. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 757. 2 de julho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: a União assegura melhorias após a lesão do trabalhador de carro Terence Deen, 61, um trabalhador de produção de um fabricante de automóveis em Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, recebeu quase 12.000 de danos depois de sofrer uma lesão de paixão e lacerações para o seu perna esquerda. Os representantes da Unite Safety seguiram após o incidente e garantiram práticas de trabalho mais seguras. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 757. 2 de julho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: uma vitória legal protegerá os prisioneiros Os prisioneiros agora podem ser processados por ataques contra os trabalhadores da prisão, depois de um caso do Tribunal Superior apoiado pelo sindicato. Em uma vitória histórica para os oficiais da prisão do sindicato POA, o tribunal decidiu na semana passada que é importante poder perseguir prisioneiros por atos de violência cometidos contra prisioneiros enquanto cumprem o tempo na prisão, como forma de proteger os oficiais da prisão e os prisioneiros. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Violência TUC na orientação do trabalho. Lista de inscrições: formulário de notificação de violência e abuso de TUC. Revista Hazards. Riscos 757. 2 de julho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: HMRC em caso de incumprimento de atraso em casos de compensação Os funcionários fiscais estão violando os direitos humanos dos cônjuges e os doentes terminais, fazendo com que eles esperem mais de um ano para registros de emprego essenciais em reivindicações de compensação de doenças relacionadas ao trabalho. Os advogados dizem que um tempo médio de 383 dias para recuperar historias de trabalho históricas pela HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) está negando aos requerentes o direito de prosseguir as empresas às vezes por doenças ocupacionais terminais. Comunicado de imprensa Irwin Mitchell Solicitors. Correio diário. Riscos 756. 25 de junho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: uma má formação levou a sérios ferimentos no trabalho. Um membro da Unite de Birmingham recebeu danos depois de sofrer uma lesão crua na mão e a amputação parcial de seu polegar porque ele não teve treinamento de segurança adequado no trabalho. No momento do incidente, o trabalhador de 53 anos, cujo nome não foi divulgado, estava trabalhando para a Markem Haulage Limited fornecendo cimento para locais em todo o West Midlands. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 753. 4 de junho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: o ex rigger de aço obtém o pagamento de espessamento pleural Um membro da Unite que desenvolveu espessamento pleural difuso como resultado da exposição ao amianto no trabalho recebeu um pagamento não revelado. O ex rigger de aço, que nunca recebeu equipamento de proteção ou falou sobre os perigos de trabalhar com amianto, começou a sofrer de falta de ar e ataques de pânico em 2011, em que ponto ele visitou seu médico que providenciou para ele ter uma varredura Em seus pulmões. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 753. 4 de junho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: uma má formação levou a sérios ferimentos no trabalho. Um membro da Unite de Birmingham recebeu danos depois de ter sofrido uma lesão na mão e a amputação parcial do polegar porque ele não teve treinamento de segurança adequado no trabalho. No momento do incidente, o trabalhador de 53 anos, cujo nome não foi divulgado, estava trabalhando para a Markem Haulage Limited fornecendo cimento para locais em todo o West Midlands. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 752. 4 de junho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: o ex-rigger de aço obtém o pagamento de espessamento pleural Um membro da Unite que desenvolveu espessamento pleural difuso como resultado da exposição ao amianto no trabalho recebeu um pagamento não revelado. O ex rigger de aço, que nunca recebeu equipamento de proteção ou falou sobre os perigos de trabalhar com amianto, começou a sofrer de falta de ar e ataques de pânico em 2011, em que ponto ele visitou seu médico que providenciou para ele ter uma varredura Em seus pulmões. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 752. 4 de junho de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: lento O HMRC está prejudicando as vítimas da doença do trabalho As pessoas que sofrem doenças relacionadas ao trabalho que ameaçam a vida, incluindo câncer ocupacional, estão enfrentando atrasos potencialmente desastrosos de um ano para receber seus registros de emprego da HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) O escritório de advocacia disse. Os advogados de Irwin Mitchell, que escreveram a HMRC pedindo-lhe para acelerar o sistema, dizem que o atraso está negando a compensação das vítimas da doença do trabalho no momento em que elas precisam e, em alguns casos, resultando em negação de compensação completamente. Lançamento de notícias Irwin Mitchell. Riscos 750. 14 de maio de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: lutar contra a prisão lutando o trabalhador do seu trabalho Um antigo trabalhador da prisão recebeu 140 mil após uma batalha legal de seis anos com o serviço prisional após uma lesão que terminou sua carreira. Enquanto trabalhava em um jovem instituto do London Offenderrsquos, o membro do POA estava impedindo um prisioneiro após uma briga. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 747. 23 de abril de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: carpinteiro prisioneiro desenvolveu câncer de pulmão relacionado ao trabalho Um membro do POA do Condado de Durham recebeu uma compensação de 220.832 após a contração de câncer de pulmão relacionado ao amianto. O carpinteiro aposentado, cujo nome não foi liberado, foi empregado em várias prisões entre 1963 e 1995, onde realizou trabalhos de manutenção em edifícios prisionais. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Echo do Norte. Riscos 747. 23 de abril de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: os produtos químicos podem prejudicar onde quer que trabalhe Você não precisa trabalhar na indústria química para ser prejudicado por produtos químicos no trabalho, dois membros da Unite de 59 anos encontraram o custo. Um deles foi pulverizado com bromo e sofreu graves queimaduras, o outro exposto a um químico de cura de concreto que agravou a asma da infância, que não afetou sua saúde desde que ele tinha 10 anos de idade. Os comunicados de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors sobre as queimaduras acidas e assentamentos de fumos químicos. Riscos 747. 23 de abril de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: o uso do teclado levou ao RSI e à perda de emprego Um membro da Unite recebeu 30 mil danos depois de desenvolver uma lesão por esforço repetitivo (RSI) do uso excessivo de um teclado de computador. A mulher de 31 anos, cujo nome não foi liberado, sofreu uma lesão de tensão no pulso direito enquanto trabalhava como administrador em uma instituição de caridade sem nome, onde passaria até oito horas por dia inserindo dados em um computador. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 745. 9 de abril de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: golpe de cabeça levou a danos auditivos Um trabalhador de fábrica que sofreu um golpe na cabeça um trabalho desenvolveu uma condição de audição permanente e debilitante como resultado. O membro da Unite, Paul Kelly, de 54 anos, estava trabalhando em uma linha de produção da fábrica quando ocorreu o incidente. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 744. 2 de abril de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: Asda camião trabalhador esmagado Um trabalhador de armazém Dundee que foi esmagado por um camião Asda recebeu um pagamento de compensação do gigante do varejo. David Scott, de 69 anos, estava trabalhando no supermercado Milton of Craigie em Mid Craigie em 25 de novembro de 2014 quando ficou ferido. O Correio. Riscos 742. 12 de março de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: o grande assentamento segue uma lesão devastadora Um trabalhador de fundição recebeu um assentamento de 1,6 milhão depois que sua perna esquerda foi esmagada por um componente metálico que caiu, resultando em uma amputação acima do joelho. O membro da Unite de 58 anos, que deseja permanecer anônimo, disse: "Espero que meu caso reforce a importância dos representantes de saúde e segurança no local de trabalho e reduzirá as chances de um acidente semelhante acontecer aos outros no futuro. Unite o comunicado de imprensa. Riscos 742. 12 de março de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: caso do Supremo Tribunal de Justiça lsquolandmarkrsquo sobre o trabalho de prisão O Supremo Tribunal apoiou um direito dos empregados da prisão para reclamar danos ao Ministério da Justiça depois que ela ficou gravemente ferida quando um preso deixou cair uma sacola de arroz de 25 kg. O caso histórico, trazido pelos agentes da prisão, o sindicato POA, mudará a definição legal de candidatos e a lei em torno da responsabilidade indireta. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 741. 5 de março de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: Membro unido compensado por asbestose Um ex-instalador de tubos que desenvolveu a doença de cicatrizes pulmonares debilitante relacionada ao amianto, asbestose, recebeu um pagamento de compensação não revelado. O membro da Unite, Michael Adcock, de 64 anos, trabalhou como coletor de tubos para uma empresa de engenharia de Leicestershire de 1968 a 1986, onde remodelou as caldeiras isoladas com amianto. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 739. 20 de fevereiro de 2016. Grã-Bretanha: triunfo da Suprema Corte em equipamentos de proteção Os empregadores enfrentam ter que fornecer calçados de proteção para o pessoal após uma decisão judicial histórica envolvendo um trabalhador de cuidados que escorregou no gelo no trabalho. O membro da GMB, Tracey Kennedy, caiu e feriu seu pulso enquanto se dirigia para a casa de uma mulher internada na região de Crookston, em Glasgow, no duro inverno de dezembro de 2010. O comunicado de imprensa da GMB Scotland. Gravação de vídeo da decisão do Supremo. Digby Brown Solicitors, comunicado de imprensa. The Herald. STV News. Riscos 739. 20 de fevereiro de 2016. Grã-Bretanha: as seguradoras querem restringir os pagamentos de surdez do trabalho A indústria de seguros quer tornar mais difícil reclamar uma compensação por surdez ocupacional, alertou o TUC. O sindicato diz que, apesar de uma queda dramática no número de assentamentos de compensação de 183.342 em 2002 para 103.401 seguradoras se queixaram de que as reivindicações de perda auditiva induzidas por ruído aumentaram três vezes nos últimos quatro anos, de 9.334 para 27.490 -, mas o TUC diz que isto representa estatística Truque de mão, não uma tendência genuína. Blog TUC Stronger Unions. Riscos 736. 20 de janeiro de 2016. Grã-Bretanha: o treinamento da prisão pobre levou à aposentadoria médica Um ex-agente da prisão recebeu uma indemnização de 185 mil em compensação após sofrer uma lesão no ombro permanente ao participar do treinamento obrigatório de controle e restrição no trabalho. Robert Warren, um membro dos oficiais da prisão, o sindicato POA, estava trabalhando na HMP Wealstun em West Yorkshire no momento do incidente. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 735. 23 de janeiro de 2016 Canadá: câncer de pulmão adicionado ao esquema de bombeiros Bombeiros e pesquisadores de incêndio em Ontário, no Canadá, não precisam mais provar que seu câncer de pulmão está relacionado ao trabalho para reclamar compensação dos trabalhadores. A partir de 1 de janeiro de 2016, a condição foi adicionada a uma lista de câncer presumivelmente estarão relacionados ao trabalho para os benefícios do Conselho de Segurança e Seguro no Trabalho (WSIB). CBC News. Riscos 734. 16 de janeiro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: queda causada ferimentos físicos e mentais Um membro da Unite que sofreu uma queda no local de trabalho que causou lesões físicas e psicológicas recebeu mais de 100 mil em compensação. O homem de 56 anos de Rotherham, cujo nome não foi liberado, foi enviado por seu empregador para consertar uma porta de persiana em uma loja de clientes quando a escada que ele estava usando escorregou e caiu debaixo dele. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 733. 9 de janeiro de 2016 Grã-Bretanha: bombeiros baixos por insetos transmitidos pela água Milhares de libras de compensação foram pagos aos bombeiros de todo o Reino Unido que ficaram doentes depois de participar do treinamento no National Watersports Center. O treinamento foi realizado no centro, em Holme Pierrepont, em Nottinghamshire, entre 2009 e 2012 e levou 66 bombeiros a adoecer com doença e diarréia. Cada bombeiro recebeu entre 1.000 e 10.000, com o Conselho do Condado de Nottinghamshire pagando um total de 88.312,50 em compensação após liquidação de 54 reivindicações sem aceitar a responsabilidade. A água no centro fluiu do rio Trent, que foi encontrado para conter bactérias nocivas. Devido à natureza fisicamente exigente do treinamento, isso levou a quase todos aqueles que freqüentavam os cursos ingerindo a água e ficando doente. O sindicato da Fire Brigade Union (FBU) South West instruiu os advogados da Thompsons a realizar investigações sobre a causa da doença. Apesar de as evidências que estabelecem água contaminada foram responsáveis pela falta de saúde, o centro ainda era anunciado para disparar brigadas como um lugar seguro para realizar o treinamento de resgate de água lsquoSwift. Tam McFarlane, membro do conselho executivo do South West FBU, disse: ldquo Mais do que aceitar seus erros, os patrões lutaram contra todas as reivindicações, desperdiçando grandes somas de dinheiro dos contribuintes em honorários legais de defesa que deveriam ser gastos protegendo o público. Kevin Kevin Digby, de Thompsons Solicitors, disse: ldquoSixth-seis membros da FBU foram baixados por esse fracasso e há muitos outros que foram afetados. rdquo Ele acrescentou: ldquoListendo a sua equipe, ouvindo especialistas e saúde básica e segurança não é ciência do foguete. rdquo Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Nottingham Post. Buxton Advertiser. Riscos 733. 9 de janeiro de 2016 Coréia: a SK Hynix concorda em compensar os trabalhadores de eletrônicos A empresa coreana de eletrônicos SK Hynix concordou em compensar os atuais e antigos trabalhadores das fábricas de semicondutores, e mesmo os de seus subcontratados, que podem sofrer uma série de doenças ocupacionais Incluindo câncer. A empresa disse que aceitaria ldquoimmediatelyrdquo a recomendação de um comitê de revisão industrial e de saúde pública que realizou uma inspeção de um ano de laboratórios de semicondutores Hynix. Cancerhazards. org. Riscos 731. 5 de dezembro de 2015 Grã-Bretanha: o juiz superior confirma que não há cultura de compensação O segundo juiz mais antigo do UKrsquos descartou a noção promovida pelo governo de que o país sofre de culturista de ldquocompensão. Lord Dyson, Mestre dos Rolls e Chefe da Justiça Civil, disse em um discurso que devemos lembrar-nos do que a lei realmente exige e fazer o que podemos para explodir a falsa percepção da cultura de compensação. O discurso do Senhor Dysonrsquos. 13 de outubro de 2015. Jornal de notícias Thompsons Solicitors. International Business Times. The Compensation Myth. TUCAPIL, abril de 2014. Riscos 726. 31 de outubro de 2015. Grã-Bretanha: veteranos militares moribundos negados a justiça do amianto Os veteranos britânicos que desenvolvem câncer terminal causado pela exposição ao amianto durante o serviço militar estão sendo injustamente tratados pelo Ministério da Defesa (MoD), ativistas e vítimas Afirmou. As leis atuais significam que o Ministério da Defesa não precisa pagar compensação por acidentes ou lesões sofridas antes de 1987, o que exclui as pessoas com mesotelioma causadas pela exposição ao amianto décadas atrás. Royal British Legion campanha de justiça do amianto. O Independente. Riscos 726. 31 de outubro de 2015. Grã-Bretanha: oficial de custódia de prisão seu emprego Um oficial de prisão que sofreu uma queda na carreira no trabalho garantiu um pagamento de compensação de seis dígitos em uma reivindicação apoiada por seu sindicato, a Prison Officers Association (POA) . O homem de 48 anos, cujo nome não foi liberado, estava em guarda, patrulha de cachorro em uma prisão, quando ele escorregou em um trecho que não tinha sido comprimido, fratando o pé direito e foi dito por médicos que ele enfrenta um 25% de amputação de risco no futuro. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 726. 31 de outubro de 2015. Grã-Bretanha: máquina defeituosa causou danos permanentes ao nervo Um membro da Unite deve receber 5.750 em compensação depois que sua mão foi danificada em uma máquina defeituosa. O operário de produção, cujo nome não foi divulgado, foi empregado pelo Conselho de Municípios do Condado de Rhondda Cynon Taff, no sul do País de Gales, que faz janelas e portas com vidros duplos. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 724. 17 de outubro de 2015. Grã-Bretanha: o acidente rodoviário costou o trabalho do trabalhador Um instalador de produção que foi forçado a se aposentar depois de ter sido ferido em um acidente de trânsito recebeu um pagamento não divulgado em uma reivindicação apoiada pelo sindicato. Kenneth Welham, de 67 anos, sofreu graves fraturas na perna direita inferior quando foi atingido por uma motocicleta enquanto ele estava em uma reserva central. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Riscos 724. 17 de outubro de 2015. Grã-Bretanha: o proprietário do restaurante não tinha seguro de responsabilidade do empregador. Um proprietário do restaurante foi multado por não fornecer o seguro obrigatório de responsabilidade dos empregadores (ELCI). Hasret Sasmaz, negociando como Starburger, foi multado com 1.500 e condenado a pagar os custos totais de 1.779 no Maidstone Magistratesrsquo Court depois de se declarar culpado de três infracções ao abrigo da Lei de Responsabilidade Civil (Compulsory Insurance) de 1969. Comunicado de imprensa da HSE e páginas de seguros de responsabilidade dos empregadores. Riscos 723. 10 de outubro de 2015 Grã-Bretanha: longas horas e trabalho repetitivo levaram a uma dor constante Um trabalhador de fábrica que sofria de dor nas costas crônica como resultado do trabalho repetitivo em turnos longos pediu que os empregadores melhorassem suas avaliações e medidas de segurança. Anthony McCarthy, de 26 anos, que recebeu um pagamento extrajudicial, começou a sofrer dor muscular em sua parte média para baixo no início de 2012, com a intensidade e gravidade da dor aumentando ao longo de seus turnos de 11 horas Na HVR International Limited. Lançamento de notícias Irwin Mitchell. Shields Gazette. Riscos 723. 10 de outubro de 2015 Grã-Bretanha: Bombeiro gravemente ferido em resgate de porco Um bombeiro de Louth, Lincolnshire recebeu 108 mil em compensação após sofrer uma séria lesão no ombro no trabalho. O membro da Fire Brigades Union (FBU), cujo nome não foi lançado, fazia parte de uma equipe que respondeu a uma chamada em que um caminhão que estava transportando porcos tinha virado. Comunicado de imprensa da FBU. Jornal de notícias Thompsons Solicitors e site de novas doenças industriais. Riscos 719. 12 de setembro de 2015 Grã-Bretanha: Aston Martin deu uma doença de pele de engenheiro O fabricante de automóveis de luxo, Aston Martin, foi trazido para reservar depois de um engenheiro de oficina empregado em seu site na dermatite ocupacional contratada por Banbury trabalhar com cola tóxica. Os principais deveres do engineerrsquos foram a reparação de baterias de automóveis, ferramentas pneumáticas e peças de carros hidráulicos. Comunicado de imprensa Thompsons Solicitors. Risks 717. 29 August 2015 Britain: Electrician suffered foot injury at station An electrician from Ormskirk has secured more than 10,000 in compensation after a heavy pump crushed his right foot. Unite member Gary Clark was working at Liverpool Central Station when he was told to move a large draining pump, a machine used to prevent flooding on train tracks. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 717. 29 August 2015 Britain: Six figure payout after life-changing injury An electrical technician has received 212,000 in compensation after falling from the access ladder of a crane, which caused a serious injury to his ankle and affected his ability to walk. Unite member Mark Nicholls, 54, now spends his leisure time resting the ankle so he is in a fit state to do his next shift. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 714. 8 August 2015. Britain: Cobalt caused grinderrsquos job-ending allergies A factory worker lost his job after contracting a debilitating sensitisation to cobalt at work. The Unite member has now received 40,000 in compensation from Federal Mogul after he developed occupational asthma and dermatitis following workplace dust exposures while working on a grinding machine. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 713. 1 August 2015 Britain: Cameron lsquoopenrsquo to pay your own sick pay scheme David Cameron is considering options for making workers pay into flexible saving accounts to fund their own sick pay or unemployment benefits, Downing Street has confirmed. The idea was first floated by Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, who said he was ldquovery keenrdquo to have a debate about encouraging people to use personal accounts to save for unemployment or illness, even though it is not official government policy. Summer Budget 2015. The Guardian. Sunday Telegraph. Risks 711. 18 July 2015 Britain: Night workers hit by brutal assault Three UNISON members working in a care home have received compensation totalling 60,000 after being subjected to a violent attack by a service user. The union said the South London night workers, whose names have not been released, suffered both physical and psychological injuries as result of the March 2014 attack. UNISON news release and Itrsquos not part of the job guide. Risks 711. 18 July 2015 Britain: Asbestos campaigners force cancer costs u-turn The government has agreed to waive new court fees for cases involving asbestos-related disease in what has been hailed as a landmark decision for claimants. The Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK brought the case alongside mesothelioma sufferers Ian Doughty and Carole Sloper. Leigh Day Solicitors news release. The Law Gazette. Risks 710. 11 July 2015 Britain: Admin worker broke her leg and lost her job A prison administrative worker has received a 125,000 payout after a slip at work left her with a broken leg and lasting mental health problems. The PCS member, identified only as Julie, was working in a Young Offenders Institution in Dorset when she slipped on spilt liquid in front of inmates when walking to her office, with the injury and a related phobia of slipping eventually causing her to give up her job. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 709. 4 July 2015 Britain: Tanker reversed over waste water worker A waste water worker from Cornwall has been awarded 9,500 after a tanker reversed into him, causing injuries to his neck and lower back. The incident happened at a sewage pumping station in Fowey, Cornwall, where South West Water was working alongside drainage company, Clearflow. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 705. 6 June 2015 Britain: Union steps in after drop-off car crash A father-of-three injured in a head-on car collision on a busy Cornish road has secured compensation with the backing of his union Unite. Nick Brancherrsquos car was hit by an oncoming car which careered from the other side of the A38 in Glynn Valley. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 705. 6 June 2015 Australia: Most work cancers go uncompensated Less than 10 per cent of people diagnosed with occupational cancer in Australia get any compensation, a report has revealed. lsquoOccupational Cancer Costsrsquo, a new review of workersrsquo compensation claims undertaken by Cancer Council Australia, found an average of 395 claims a year were made nationwide for work-related cancers, resulting in payouts of Aus30 million (15m), but that was a fraction of those who could possibly apply. Cancer Care Australia news release and report, Occupational Cancer Costs . The Conversation. The West Australian. Risks 703. 23 May 2015 Britain: Van driverrsquos fall cost him his job A delivery driver who suffered head and shoulder injuries after falling from a work vehicle ended up losing his job as a result. The 66-year-old Unite member has received a 75,000 payout after he suffered a head injury and damaged his left shoulder when he fell backwards from a seven-tonne van at a delivery depot. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 702. 16 May 2015. Bangladesh: lsquoIndustrial homicidersquo compensation shortfall Two years after the deaths of more than 1,100 workers in the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, the compensation fund for their families and for the thousands injured is still US6 million short of the 30 million target. Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the global union umbrella group ITUC, said: ldquoThe Rana Plaza tragedy shows how destructive the global supply chain model of today is for working people. rdquo ITUC news release. Risks 700. 2 May 2015 Britain: Union secures payout for injured photojournalist Media union NUJ has helped a photojournalist secure compensation after he seriously injured his ankle and finger when he tripped on a cracked pavement. The union member was working as a freelance photojournalist when he suffered a serious spiral fracture to his ring finger and tore ligaments in his ankle in the fall in Hackney, London. NUJ news release. Risks 698. 18 April 2015 compo Britain: Balfour Beatty worker trapped by track machine Essex engineer Andrew Tiffin has been awarded lsquosignificantrsquo compensation from construction giant Balfour Beatty, after the RMT member suffered a severe crush injury while working at a maintenance depot in Colchester. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 698. 18 April 2015 Global: UK asbestos, Irish victim, US court case A New York appellate court has ruled that a former mechanic in Ireland can sue Ford Motor Co in the US courts because the companyrsquos ldquosubstantial rolerdquo in the design of car parts distributed by its UK subsidiary. Law360 8226 Risks 697 8226 11 April 2015 Britain: Work compensation scheme is lsquoan unholy messrsquo Most UK workers suffering occupational cancer and other potentially lethal work-related diseases can forget about any government compensation, according to a new report by University of Stirling health researchers. The report, published in the new edition of Hazards magazine, found the current compensation scheme is an lsquounholy messrsquo that excludes seven of the top ten entries on the official UK occupational cancer priorities ranking. Stirling University news release. Mean test, Hazards magazine. number 130, 2015. STV News. The Herald 8226 Risks 697 8226 11 April 2015 Britain: Work injury cost chef her job A chef who is no longer able to work after suffering serious injuries in a fall at work has secured a 16,250 compensation payout. UNISON member Yvonne Rupp, 62, was working for Avalon Nursing Home in Poole when she tripped on loose that had been reported to her employer on a number of occasions before the incident, but managers made no attempt to fix the hazard. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 696. 28 March 2015 Britain: Bus driver proved innocent after failed drug test A Bristol-based bus driver has received compensation from First Bus after proving he didnt take drugs, despite failing a workplace drugs test. Unite member Alan Bailes, who had been employed as a bus driver for more than 22 years, was wrongly dismissed from First Bristol Limited for ldquogross misconductrdquo after testing positive for cocaine in a drug test at work. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Bath Chronicle. Risks 696. 28 March 2015 Britain: Work injury ends firefighterrsquos career An ex-firefighter who suffered a career-ending injury while working at Ilkley Fire Station in West Yorkshire has secured lsquosubstantialrsquo six figure damages in a union-backed case. FBU member Michael Hollings, who had been in the service for eight years, was seriously injured during a training exercise in May 2011. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 695. 21 March 2015 Britain: Housing group caused carpal tunnel A Bradford man developed debilitating carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in both arms as a result of excessive and poorly managed use of vibrating tools. The Unite member, whose name has not been released, was employed by Incommunities Group plc worked on housing refurbishment schemes and used tools including drills, stihl saws, jigsaws and kango hammers. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 693. 7 March 2015 Britain: UK body refuses to recognise two asbestos cancers The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) has said cancers of the larynx or ovary linked to asbestos exposure should not be added to the list of prescribed industrial diseases. Cancer of the larynx caused by asbestos is already recognised for state compensation payouts in countries including Germany, France, Denmark and Italy. IIAC summary and Cancers of the larynx or ovary and work with asbestos: IIAC information note. February 2015. IARC Monograph 100C, 2012. Risks 692. 28 February 2015 Britain: Train driver injured on unsafe walkway A train driver who fractured his calf bone when he tripped and fell while walking at St Pancras Station, has secured 20,000 in compensation. The 40-year-veteran had been told by a manager to exit his train in the sidings, which meant he had to walk along a poorly maintained pathway that runs adjacent to the rail line. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 692. 28 February 2015 Britain: GMB gives guarded welcome to mesothelioma payouts rise The GMB union was said that changes to the way that victims of the cancer mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure, do not go far enough. GMB safety officer John McClean said the union was however ldquogreatly disappointment that those victims and their families who received 80 per cent of the compensation since July 2014 will not be getting the missing 20, and those victims who from February 2010, when the original consultation began, will receive nothing from this scheme. rdquo GMB news release. Risks 691. 21 February 2015 Britain: Government plugs mesothelioma payouts hole Sufferers of an asbestos-related cancer will in the future receive extra payouts after the government revised its mesothelioma compensation rules. Under new rules for the governmentrsquos Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme compensation will rise to match 100 per cent of average civil claims, up from the current 80 per cent. DWP news release and ministerial written statement. Risks 690. 14 February 2015 Britain: Slip cost aircraft fitter his job An aircraft fitter was forced to retire from work after falling at work and suffering severe back and leg injuries. Timothy Powell, 58, from Bristol, was working for GKN Aerospace Services Ltd when he slipped on a pool of water on the shopfloor after a machine used for polishing aluminium components leaked. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 688. 31 January 2015 Britain: Lawyers condemn lsquooutrageousrsquo court fee hike Government plans for dramatic increases in the cost of going to court could have a lsquoprofound impact on access to justicersquo, according to personal injury lawyers. ldquoThe governmentrsquos claim that fees are not a major factor in a personrsquos decision about whether or not to go to court is completely disingenuous, rdquo said APIL president John Spencer, adding: ldquoThis move is bound to discourage people from making valid claims people who have every right to make them. rdquo APIL news release. Risks 688. 31 January 2015 Britain: Cotton gloves treatment gives machinist dermatitis A machine operator who was provided the wrong gloves by his employer contracted occupational dermatitis as a result. Unite member Graham Taylor, from Telford, worked at Mahle Filter Systems where he welded components and dipped seals in lsquoP80 solutionrsquo. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 687. 24 January 2015 Britain: UNISON member gets car crash payout A social worker who suffered nerve and soft tissue damage as a result of a road traffic accident unrelated to her job has secured 3,105 in compensation. The 64-year-old from Somerset was driving on the B3128 outside of Bristol, when another driver suddenly drove into the rear of her car, propelling her forward into a vehicle in front. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 686. 17 January 2015 Britain: Equity secures 3.7m for injured stage manager Equity member Rachael Presdee has been awarded 3.7 million compensation after suffering a life-changing injury at the Soho Theatre in London which means she now needs to use a wheelchair. Rachael was a stage manager on the Headlong Theatre production of Boys in 2012. On 9 June 2012 she fell through an unguarded backstage door and dropped three metres on to the open stage, suffering serious and permanent injury to her spine. Equity news release. The Stage. BBC News Online. The Telegraph. The Express. The Guardian. Risks 685. 10 January 2015 Britain: Shamed fire chiefs agree to deaths payout East Sussex fire bosses who forced the families of two fallen firefighters into a gruelling court battle have finally agreed to pay compensation. The announcement marks the final chapter in a painful struggle for the relatives of Geoff Wicker, 49, and Brian Wembridge, 63, who were killed by an explosion during a fireworks factory blaze at Marlie Farm in 2006. ESFRS statement. Morning Star. Risks 685. 10 January 2015 Britain: Scissor-welding director wanted to lsquokillrsquo worker A worker has received a 2,500 payout after a scissor-wielding company director threatened to kill him. BECTU member Peter Fermor was injured in the assault. Thompsons Solicitors news release. Risks 685. 10 January 2015 Britain: Health worker attacked on understaffed ward A former nursing assistant sustained such serious injuries in a violent assault at work he was forced to give up his job. Michael Martin was assisting a dying patient on the neurology ward when another patient attacked him. The UNISON member, who worked as a nursing assistant for Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, was hit with a chair. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 684 8226 13 December 2014 Britain: Paramedic punched trying to stop brutal assault A public spirited UNISON member who was a victim of serious violence after he intervened in a bid to stop a brutal assault has received 9,000 in compensation. The off duty paramedic from Spalding was attempting to treat a member of the public, but ended up being assaulted by two men. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 684 8226 13 December 2014 Britain: Government lsquosupportrsquo short changes asbestos victims Asbestos groups have accused ministers of putting a positive gloss on measures that ldquoshort changerdquo victims of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. They were commenting after an 8 December Ministry of Justice news release proclaimed lsquonew support for industrial disease victimsrsquo, including working with the National Cancer Registration Service and Public Health England to speed up the process of obtaining hospital medical records. Ministry of Justice news release. details of the scheme and statement from Lord Faulks 8226 Irwin Mitchell news release 8226 Law Gazette 8226 Risks 684 8226 13 December 2014 Bangladesh: Tazreen victims to get some compensation Two years after the Tazreen disaster that killed more than 120 people trapped in a factory fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh, an agreement has been made between the global union IndustriALL and their local affiliates, the Clean Clothes Campaign and retailer CampA on delivering compensation to the victims. IndustriALL news release 8226 Clean Clothes Campaign news release 8226 Risks 682 8226 29 November 2014 Britain: Tesco warehouse worker hurt by forklift The union Unite has secured more than 86,000 in compensation for a warehouseman who was seriously injured in an incident involving a forklift truck at a Tesco distribution centre. The member, an employee at Tescorsquos Purfleet distribution centre, was standing on a pallet truck in an empty loading bay in the Essex warehouse when a colleague suddenly drove a forklift truck into it. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 680 8226 15 November 2014 Britain: Supreme Court victory for asbestos victims A landmark Supreme Court judgment will ensure a fair settlement for the bereaved families of asbestos disease victims. The ruling establishes that under the Factories Act the occupier of the premises is responsible for the welfare of the people on site, not just those it employs directly, and that the Asbestos Industry Regulations apply to all factories using asbestos - not just those involved in the asbestos industry. Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release 8226 The Mirror 8226 Risks 678 8226 1 November 2014 Britain: Healthcare assistant violently attacked at work A healthcare assistant, who was attacked by a patient with a known history of aggression, has been awarded an undisclosed sum in compensation. The patient should not have been on the ward as the staff at the hospital had not been given sufficient training on how to deal with a patient who posed such a danger. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 678 8226 1 November 2014 New Zealand: Claims expose the most dangerous jobs Almost a quarter of agriculture, forestry and fishery workers in New Zealand had a work-related injury claim accepted by the countryrsquos official Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) in 2013. Provisional figures for the year released by Statistics New Zealand show that agriculture, forestry, and fishery workers made 226 injury claims per 1,000 full-time equivalent employees, and 2.6 per cent of these workers experienced an injury that resulted in a week or more off work. NZCTU news release 8226 Risks 677 8226 25 October 2014 Britain: Prison officer attacked by violent inmate A prison officer suffered career-ending physical and psychological injuries when he was attacked by a prisoner at Her Majestyrsquos Young Offenderrsquos Institute Wetherby. The Prison Officers Association (POA) member, Keith Nyberg was carrying out a routine check in the inmatersquos cell when the prisoner became aggressive and threatening. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Prisons Inspectorrsquos annual report 2013-2014 8226 Risks 677 8226 25 October 2014 Britain: Premier Foods pays out after head injury A Premier Foods employee was injured at work when part of the machinery he was cleaning fell and struck him on the head. Johnathan Wain, a member of the bakersrsquo union BFAWU, was employed as a mixing bay operator the firmrsquos Stoke-on-Trent bakery. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 677 8226 25 October 2014 Australia: Welder gets landmark cancer payout A landmark court decision to award compensation to a man whose lung cancer was linked to inhaling toxic welding fumes establishes a series of crucial precedents, Australian manufacturing union AMWU has said. AMWU health and safety experts said the Victorian County Court decision was an Australian first and recognised that light smoker Anh Tranrsquos risk of contracting lung cancer had been raised by working in a small welding shop in south-east Melbourne. AMWU news release 8226 Risks 675 8226 11 October 2014 Britain: Painful twist leads to injury compensation A poorly planned pipe replacement job led to a Gloucester factory worker suffering a painful wrist injury. Unite member Terry Behan, who has received a 12,000 compensation award, said: ldquoWe were expected to work in treacherous weather conditions and didnt have the right equipment to fix the pipe in the first placerdquo Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Gloucester Citizen 8226 Risks 675 8226 11 October 2014 Britain: Court rules asbestos payout cut is illegal Government plans to deduct legal fees from the damages paid to people dying from an asbestos cancer are unlawful, the High Court has ruled. The Asbestos Victimsrsquo Support Groups Forum UK (AVSGF) brought the successful action against justice secretary Chris Grayling. AVSGF news release 8226 Leigh Day and Co news release 8226 IBAS news report 8226 Law Gazette 8226 The Guardian 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Risks 675 8226 11 October 2014 Britain: Support for suicide witnesses axed by government A train driver who suffered psychological trauma after he hit a member of the public who stood in front of his moving train in an apparent suicide has been one of the last to secure compensation from an official criminal injuries scheme. The ASLEF memberrsquos payout of 8,200 is one of the highest ever secured from the CICA in suicide cases but will be one of the last, following changes by the current government in 2012 that excluded train drivers and many other workers from claiming compensation for physical or mental injuries sustained during the course of their employment. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 674 8226 4 October 2014 Britain: Train conductor injured in platform collapse An RMT member has urged others to sign up for union protection after he was seriously injured due to the negligence of his employer. The train conductor, whose name has not been released, was making sure passengers were getting off a Northern Rail train safely when the edge of the platform crumbled suddenly, causing him to fall between the train and the platform. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 672 8226 20 September 2014 Britain: Legal experts slam lsquopointlessrsquo Heroism Bill A government Bill the justice secretary says will allow would-be heroes and volunteers to act without fear of being sued is ill thought through, populist, and a waste of parliamentary time, legal experts have told MPs. The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) was commenting in evidence to the House of Commonsrsquo public bill committee on the effects of the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill (SARAH), which is currently working its way through parliament. APIL news release 8226 Public Bill Committee SARAH webpages 8226 Risks 671 8226 13 September 2014 Britain: Aerospace worker gets serious skin disease An aerospace worker developed a painful skin condition because he wasnrsquot given adequate protection from contact with coolant oil contaminants. The Unite member, who has secured a 10,000 compensation payout in a union-backed claim, was working on the production of aerospace fixing when he developed dermatitis, a skin disease that can cause intense and painful itching. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 670 8226 7 September 2014 Britain: Workerrsquos knee injury led to constant pain A UNISON member has been awarded more than 20,000 of damages for life-changing injuries suffered at work. Craig Buckingham, 50, was working at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust in 2009 when he slipped and twisted his knee on wet carpet tiles that had not been dried by cleaning contractors the night before. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 669 8226 30 August 2014 Britain: New justice for Marlie Farm fire deaths campaign In December 2006, Geoff Wicker and Brian Wembridge lost their lives tackling a fire at Marlie Farm. Despite a High Court ruling that compensation must be paid to the families, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has refused to settle - so the firefightersrsquo union, FBU, has launched a campaign for justice. FBU news release and campaign for justice 8226 Sign the FBU petition 8226 Risks 669 8226 30 August 2014 Britain: Prison officer suffers horrific career-ending attack A senior prison officer who suffered serious physical and mental injuries in a horrific violent assault by an inmate has had to give up his job as a result. Iain Fleming, a member of the prison officersrsquo union POA, suffered stab wounds to the head and eye, both of his arms, his right shoulder and to his chest and developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the months following the incident. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 668 8226 23 August 2014 Britain: MPs back campaigners on asbestos cancer justice A committee of MPs has backed unions and asbestos disease victimsrsquo advocates, and called on the government to rethink proposals cooked up with the insurance industry to impose legal costs on people suffering a deadly asbestos cancer. The Justice Select Committee report published on 1 August is highly critical of a government review that concluded a costs exemption for mesothelioma sufferers should end. House of Commons Justice Committee: Mesothelioma claims and news release 8226 TUC news release 8226 Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 666 8226 9 August 2014 Britain: Nurse devastated by needlestick injury A trainee nurse has been awarded over 75,000 compensation after a jab from a dirty needle at work cost her job and her marriage. Alcinda Tobbal could no longer bear physical intimacy after suffering the injury while working as a nursing assistant at Whipps Cross Hospital in east London, and became obsessed with cleanliness. Daily Mail 8226 Risks 665 8226 2 August 2014 Britain: Final insult for workers dying because of their jobs A government deal cooked up with the insurance industry and that robs asbestos cancer victims of a large chunk of their compensation is continuing to attract criticism. The Daily Mirrorrsquos Kevin Maguire notes: ldquoEven workers gasping for final breaths are targets to be short-changed by Tory toff David Cameron. rdquo Daily Mirror 8226 Risks 663 8226 19 July 2014 Britain: Faulty equipment firm tried to blame victim A shameful employer tried to blame a worker for the accident that left him with serious injuries and his co-worker dead. Unite member Joseph Horsley, an employee of road recovery firm RWR, had driven a truck to assist a colleague whose own work vehicle had broken down at the side of the road he was standing between the broken down vehicle and another RWR vehicle when the handbrake in his own truck failed, causing it to roll backwards and crush him and his colleague. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 663 8226 19 July 2014 Britain: Union lsquodisgustedrsquo with delay to fire deaths justice Firefightersrsquo union FBU has said it is ldquodisgustedrdquo that the families of two dead firefighters will be forced to wait another three months for the resolution of a long-running compensation battle. The union was speaking out after the ongoing Court of Appeal hearing relating to the deaths of union members Brian Wembridge and Geoff Wicker at a fireworks factory in 2006 was delayed by a further appeal by the employerrsquos insurer, Zurich. The Argus 8226 Risks 662 8226 12 July 2014 Britain: TV carpenter suffered work-limiting injury A 60-year-old carpenter from Romford has received 10,000 in compensation after TV company ITV failed to make safe the This Morning broadcast studio. The carpenter, who has been a member of the union BECTU for nearly 40 years, fell into an uncovered ditch in the studio and sustained a cartilage tear in his right knee after his request that the ditch be made safe was ignored. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 661 8226 5 July 2014 Britain: Faulty chair injures bus driver A bus driver from Leicester has secured an undisclosed payout from First Group after he was injured by a dodgy chair the firm had neglected to fix. The Unite member, whose name has not been released, was injured when his seat collapsed as the bus passing over a speed bump. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 660 8226 28 June 2014 Britain: Donrsquot deny rights to injury victims, says STUC Scotlandrsquos top union body has called on a Scottish parliament committee to uphold access to justice for the victims of workplace injuries. STUC is urging the justice committee to support amendments submitted by John Finnie MSP to the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill, to protect rights including legal representation. Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill webpages 8226 Out-Law 8226 Risks 659 8226 21 June 2014 Britain: Attack ends career of nursing assistant A former nursing assistant was forced to retire on health grounds after an assault by a patient. Andrew Eurich, who has been awarded a 13,000 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme payout, tore the cartilage in his lower back while restraining the patient and will be on painkillers for the rest of his life. Boston Target 8226 Risks 659 8226 21 June 2014 Britain: Injured bus cleaner wins justice A Unite member has secured a 3,500 payout after being injured in a heavy fall over an exposed drain cover at the bus depot where he worked. The man, whose name has not been released, was walking towards a double decker bus at the Gloucestershire depot in order to clean it when he tripped on a drain cover protruding an inch above the floor, falling heavily onto his left hand side and fracturing ribs. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 659 8226 21 June 2014 Britain: Scots asbestos sufferers face compensation blow Planned legal changes in Scotland could mean those suffering from asbestos-related illnesses could lose out on legal representation and compensation, a member of the Scottish parliament (MSP) has said. The Scottish governmentrsquos Court Reform Bill - which is currently being considered by MSPs - would mean some cases would be downgraded from the Court of Session to sheriff courts, or a new specialist personal injury court. Greenock Telegraph 8226 Risks 658 8226 14 June 2014 Britain: Prospects are poor for injured lorry driver An HGV driver many never return to work after a preventable incident at work left him with serious injuries to his neck and shoulder. Unite member Steven Bardrick was delivering goods to Spicer Limited, his employer when he was injured. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 658 8226 14 June 2014 Britain: Court clash over blacklisting compensation scheme Construction unions have successfully blocked moves by major contractors to contact blacklisted workers directly with compensation offers. Lawyers representing the firms involved in setting up The Construction Workers Compensation Scheme in October last year applied to the High Court to use the blacklisting database of 3,213 names to contact listed workers, but were told it could break the solicitorsrsquo code of conduct. GMB news release 8226 Construction Enquirer 8226 Western Daily Press 8226 Risks 658 8226 14 June 2014 Britain: Heroism Bill is really blame-the-worker lsquogobbledygookrsquo A new law the government says will protect lsquogood Samaritans and community heroesrsquo could be just another lsquosinisterrsquo attack on workers suffering occupational injuries and diseases, the TUC has warned. Announcing the planned law, which is due to take effect next year and which the government says is necessary ldquoto tackle the growth of compensation culturerdquo, justice secretary Chris Grayling said: ldquoI donrsquot want us to be a society where a responsible employer gets the blame for someone doing something stupid. rdquo TUC Stronger Unions blog 8226 MoJ news release 8226 Conservative Home 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Risks 657 8226 7 June 2014 Britain: Clutha victims still wait for compensation No-one injured or bereaved in the Glasgow helicopter crash has yet received compensation, despite a system of ldquostrict liabilityrdquo on the operator. Ten people were killed and many more injured after a police helicopter crashed on the Clutha Vaults pub in Glasgow in November 2013. Herald 8226 Risks 656 8226 31 May 2014 Britain: Union wins legal victory for asbestos victims Unite has won a judicial review against HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) which means that, when requested to do so by a coroner, HMRC has to produce the work history of a person suspected to have died from industrial disease. HMRC had recently overturned years of practice of issuing work histories if the deceased personrsquos relatives consented and were now refusing to do so without a High Court order. Unite press release 8226 Risks 656 8226 31 May 2014 Britain: Cruelty of asbestos payout scheme exposed The widow of a man who died from asbestos-related cancer is set to miss out on a six figure payout from a government compensation scheme, because he was diagnosed a few days before the scheme kicked in. Sid Pointon, 73, was diagnosed with cancer just 10 days before the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme cut-off for payments to help families who have lost loved ones because of the killer dust. Manchester Evening News 8226 Risks 655 8226 24 May 2014 Britain: Labour promises more support for asbestos victims The next Labour government will provide fresh assistance to victims of asbestos, a shadow minister has pledged. Rachel Reeves, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said a future Labour administration will ldquobe enshrining in a law a levy on the insurance industry, to secure a sustainable funding stream for improved compensation for victims and ongoing research into the disease and its treatment. rdquo UCATT news release 8226 Heating and Ventilation News 8226 Risks 655 8226 24 May 2014 Britain: Traumatised train driver may be the last to get payout A train driver traumatised after a suicidal person walked in front of his 125mph train in March 2012 could be the last to receive a payout from an official criminal injuries compensation scheme. Under cost-cutting rule changes introduced on 26 November 2012, many workers including some victims of violence at work and train drivers traumatised by a suicide on the track are excluded from payments from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. The Independent 8226 Risks 653 8226 10 May 2014 Britain: Prison officer forced to retire after violent assault A prison officer was forced to leave the profession after being violently assaulted by an inmate. The Prison Officers Association (POA) member, who was left with debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the attack by an inmate, has secured a lsquosignificantrsquo sum of compensation with the help of the union. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 652 8226 3 May 2014 Britain: Icy slip ended care workerrsquos career A management decision to ignore a basic safety requirement meant a dedicated care support worker could not work again. The sheltered housing scheme employee, whose name has not been released, was forced to retire early after being knocked unconscious when she slipped on an icy and ungritted pavement. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 652 8226 3 May 2014 Britain: Forty year career ended by employer negligence A Unite member has secured compensation after he fell twice on the icy tailgate of a lorry while working for Stonegate Farmers. Roy Gardiner, of Melksham in Wiltshire, was working for Stonegate Farmersrsquo delivery firm when he slipped on the tailgate on two separate occasions while loading pallets into his van. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 652 8226 3 May 2014 Britain: Bank carpet tile trip forced retirement A bank worker injured in when she tripped and fell over a lose carpet tile ended up losing her job as result. Susan Green, who worked at a branch of Barclays Bank in south-east London, was walking back to her workstation after retrieving a fax when she tripped. Simpson Millar Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 652 8226 3 May 2014 Britain: TUC explodes the lsquocompensation mythrsquo Workplace compensation cases have fallen by more than 50 per cent in the last decade, reveals a new joint report from the TUC and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). lsquoThe compensation mythrsquo which tackles seven myths about compensation smashes the misconception of a rise in risk aversion driven by a compensation culture. TUC news release 8226 The Compensation Myth. TUCAPIL, April 2014 8226 APIL news release 8226 Insurance Times 8226 More background on the statistics 8226 Risks 651 8226 26 April 2014 Britain: No tears after top Toryrsquos legal costs shocker A top Tory acquitted of criminal charges but left with a 130,000 legal bill is getting a bitter taste of how his partyrsquos policies have hit injured workers who now have to hand over part of any settlement. Before his arrest, Conservative MP and former deputy speaker Nigel Evans made statements about the need to cut legal aid and admitted he would probably have voted for the last round of cuts in 2011 had he not been deputy speaker at the time. TUC Stronger Unions blog 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Risks 651 8226 26 April 2014 Britain: Donrsquot fall for blacklisting payouts scam Blacklisted workers are being told to steer clear of a compensation scheme set up by construction firms but not agreed with unions. Unions Unite and UCATT say the scheme is too restricted, too mean and wonrsquot deliver justice. UNITE news release 8226 UCATT news release 8226 Risks 651 8226 26 April 2014 Britain: Two-year delay in diagnosing lifting hernia Heavy lifting at work can cause hernias, a union compensation case has confirmed although it took two years before the affected workerrsquos health problem was acknowledged officially. The GMB member sustained a hernia when he had to move a heavy metal bench 100 feet from one side of a warehouse to the other. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 650 8226 12 April 2014 Britain: Auto assessor forced to retire after work fall An automotive assessor employed by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council was forced to retire after a five foot fall at work. John Williams, a UNISON member for nine years, was leaning into a car on a mechanical ramp to inspect the handbrake when, without his knowledge, a trainee raised the ramp from ground level. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 648 8226 29 March 2014 Britain: Lugging school spuds caused shoulder injury A kitchen worker at Pengar School in Llanelli was left in agony after continually lifting sacks of potatoes onto a trolley. The potato peeling machine in Tina Bowenrsquos school kitchen had been broken for a long time, so the UNISON member had to use a machine at a different school which required her to lift the heavy sacks of potatoes onto a trolley and push them across a car park. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 648 8226 29 March 2014 Britain: Support worker suffers career ending injury A community care assistant from Swansea had to give up her job after she injured her back lifting at work. The UNISON member, 56, who has received an undisclosed payout, had asked her Swansea council employer for a sling with handles to make moving a heavy older man easier but the council failed to provide this additional support. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 647 8226 22 March 2014 Britain: Government nudges up asbestos cancer payouts Victims of the fatal asbestos-induced cancer mesothelioma who canrsquot trace a liable employer or an employersrsquo liability insurer will from April be able to apply for compensation packages worth an average of 123,000. The payouts, which have been increased by the government after criticism from victimsrsquo groups, are still 20 per cent short of the average from a normal civil claim. DWP news release 8226 Irwin Mitchell news release 8226 Risks 646 8226 15 March 2014 Britain: Tata Steel in six figure payout to injured worker An employee at a Tata Steel plant in Wales has secured 235,000 in compensation after a serious incident at work which almost cost him his leg. The 54-year-old Unite member was unable to work for a year and has since been seconded into a different, less physically demanding position within the company. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 646 8226 15 March 2014 Britain: Window cleaning boss fined for insurance failings The boss of a County Durham window cleaning firm has been fined for failing to prove he held the legally-required insurance that enables employees to claim compensation should they be injured at work. Darlington Magistratesrsquo Court heard that Jason Mawson was invited by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to voluntarily produce his insurance certificate on a number of occasions but he failed to do so. HSE news release 8226 Risks 645 8226 8 March 2014 Britain: Injured prison worker wins landmark liability case A prison catering manager seriously injured when an inmate dropped a 25kg (55lb) sack of food on her has had her compensation bid backed by top judges. Susan Coxs legal union team argued on appeal the prison service was liable for the inmates actions in the same way that it would be responsible for the negligence of any employee. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Risks 644 8226 1 March 2014 Britain: Unite warning on claims management rip off Unite is taking a professional negligence claim against two high street law firms who failed a former food worker with industrial deafness. The law firms, acting for a claims management company, were engaged after the former Northern Foods employee and Unite retired member responded to a radio ad by a company offering to investigate deafness cases. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 644 8226 1 March 2014 Britain: Civil enforcement officer hit by dangerous driver A civil enforcement officer from Leeds has received compensation after she was hit by a car while on duty. UNISON member Jane Cannan was walking down a road in Otley in West Yorkshire when a Land Rover driver lost control as he parked the vehicle. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 644 8226 1 March 2014 Britain: Jack failure led to career-ending facial injury A welder from Manchester suffered a facial fracture so severe it ended his career and left him on benefits and needing to wear a prosthetic mask when outdoors. The 49-year-old Unite member, whose name has not been released but who has receive a 500,000 payout, was working for the Hulme Group repairing commercial vehicles when a hydraulic jack he was using to hold the metal in place gave way and struck him in the face. Thompsons news release 8226 Manchester Evening News 8226 Risks 643 8226 22 February 2014 Britain: Justice could be denied in Scotland The Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) has said it is ldquodeeply disappointedrdquo that victims of work-related injury and illness in Scotland are going to be denied a new, more efficient route to redress with proper representation. Commenting on newly announced provisions of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill, STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said. ldquoHaving been initially led to believe that the reforms would allow victims the choice of having their case heard in the new specialist Personal Injury Court, we now understand that for many, possibly the majority, this facility will be denied. rdquo STUC news release 8226 Risks 642 8226 15 February 2014 Canada: Work-related breast cancer must be compensated Compensation authorities in Canada should recognise cases of work-related breast cancer and approve payouts to those affected, a top cancer research has said. Michael Gilbertson, who co-authored a 2012 research paper demonstrating greatly elevated cancer risks in a range of occupations from farm work to metal and plastics manufacture (Risks 583 ), said: ldquoWhen the precedent is set, it will be dramatic and will likely revolutionise breast cancer activism and the social movements involved in reform of environmental protection and occupational standards. rdquo Prevent Cancer Now 8226 Risks 641 8226 8 February 2014 Britain: Small college trip leads to big pain A college lecturer who suffered a serious hip injury is a fall at work has received compensation. UCU member Neil Brindley, a college lecturer from Romford, was teaching a class when he stepped on a faulty power supply cover in the floor. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 640 8226 1 February 2014 Norway: Landmark win on mercury at work Health workers exposed to mercury were harmed and should be compensated, Norwayrsquos top court has ruled. Former dental nurse Bertha Regine Serigstad took the union-backed case against her government employer all the way to Norwayrsquos Supreme Court. PSI news report 8226 Risks 638 8226 18 January 2013 Britain: Floor slip polished off career for prison officer A former prison officer from Sunderland had to give up work after he fell on a polished floor while attending an alarm call. Prison Officersrsquo Association (POA) member David Hunter suffered multiple injuries including a scaphoid injury to his left hand, a tear to the rotator cuff in his left shoulder and bruising to his ribs. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 638 8226 18 January 2013 Britain: Injury cost gardener his job A gardener couldnrsquot return to work for three years and eventually had to leave his job after suffering devastating injuries caused by a faulty lorry tailgate. The 52-year-old Unite member from Bristol, whose name has not been released, suffered neck and shoulder injuries and required three operations and physiotherapy over a period of two years to repair nerve damage to his spine. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Union News 8226 Risks 638 8226 18 January 2013 Britain: Government blocks justice for mesothelioma victims Eight years ago the TUC proposed a no-fault fund of last resort for people who were injured or who developed any disease through work but where their employer had not got insurance, or the insurer could not be traced. Now a coalition government bill, which had been criticised by asbestos disease advocacy groups and unions for is every limited scope it only compensates one asbestos cancer, mesothelioma - and reduced payouts, had its final stage in the Commons. TUC Stronger Unions blog 8226 Northern Echo 8226 Western Morning News 8226 Huddersfield Examiner 8226 Risks 637 8226 11 January 2014 Britain: Leg injured after firm left a hole in the floor UNISON member Karen Dowling, a senior support worker with Leicester Housing Association, has received compensation after suffered a serious leg injury when she fell through a hole in the floor. The association had taken up up a board but not replaced it. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 635 8226 14 December 2013 Britain: Injury exposes back-breaking library work risks A library assistant who suffered a manual handling injury while working for Flintshire County Council developed permanent back problems that mean she can no longer work. The 54-year-old UNISON member from Wales was instructed by council managers to help move 80,000 books from one area of the library to another over four months in 2008 and 2009. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 635 8226 14 December 2013 Britain: Actor was badly injured in on-stage duel An award-winning actor who was blinded in one eye in a stage duel has won ldquosubstantialrdquo damages in a union-backed claim. Equity member David Birrell, 47, took legal action after a blank-firing revolver he was using at Londonrsquos Donmar Warehouse misfired and he lost the sight in his right eye. Equity news release 8226 London Evening Standard 8226 Risks 634 8226 7 December 2013 Britain: Sellafield leg amputee worker awarded settlement A Unite member has been awarded a seven figure cash settlement after an incident at a nuclear plant in Cumbria led to part of his leg being amputated. Mechanical fitter Kenneth Brown, from Workington, was employed by a contractor at the Sellafield site when he was hit by a cherry picker in May 2011. Unite news release 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Morning Star 8226 Risks 631 8226 16 November 2013 Britain: ASLEF supports member after tram derails A tram driver suffered injuries to her left shoulder and ribs after a bus crashed into the side of her tram. Alison Dungate, a member of the train driversrsquo union ASLEF, was driving over a busy intersection in Croydon in September 2008 when a bus drove into the front left-hand side of the tram with such force the tram was derailed. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 630 8226 9 November 2013 USA: A double victim of a weak dust standard Lax official dust exposure standards not only left a US worker sick, they cost him his compensation too. The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that furnace operator Randy Torris was properly denied the payouts because the company was compliant with dust standards enforced by the official workplace safety watchdog OSHA. West Virginia Record 8226 Risks 628 8226 26 October 2013 Britain: Injustice prolonged after firefightersrsquo deaths Firefightersrsquo union FBU has said the families of two firefighters killed at work must be given peace and justice and not subjected to another painful court hearing. The union was commenting after an unsuccessful appeal this week by East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service against a July High Court ruling saying it must pay compensation to the bereaved families of firefighter Geoff Wicker, 49, and fire service cameraman Brian Wembridge, 63. FBU news release 8226 Risks 626 8226 12 October 2013 Britain: Northern Rail maintenance failures led to injury A rail conductor left with a permanent back injury caused by improperly maintained equipment has received a 20,000 compensation settlement from his employer, Northern Rail. RMT member Andrew Madden from Pontefract ended up undergoing emergency surgery to his back and having a metal pin inserted in his wrist and being off work for 10 months. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 629 8226 2 November 2013 Britain: Care home worker was badly burned A care home worker with the now defunct Southern Cross company suffered severe burns while working at one of its Bristol care homes. The 67-year-old, whose name has not been released, has been left with scarring and sensitivity after burning her hand at a care home in the Nailsea area while preparing meals for the 60 elderly residents in 2011. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 629 8226 2 November 2013 Britain: Safety lsquoto dorsquo list didnrsquot get done A Unite member was left with permanent damage to his wrist after a known safety problem went unresolved by global manufacturing company NSK Bearings. The 42-year-old production operative, whose name has not been released, fell heavily and fractured his wrist after his tripped over a fence post - investigation by Unite, which pursued a compensation claim on behalf of their injured member, found that removing the fence post had been on NSK Bearingrsquos lsquohealth and safety to do listrsquo. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 629 8226 2 November 2013 Britain: Slip cost bus driver his job A bus driver ended up losing his job after a bus company failed to grit its car park and he was injured when he slipped on ice. A Unite-backed compensation claim was due to be heard at Newcastle County Court in October 2013, but Go North East instead settled his claim for 130,000. Beecham Peacock news release 8226 Risks 625 8226 5 October 2013 Britain: Charities furious at one-sided asbestos consultation Asbestos charities have expressed their fury to justice minister Helen Grant over what they believe is the excessive influence of the insurance industry on the governmentrsquos cancer compensation policy. In a 23 September meeting, the groups told justice minister Helen Grant the ldquopartisanrdquo consultation lsquoReforming Mesothelioma Claimsrsquo would disadvantage people suffering from the always fatal asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Asbestos Forum news release 8226 Post Online 8226 Risks 624 8226 28 September 2013 Britain: High price of a failure to fix a leaking tap A firm has had to stump up 6,000 after its failure to fix a leaking tap led to a security guard suffering a serious knee injury. PCS member Colin Hillyard, 60, required knee surgery and had to take four months off work after slipping on a wet floor. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 624 8226 28 September 2013 Britain: National Grid lsquoignored vibration riskrsquo A GMB member will suffer health problems for life after excessive exposure to vibrating work tools while employed by the National Grid. The man from Lincoln, whose name has not been release, had been employed as a craftsman by National Grid for 32 years, where his work regularly involved using tools such as jack hammers, whackers, rock drills and vibration rollers. Thompsons Solicitors new release 8226 Risks 624 8226 28 September 2013 Bangladesh: Workers still awaiting compensation Five months after the devastating Rana Plaza factory building collapse in Bangladesh that claimed 1,129 lives and injured thousands of others, only one manufacturer has come forward to compensate the victims. Unions and victims groups are seeking 34.6 million compensation from the retailers who benefited from the workers conditions but a meeting in Geneva with retailers got nowhere after only nine of the twenty-eight brands that were supplied by Rana Plaza showed up. IndustriALL 8226 Sign SumOfUs. orgs petition to River Island to sign up to a key safety plan for Bangladesh 8226 Risks 623 8226 21 September 2013 Britain: Union points blame for compensation claims A north-east England teaching union has said that cuts in health and safety regulation and poor school buildings are to blame for compensation payments made to teachers and pupils in the region. The local press have reported that more than 360,000 has been paid out to children and teachers involved in accidents at schools in the region over the past three years. Chronicle. TUC on compensation culture 8226 Risks 623 8226 21 September 2013 Canada: Justice sought with new asbestos registry The union representing people who worked at a notorious asbestos mine on Newfoundlands Baie Verte Peninsula is demanding changes to eligibility criteria that prevented most of them from receiving compensation. The United Steelworkers union (USW) says health information gathered by the Baie Verte miners registry shows people were unfairly denied compensation for diseases caused by exposure to chrysotile, or white, asbestos. Baie Verte Miners Registry and Out of the fog film explaining the background to the registry. CBC News. March 2009 USW news release giving the background to the registryrsquos creation 8226 TUC news release 8226 Risks 622 8226 14 September 2013 Britain: Unilever forced to pay up for safety hazards A production line operative with Unilever suffered a bad injury to his left knee when an electrical fault caused a guard door to swing open. The Unite member was stacking empty ice cream tubs on a production line at the multinationalrsquos Gloucestershire factory when he heard a loud bang and felt the guard door he was stood in front of swing sharply into his knee. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 TUC news release 8226 Risks 622 8226 14 September 2013 Britain: Faulty equipment caused workerrsquos life-long injury Northampton-based KAB Seating Ltd has been brought to book by Unite after poor safety standards saw one of its members left with permanent damage to his hand. Machine operative Stephen Wallinger, 56, had to take six months off work and faced a surgical procedure to relieve intense pain in his left hand after sub-standard manufacturing equipment at the car seat factory led to the workplace injury. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 TUC news release 8226 Risks 622 8226 14 September 2013 Britain: Fire service lsquoprolongs the painrsquo for the bereaved An appeal by a fire service against a court ruling that it should pay compensation after the deaths of two firefighters in a 2006 fireworks blaze will prolong the pain for the bereaved, firefightersrsquo union FBU has said. FBU news release and statement on Stephen Hunt 8226 Risks 621 8226 7 September 2013 Britain: Worker suffers hand damage at brake factory A Unite member from Hartlepool who lost part of his finger and suffered nerve damage after his hand was trapped in a faulty machine at work has been awarded more than 25,000 in compensation. Gordon Cranney, a production operative at TMD Friction, was trying to release a jammed brake pad when his hand became trapped. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 621 8226 7 September 2013 Britain: Six years of trauma after nail gun injury A joiner had to endure a six year medical and legal battle following a workplace injury involving a nail gun. Patrick Meek, a joiner from Gloucestershire. was injured while making wooden pallets in the summer of 2007 because he hadnrsquot been trained to safely and securely stabilise the wood. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 621 8226 7 September 2013 Britain: Pallet truck crushes foot A lorry loader from Oxfordshire was left with tendon and ligament damage when his foot was crushed at work. The Bidvest Logistics employee, whose name has not been released, was loading the back of a lorry when a colleague driving a powered pallet truck (PPT) crashed into him and trapped his left foot. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 620 8226 31 August 2013 Britain: Firm fined for failing to hold insurance A Sunderland firm has been fined for failing to hold the statutory insurance that enables employees to claim compensation if they are injured at work. An investigation was carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following lsquoinformation receivedrsquo suggesting Sun Spirit Ltd was uninsured. Sunderland Magistrates Court heard that HSE inspectors found the company did not hold any Employers Liability Compulsory Insurance between 9 February and 13 December 2012. HSE news release 8226 Risks 619 8226 24 August 2013 Britain: Worker injured by dodgy press A machine operator had his finger crushed in a faulty press and became one of the last people to receive ldquostrict liabilityrdquo compensation before it was ended as part of insurer-friendly government cuts. Tony Render, 51, was injured while using the press in 2011 at a Federal Mogul Ltd factory in Bradford that manufactured hinge pins for the car industry. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 619 8226 24 August 2013 Britain: Night worker injured by railway sleeper A rail freight worker was injured while conducting a night-time safety check on a Carlisle railway line. Unite member Stephen Adams, 51, who worked for the rail freight operating company DB Schenker Rail UK Limited, was walking a rail route in the early hours of the morning in October 2010 when he tripped on a railway sleeper that had been left on the walkway. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 619 8226 24 August 2013 Britain: Injury is a wake-up call for nurseries A back injury court win for a nursery worker has highlighted a lack of awareness in the sector of the importance of workplace risk assessments, an expert has said. Aileen Cooper, who worked at Bright Horizons Rothamsted Little Stars Nursery in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, secured a legal victory at the High Court, which found the nursery group to be liable for her severe disability, caused by placing a baby in a defective cot, after she developed a rare condition known as Cauda Equina Syndrome. Nursery World 8226 Risks 618 8226 17 August 2013 Britain: Judge backs workers on protective footwear Employers should provide protective footwear to staff who work outdoors, a court has ruled. The Court of Session in Edinburgh made the landmark ruling in a UNISON-backed legal case involving care worker Tracey Kennedy who fell on an icy path outside a patients home. Digby Brown Solicitors news release 8226 Opinion of Lord McEwan 8226 Glasgow Herald 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Risks 618 8226 17 August 2013 Britain: Chemical spill led to painful slip An Alcan Aluminium employee needed knee surgery after slipping on a chemical that had leaked onto a workshop floor. The GMB member from Newbiggin by the Sea was repairing a large crucible pot used at the now mothballed factory, which made aluminium products at the site in Lynemouth, Northumberland. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 618 8226 17 August 2013 Britain: Factory noise led to tinnitus A machine operator was left with serious hearing difficulties after his employers failed to provide him with appropriate hearing protection. Joseph Shaw now requires a hearing aid due to the damage caused by the noisy machinery at engineering firms Warrington Wheel and Titan Distribution and Thames Board Mills. Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 617 8226 10 August 2013 Britain: TUC hits back after new compo attacks The TUC has criticised a new push by insurers and the government to limit access to compensation. The union rebuttal came after Axa chief Paul Evans told the Daily Telegraph that ldquocompensation culture is becoming a real issue for societyrdquo, and justice minister Helen Grant said: ldquoWe are turning the tide on the compensation culture which has pushed up the cost of insurance for drivers, schools and business and taking another important step to reducing the cost of living for ordinary people. rdquo Ministry of Justice news release 8226 Thompsons Solicitors news release. 8226 Daily Telegraph 8226 Robbed. Hazards magazine 8226 Risks 617 8226 10 August 2013 Justice prevails after firefighter deaths Firefightersrsquo union FBU has welcomed a High Court judgment supporting the families of two firefighters killed in a fireworks blaze at Marlie Farm in 2006. The court concluded East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service must pay compensation to the bereaved families of firefighter Geoff Wicker, 49, and fire service cameraman Brian Wembridge, 63. FBU news release 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Risks 616 8226 3 August 2013 Britain: Government dishonesty over compensation culturersquo The government is being dishonest about the UKs compensation culture in order to justify cutting basic health and safety protections at work, according to a TUC-backed report. The report, by the workers health journal Hazards, shows that far from being a compensation free-for-all, as ministers claim, the number of people actually receiving awards for work-related injuries or diseases has fallen by 60 per cent over the last decade - down from 219,183 in 200001 to 87,655 in 201112. TUC news release 8226 Robbed. Hazards magazine, Number 122, 2013 8226 The Independent 8226 The Mirror 8226 The Herald 8226 Huffington Post and related story 8226 Financial Times 8226 The Information Daily 8226 International Business Times 8226 Risks 616 8226 3 August 2013 Britain: Thousands lose out because of cruel asbestos law Campaigners fighting for compensation for asbestos victims have warned the government that thousands of people will be denied justice if it doesnrsquot strengthen its new Mesothelioma Bill. Asbestos Victims Support Group Forum chair Tony Whitston said that the mesothelioma sufferers and their families were ldquobitterly disappointedrdquo at the insurers refusal to pay 100 per cent compensation and to backdate those payments to at least February 2010. Morning Star 8226 Get Surrey 8226 IBAS Mesothelioma Day round-up 8226 Risks 615 8226 27 July 2013 Britain: School slip cost worker her job An infant school worker was forced to give up the job she loved after badly damaging her knees when she slipped on spilled liquid and fell. The 60-year-old senior early learning years practitioner, had to undergo five operations, including two complex knee replacements. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 613 8226 13 July 2013 Britain: Safety slip up led to punctured lung A 64-year-old factory worker was left with broken ribs and a punctured lung after his employer failed to comply with workplace health and safety regulations and he slipped on a wet shower room floor. Terrence Featherstone, from Ilkeston in Derbyshire, was working as a production operative for Stanton Bonna Concrete Ltd at the time of the incident. Thompsons Solicitors 8226 Risks 611 8226 29 June 2013 Britain: Union seeks compensation for fall victim A union is to seek compensation for a worker paralysed in a workplace fall. GMB announced it was planning legal action on behalf of Phillip Gates after his supervisor was fined for criminal safety breaches. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 611 8226 29 June 2013 USA: Injured workers donrsquot claim compensation Over a third of work-related injuries seen in US emergency rooms are not the subject of a workersrsquo compensation claim, with the figure rising to almost half for occupational diseases, a new study has found. The study, published in the journal Health Services Research by researchers with the US governmentrsquos National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), analysed four years of data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), a representative sample of US emergency room visits. Groenewold MR and Baron SL. The proportion of work-related emergency department visits not expected to be paid by Workers Compensation: Implications for occupational health surveillance, research, policy, and health equity. Health Services Research, 13 May 2013, published online ahead of print. The Pump Handle blog 8226 Risks 608 8226 8 June 2013 Canada: Golden axe exposes compensation cuts The Ontario Network of Injured Worker Groups has unveiled a golden axe in protest at cuts to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board system. The network says there has been a dramatic increase in the number of claims refused by the board, coinciding with an ldquoausterity programmerdquo that saw a Can631 million reduction in payouts from 2010-2011. Ontario Network of Injured Worker Groups news release 8226 8 June 2013 Britain: Injured site workers too scared to claim Construction workers who suffer preventable accidents at work are putting job security before personal safety because they are too afraid to take legal action, a survey of 200 injured workers has found. Personal injury law firm Fletchers Solicitors, which carried out the study, said it has witnessed a 20 per cent decrease in accident at work claims over the past year. SHP Online 8226 Risks 608 8226 8 June 2013 Britain: Bus cleaner nearly killed by flesh eating disease A worker was ldquofour hours from deathrdquo after being infected by a flesh eating disease caused by a piece of metal left on the floor at work, with the injury leading to the amputation of her left leg. Izzy Lloyd, 49, was working at an Arriva Southern Counties Limited bus depot in Maidstone on 6 April 2010 when she was injured as she alighted from the bus she had been cleaning in the engineering bay. Unite news release 8226 Kent Online 8226 Risks 608 8226 8 June 2013 Britain: BAE pays out after drillerrsquos wrist injury A GMB member had to give up his trade as a driller when he suffered a serious wrist injury at work. The 29-year-old from Barrow in Furness is now stuck in a desk-based job as a quality assurance engineer after suffering a fractured wrist and torn ligaments when the drill he was manoeuvring suddenly spun around because it had not been fitted with a safety switch. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 605 8226 18 May 2013 Britain: Whitehall security bollard injured a driver A delivery driver had to undergo surgery for an injury he sustained while exiting a secure area in Whitehall. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union member was leaving Whitehall in a work van on 8 September 2009 when a submerged security bollard he was driving over was released prematurely by a police officer. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 604 8226 11 May 2013 Britain: Defective crane leads to deformed finger A platerrsquos finger has been left deformed after it crushed by a defective crane. The 26-year-old GMB member from Gateshead, whose name has not been released, now has a mangled and desensitised left index finger which he cannot fully bend after the incident at an unnamed multinational on Wearside. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 604 8226 11 May 2013 Britain: Compensation move puts ideology over justice The passage of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act means workers will only be able to claim compensation for a workplace injury or disease if they can demonstrate employer negligence, even if it is accepted that employer had broken criminal safety laws. TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson said: ldquoIt is about bare, raw political ideology from the anti-worker pro-business Tory hawks. rdquo TUC Stronger Unions blog 8226 Risks 603 8226 4 May 2013 Britain: Dry liner survives 35ft ladder fall A self-employed construction worker suffered multiple injuries in a 35ft fall from an unsecured ladder, but at least secured compensation thanks to his union membership. The 26-year-old GMB member from Torrington, Devon, was lucky to survive when his ladder slipped and he fell from the third floor of a new build house onto a concrete floor. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 602 8226 27 April 2013 Britain: Government forces through law to rob injured workers The government has successfully pushed through a new law that will remove the right to claim compensation for injuries caused by a criminal breach of workplace health and safety regulations. The change was spelled out in an amendment to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, which received Royal Assent on 25 April and now becomes law. UNISON news release 8226 Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 602 8226 27 April 2013 Britain: Surgical team worker suffers back injury A member of a surgical team who suffered a back injury while manoeuvring a patient has received 21,500 compensation. The 49-year-old GMB member from Cornwall has been left with long term back pain following the injury while working at Derriford Hospital. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 601 8226 20 April 2013 Britain: Injury move lsquoa charter for rogue employersrsquo A government plan that will make it harder for workers to claim legitimate compensation for injuries at work has been criticised by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectorsrsquo union Prospect. The union condemnation came after a 16 April vote by MPs to over-rule the House of Lords and go ahead with plans to remove the right to use criminal breaches of safety law by an employer as grounds for a personal injury compensation claim by a worker suffering an occupational injury or disease. Prospect news release 8226 Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill debate. House of Commons, 16 April 2013, Hansard report 8226 TUC briefing on the Bill 8226 Risks 601 8226 20 April 2013 Britain: FBU defends injured firefighters Firefighters who are injured at work are entitled to and should seek compensation, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said. FBU highlighted the case of firefighters who were poisoned by Campylobacter bacteria during a water training course in Nottingham, with several becoming ill with serious stomach complaints, and some developing lifelong bowel problems as a result. FBU news release 8226 Risks 601 8226 20 April 2013 Britain: Care worker assaulted five times A care worker attacked five times by a teenager who should have been placed in a secure unit has been left unable to work. The youngster was not moved to a secure unit until April 2009, three months after the final assault on the UNISON member, by which time she was off work. UNISON news release 8226 Risks 601 8226 20 April 2013 compo Britain: Factory noise caused deafness A Unite member who was exposed to dangerous levels of noise at work for over 25 years developed occupational deafness and tinnitus as a result. The 58-year-old from Loughborough, whose hearing became damaged while working for Brush Electrical Machines from 1986, received 9,500 in damages in a union-backed compensation case. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 601 8226 20 April 2013 Britain: Fall cuts short workerrsquos career A civilian police worker had to retire early after injuring his back when he fell down a flight of stairs. The 61-year-old GMB member badly injured his back in the fall at West Yorkshire Police headquarters in Wakefield in November 2008. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 600 8226 13 April 2013 Britain: Steel employee injured in ammonia fog A steelworker suffered a serious shoulder injury after his vision was clouded by ammonia vapour. Unite member Phillip Walters, 54, a shift support technician at the Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot, was walking past an incinerator when it blew out a cloud of ammonia vapour temporarily affecting his sight. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Risks 599 8226 30 March 2013 Britain: Injury after firm provided wrong equipment A factory worker suffered a fractured foot after he was provided with the wrong type of equipment to move heavy alloy bars. GMB member Michael Kirby, 47, suffered two fractured metatarsals in his left foot and was off work for seven weeks following the incident at Ross amp Catherall Ltd in Sheffield. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 599 8226 30 March 2013 Britain: Rail worker compensated for vibration injury An RMT member who suffered permanent damage to his hands caused by excessive levels of vibration from workplace tools has received a lsquosubstantial sumrsquo in compensation. Kevin Thornton, 48, developed hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), a condition which causes numbness and loss of grip, through working with vibrating tools for 22 years for Network Rail and its predecessors, including British Rail. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 New TUC guide on hand-arm vibration syndrome 8226 Risks 598 8226 23 March 2013 Canada: Court recognises diesel cancer A mining union has welcomed a decision by the Superior Court in Quebec, Canada, which has recognised the diesel exhaust-related lung cancer suffered by a mining worker as an occupational disease. ldquoThis is a very important decision, because its the first time that a causal link between lung cancer and diesel smoke exposure has been recognised, rdquo said union representative Marc Thibodeau. USW news release 8226 Risks 597 8226 16 March 2013 Britain: Unions welcome government defeat on payouts A decision by peers to throw out a government plan that would have denied some injured workers compensation has been hailed as a ldquovictory for common senserdquo by unions. UNISON news release 8226 PCS news release 8226 Hansard report on Lords Report stage debate - Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, amendment 80A. 6 March 2013 8226 TUC briefing on the Bill 8226 Risks 597 8226 16 March 2013 Britain: Wrists at risk wherever you work Two cases where workers in very different industries suffered broken wrists show it is bad management and not any unavoidable risk of the job that causes workplace injuries. Unite member Ian Jones suffered such a bad break to his wrist in a fall at a Heinz factory in Wigan and a prison workerrsquos left wrist was fractured when it was crushed by a broken down workplace van. Thompsons Solicitors news releases on the Unite and PCS cases 8226 Risks 597 8226 16 March 2013 Britain: Government defeated on compensation changes A government move to limit compensation for work-related injuries and ill-health has been rejected by the House of Lords. Ministers had wanted to end ldquocivil liabilityrdquo on employers, meaning compensation would only be payable if negligence was established, even where the employer was found to be in breach of criminal safety laws. Hansard report on Lords Report stage debate - Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, amendment 80A. 6 March 2013 8226 TUC briefing on the Bill 8226 TUC Stronger Unions blog 8226 Risks 596 8226 9 March 2013 Britain: Joiner developed life-threatening wood allergy A joiner developed a wood allergy which could have killed him after working without adequate protection from Iroko hardwood dust. Brian Ogden, 57, was first exposed to the toxic dust at Classic Joinery Manufacturers in Oldham over 20 years ago. Manchester Evening News 8226 Risks 594 8226 23 February 2013 Britain: Overwork led to serious airport injury An airport worker suffered a broken back when a seriously overworked colleague lost control of a motorised vehicle at Stansted Airport. Mick Draper, 64, from Braintree, Essex was injured in March 2009 when a colleague drove a buggy, used for transporting trailers full of luggage, into a trolley Mr Draper was attending to as part of his job for Swissport. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 594 8226 23 February 2013 Britain: Eye injury ends lorry driverrsquos career An HGV driver employed by Salvesen Logistics in Northampton had to give up his driving licence and lost his job after suffering a serious eye injury at work. Karl Forkin, 43, was securing a trailer in Salvesen Logisticrsquos yard when one of the trailerrsquos upright roof supports sprang out of the locked position and hit him in the face with two tonnes of force. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 593 8226 16 February 2013 Britain: Union helping hand for workerrsquos broken hand A Unite member injured when he stepped in a sunken drain cover as he fixed a company vehicle in the early hours of the morning has received compensation. Vehicle mechanic Peter Day from Swansea was injured when he was working on a broken down Allied Bakeries delivery lorry parked on the bakery premises. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 591 8226 2 February 2013 Britain: JCB vehicle fluids caused dermatitis A GMB member developed a painful skin condition after being exposed to known irritants in the workplace. The 52-year-old from Stafford, whose name has not been released, developed dermatitis after he was exposed to brake fluid and a rust inhibitor while working for JC Bamford Excavators (JCB) in Rocester. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 591 8226 2 February 2013 Britain: Healthcare worker partially blinded by spit A healthcare worker has lost most of the sight in her left eye after a service user spat in it. The 32-year-old UNISON member is awaiting a corneal transplant after an incident at Low Moor Resource Centre in Bradford left her with only 20 per cent vision in the eye. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 590 8226 26 January 2013 Britain: Workplace blighted by vibration disease A Sheffield steel firm has been forced to pay out hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation after 19 workers developed a debilitating condition caused by work with vibrating tools. In one of the highest awards ever paid out by the courts, the Community members at Sheffield based metals company, Firth Rixon, have, in total, been awarded over 812,000 in compensation after suffering from vibration white finger (VWF). Community news release 8226 Risks 590 8226 26 January 2013 Britain: Enterprise Bill lsquostacks odds against workersrsquo Government plans to change workplace law are a license for rogue bosses to let safety standards fall, personal injury experts have warned. Not-for-profit group the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is lobbying against a government amendment to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, which would end a right to compensation for an injury following a criminal breach of safety law by an employer without proof of negligence. APIL news release 8226 Clause 61: Civil liability for breach of health and safety duties. Lords committee hearing, 14 January 2013 8226 Risks 589 8226 19 January 2013 Britain: CWU gives bad footwear the boot The union CWU has won a legal test case over slippery boots issued to postal workers. A number of workers were injured wearing the Hi-Tec Magnum Mk1 boots, which workers maintained had poor grip and durability. Daily Mail 8226 Risks 589 8226 19 January 2013 Britain: Carillion liable for night workerrsquos injury A road maintenance worker working in the dark on an unlit stretch of the A52 needed surgery on a badly damaged ankle after he suffered a fall. Dean Ness, 35, was off work for three months following the operation to mend torn ligaments in his ankle when he stumbled on the kerb while putting cones on the road at Spondon, Derby. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 588 8226 12 January 2013 Britain: Lorry fall leads to vertigo A lorry driver suffered a head injury and lasting health problems after he fell six foot from his truck. The Unite member from Rowley Regis, whose name has not been released, was employed as a delivery driver for RJ Haulage Ltd. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 588 8226 12 January 2013 Britain: Damaged skin points to missing gloves A mechanical engineer developed a painful skin condition when he was exposed to chemicals at work. The 59-year-old Unite member from Plymouth, whose name has not been released, developed dermatitis after he was exposed to several different chemicals in his role as an engineer for Camtec Engineering Ltd. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 588 8226 12 January 2013 Britain: Two injuries led to no job A medical assistant who was injured twice moving heavy trays of equipment while working for the NHS was forced to give up her job. The 47-year-old Unite member from Staines, whose name has not been released, was left with chronic pain syndrome in her neck, shoulder and wrist after the incidents at Ashford and St Peterrsquos NHS Trustrsquos central sterilising department. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 584 8226 1 December 2012 Britain: Hospital pays after ignoring injury warnings A hospital worker who injured her shoulders and neck jerking a defective curtain around a patients bed has been awarded 50,000 in compensation. Linda Mitchell, 59, sustained the injuries at Belford Hospital, Fort William, Scotland. Daily Mail 8226 Risks 584 8226 1 December 2012 Britain: Branch secretary compensated after help from union Unite Barking and Dagenham branch secretary Adele Kaplan has received compensation with the help of her union. Mrs Kaplan ended up on crutches for six weeks after she fell on uneven paving and fractured her foot. Thompsons news release 8226 Risks 585 8226 8 December 2012 Britain: Lords criticise plans to end strict liability Injured workers will be disadvantaged if the government goes ahead with a plan to end the strict liability of employers for safety offences, the House of Lords has heard. An amendment inserted in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill by the government seeks to change safety law to remove the right of individuals to make civil compensation claims for criminal breaches of statutory health and safety duties. Report of House of Lords debate on the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill. Hansard, 14 November 2012. Unite news release 8226 TUC briefing 8226 IER briefing 8226 Sign the petition opposing the changes 8226 Risks 583 8226 24 November 2012 Britain: Driving instructor forced to change direction A driving examiner knocked off his motorbike by a car suffered injuries so severe they forced him to change jobs and give up bike riding. PCS member Daryl Donaldson, 49, was able to return to work after six months but was unable to ride a motorbike and, after the operation on his right wrist and more than a year off work, lost his job on capability grounds. PCS news release 8226 Risks 583 8226 24 November 2012 Britain: Prison officer suffered a fractured jaw A prison officer who was attacked by an inmate who had been transferred from HMP Broadmoor because of bad behaviour has received compensation after it was revealed prison staff hadnrsquot been warned about the prisoners aggressive history. The 45-year-old Prison Officers Association (POA) member from Bicester suffered a badly fractured jaw in the attack at HMP Bullingdon, a category B prison. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 582 8226 17 November 2012 Britain: lsquoSavagedrsquo criminal injuries scheme to go ahead The introduction later this month of a lsquosavagedrsquo version of the government scheme to compensate people injured in violent crimes has been condemned by retail union Usdaw. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has confirmed that the revised Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS) will come into force on 27 November. Usdaw news release and CICA email announcement and CICA webpages and application details 8226 Risks 582 8226 17 November 2012 Britain: Gas depot worker suffers horrific injuries A supervisor at a gas depot suffered life threatening injuries in a huge gas blast, leading to his medical retirement. The 56-year-old Unite member from Bristol suffered severe burns to his head, leg, wrists, ears and back in the horrific incident. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 581 8226 10 November 2012 Britain: Tightfisted firm caused painful hands An engineering worker developed a debilitating skin condition after his employer refused to provide new gloves because they were too expensive. The 49-year-old Unite member from Birmingham, whose name has not been released, developed dermatitis after he was exposed to mineral oil in his role as a press setter for LTI Ltd in Coventry. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 581 8226 10 November 2012 Britain: Ministers lsquostackedrsquo committee on crime payouts Unions and Labour have accused the government of ldquostackingrdquo a parliamentary committee to ensure that controversial changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS) were passed. Shadow justice minister Robert said: ldquoThey had to pack the committee with effectively the payroll vote because they couldnt rely on ordinary backbenchers. rdquo Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, House of Commons Debate. Hansard, 7 November 2012 8226 Usdaw news release 8226 CWU news release 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Morning Star 8226 Risks 581 8226 10 November 2012 Britain: TUC slams changes to liability laws The TUC has strongly criticised moves to prevent workers from gaining compensation when they are injured and the employer has broken a health and safety law that has strict liability. In these cases the employer cannot claim that they did everything reasonably practical, but can be convicted simply for not obeying the law. TUC briefing 8226 Risks 580 8226 3 November 2012 Britain: Government ploughs on with compensation cuts The TUC has condemned the reintroduction of proposals to cut compensation for workers who are the victims of crime through their work. Proposals to slash payments were introduced by the government earlier this yet and then withdrawn in September following cross-party opposition, but have now been hurriedly reintroduced in exactly the same form as before, despite a promise to reconsider the proposals and bring them back in a better form. APIL news release 8226 Risks 580 8226 3 November 2012 Britain: School worker suffers bromine poisoning A school science technician was poisoned by toxic bromine gas after staff complaints about a poorly ventilated chemical cupboard were ignored. UNISON member April Walsh, 34, was exposed to bromine fumes while working as a senior science technician at Richard Rose Central Academy in Carlisle. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 578 8226 20 October 2012 Britain: Government in new attack on safety A government amendment to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill is ldquocompletely illogicalrdquo and ldquoalso sends a clear signal to bosses that the safety of workers is no longer to be considered a priority, rdquo according to a not-for-profit legal group. Karl Tonks, the president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) said changing the law on civil liability could not be justified. APIL news release 8226 Hansard report of 16 October 2012 House of Commons debate. BIS updates on the progress of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill 8226 ASLEF news release 8226 Risks 578 8226 20 October 2012 Britain: Unions condemn attack on violent crime victims Indications the government may proceed with plans to slash compensation for people injured by criminals have been greeted with dismay by unions. Ministers want to cut a quarter of the 200m awarded annually by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in a move that has attracted criticism from senior Tories as well as unions and legal experts. Usdaw news release 8226 The Observer 8226 Risks 577 8226 13 October 2012 Britain: Faulty crane linked to crushed foot A welder needed surgery after a steel beam fell on his foot from a faulty crane. The 51-year-old GMB member from Wetherby, who suffered severe crush injuries including a broken big toe and a large open wound in his foot, received an undisclosed payout. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 577 8226 13 October 2012 Britain: Cleaner felled by building debris A cleaner fractured her foot when she slipped on debris from building works as she walked to work along an unlit pathway. The RMT member from Pwllypant Caerphilly, whose name has not been released, was walking to Arriva Trainsrsquo Canton Depot, where she was due to begin a night shift cleaning trains, when she fell. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 577 8226 13 October 2012 Britain: Union concern at new crime compensation threat Retail union Usdaw has expressed concern at a second attempt by the government to force through cuts to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. The proposed cuts mean 90 per cent of the 30,000 injured crime victims currently helped each year would see their compensation slashed or axed completely. Usdaw news release 8226 House of Commons future business. 8226 Risks 576 8226 6 October 2012 Britain: Asbestos widow driven to a nervous breakdown A Bradford woman who has won a six-year compensation battle over her husbandrsquos death from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma says no amount of money will ever repay her for the toll it has taken on her own health. Margaret Cooper, who suffered a nervous breakdown after dealing with her husbandrsquos illness and death, will find out in November from the High Court exactly how much she will be awarded in a legal case backed by the construction union UCATT. Telegraph amp Argus 8226 Risks 576 8226 6 October 2012 Britain: Drainage worker suffered serious facial injury A Unite member was left with a three inch scar after he was hit in the face by a high pressure hose. The 60-year-old from Dagenham, was using the hose to unblock a sewer at a council house in Hornchurch as part of his role on a drainage team for Morrisons Facilities Services, owned by Anglian Water Services. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 576 8226 6 October 2012 Britain: Body shop worker made deaf A GMB member who was exposed to dangerous levels of noise by his former employer has been compensated. David Neall, 61, received 10,000 in damages after developing occupational tinnitus and hearing loss as a result of working for JB Weightmans, a vehicle body builders in Scunthorpe, from 1966 to 2005. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 576 8226 6 October 2012 Britain: Safety breaches implicated in mine death The family of a miner crushed to death by a giant boulder has received compensation. After a lengthy legal battle, union solicitors were able to prove his employerrsquos failure to follow health and safety rules contributed to the tragedy. NUM member Steve Cosh from Bath was 37 when he died in September 2006 after a roof collapse at Stoke Hill Mine, owned by Bath Stone Group. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 575 8226 29 September 2012 Britain: First aid trip ends in injury A GMB member badly damaged her leg at work after a pothole on a public road caused her to fall on top of a trolley full of first aid supplies. The 38-year-old from Nottingham, whose name has not been released, was left suffering from severe bruising to her left leg. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 575 8226 29 September 2012 Britain: Cyclist knocked off his bike en route to work A cyclist was left unable to work after his back was fractured in a collision with a car on his way to work. Sixty-two year old Unite member Gordon whose surname has not been released - had to give up his job of 20 years as a fitterturner for Bombardier after the incident, the first Gordon had experienced in 40 years of commuting to work by bike. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 575 8226 29 September 2012 Britain: Criminal injury compensation cuts shelved Unions CWU and Usdaw have welcomed a decision not to proceed with drastic cuts to scheme to compensate victims of violent crime, but are seeking assurances from the government after the Ministry of Justice indicated the idea may have been just shelved rather than dropped entirely. Usdaw news release 8226 CWU news release and briefing for MPs 8226 House of Commons Delegated Legislation Committee, 10 September 2012 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Risks 573 8226 15 September 2012 Britain: Civil servant suffered permanent injuries in attack A Newcastle civil servant who had both his arms broken in an unprovoked assault whilst he was walking home, has been awarded damages from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). Gary Miller, 47, was just a few metres from his home when he was assaulted by two men in April 2009. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 573 8226 15 September 2012 Britain: Insurer drags its feet on sore skin payout A factory worker who developed painful dermatitis after he was exposed to harmful materials at work has received compensation in spite of an insurerrsquos delaying tactics. Paul Eames, 47, was exposed to epoxy resin at Hepworth Building Products in Swandlicote, a part of Wavin UK Holdings. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Burton Mail 8226 Risks 573 8226 15 September 2012 Britain: Car transporter driver ruptured Achilles A driver who ruptured his Achilles tendon at work is still suffering from the effects two and a half years later. Unite member Kenan Mason, 49, got his foot caught in the plate covering the hydraulic pipes and air lines of a car transporter in January 2010 whilst he was loading cars at Southampton Docks. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 572 8226 8 September 2012 Britain: Injuries set back star apprentice A talented apprentice suffered multiple injuries that stalled his progress when a car ploughed into his Ford Fiesta as he made his way to a training course. Unite member Scott Dennis, 22, was housebound for four months after the BMW ploughed into him when its driver swerved to avoid a van. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 572 8226 8 September 2012 Britain: Blacksmith gets union-enhanced asthma payout A council blacksmith who developed asthma when he was exposed to dangerous fumes from metalworking fluids has been awarded a payout six times the original offer from his employer, thanks to help from his union. GMB member Simon Litherland, 47, was eventually awarded 104,000 in damages when the union-backed case went to court. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 571 8226 1 September 2012 Britain: Worker off for two years after bank injury Another worker has won compensation for a serious injury received in an industry deemed by the government to be low risk. Bank cashier, Mary Deller, who has not worked for almost two years after suffering a back injury while lifting bags of money, has been awarded more than 18,000 from former employer NatWest. Kent online 8226 Risks 570 8226 25 August 2012 Britain: Runaway trolley crushes leg Multinational company Cape Industrial Services employee Colin Fletcher has received 70,000 after his leg was broken when working at Drax power station. He needed an operation requiring a bone graft from his hip and a metal plate inserted into his knee and still suffers on-going pain. Cape Industrial Services admitted liability and settled out of court. Thompsons news release 8226 Risks 570 8226 25 August 2012 Britain: Binman loses leg under bin wagon A refuse collector who was run over by the bin wagon had to have his leg amputated. UNISON member Kenneth Armstrong, 50, from Barry in South Glamorgan, who has received a 400,000 payout, needs to use a prosthetic limb following the incident in October 2009. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 569 8226 18 August 2012 Britain: Probation worker buried in barrows A Norfolk and Suffolk Probation Trust worker had to change jobs after she was badly injured when she fell at work and seven metal wheelbarrows came down on top of her. The 45-year-old UNISON member, whose name has not been released but who received a 45,000 payout, was left suffering from severe long term back and hip pain after she tripped on a buildersrsquo line and fell. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 569 8226 18 August 2012 Britain: Fall outside hospital leads to operation A healthcare assistant ended up having knee surgery after falling in the hospital grounds. The 63-year-old UNISON member from Colchester, whose name has not been released, was walking from the staff car park to the entrance of Colchester General Hospital on an evening in May 2010. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 569 8226 18 August 2012 Britain: Compensation bill follows fine at work death firm The family of a maintenance engineer who was killed at work has received compensation. The 43-year-old Unite member, who worked for printing giant Wyndeham Peterborough, died after being crushed by the printing press he was trying to fix. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 567 8226 4 August 2012 Painter gets whiplash from scaffold limbo A painter was off work for three months after suffering whiplash injuries when he struck his head ducking under a scaffold bar deliberately positioned at waist height across a walkway. The 22-year-old Unite member from Kent, whose name has not been released, was injured whilst working for CBI Ltd on the Isle of Grain, Rochester. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 567 8226 4 August 2012 Britain: Hospital hand rub caused sore skin A hospital worker developed painful dermatitis after being made to use a strong alcohol-based hand rub up to 40 times a shift. GMB member Georgina Thornton, 62, was eventually forced to leave her job as a lead healthcare assistant for Derriford Hospital in Plymouth because the skin on her hands became so sensitive to the alcohol rub she developed painful reoccurring sores. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Plymouth Herald 8226 Risks 567 8226 4 August 2012 Britain: UK Coal pays damages to injured fitter A UK Coal worker who was badly injured in a car crash at work and went on to develop a chronic career-ending condition has received more than pound419,000 in compensation. The 36-year-old Unite member from Newthorpe is in constant pain in his right shoulder and arm since the incident in 2007 when a colleague crashed the UK Coal van they were travelling in into a tree. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 566 8226 28 July 2012 Britain: Forklift crushed workerrsquos leg A factory worker whose leg was crushed when he was run over by a forklift truck has received compensation after help from his trade union. The 61-year-old Unite member from Rugby was left with crush injuries to his left leg after it became trapped under the 2.5 tonne truck when he was knocked over at Cov Press in Coventry, where he works as a print operator. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 566 8226 28 July 2012 Britain: New asbestos fund must be extended say unions A new government fund to compensate some asbestos disease victims is much too limited, the TUC has said. The union body said the fund announced this week is limited to people who have the cancer mesothelioma but who until now have been unable to claim because their employer no longer exists and the responsible insurer cannot be traced. TUC news release 8226 DWP news release 8226 UCATT news release 8226 Risks 566 8226 28 July 2012 Britain: Stabbed social worker wins right to sue A social worker stabbed by a psychiatric patient has won a Court of Appeal case giving her the right to sue two health authorities responsible for her attackerrsquos care. UNISON member Claire Selwood worked for Durham County Council and was responsible for the care of the patientrsquos child. UNISON news release 8226 Community Care 8226 Risks 566 8226 28 July 2012 Britain: Coca Cola worker suffers chemical burns to eyes A Coca Cola worker feared he had been blinded after he had powerful cleaning chemicals sprayed in his eyes when a pipe burst on the factory floor. Unite member John Houghton, 56, suffered the injury after a colleague stepped on a pipe full of a hot caustic cleaning substance used to clean the lines of a machine in the process of making Coke. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 565 8226 21 July 2012 Britain: lsquoUnderhandrsquo insurer tried to dupe injury victim Trade union GMb is warning members who are injured at work not to accept offers of compensation from their employers or insurance companies without taking independent legal advice. Factory worker Shaun Powell, whose foot was crushed by a huge metal beam while working for Joseph Ash Chesterfield Ltd, was called into work by a senior manager and offered just pound1,700 in compensation by the employerrsquos insurer, but has now received more than pound122,000 with the support of the unionrsquos legal service. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 565 8226 21 July 2012 Britain: Sports mad fitter not fit enough after injury A mechanical fitter who was badly injured when he was struck by 15 kilos of unsecured cabling has been forced to abandon his sporting pastimes. Nathan Byron, 34, suffered a hairline fracture and ligament damage to his right shoulder as well as a neck injury when a large section of cabling fell from 15ft above him as he worked inside a huge generator. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 565 8226 21 July 2012 Britain: Schoolrsquos out for caretaker injured in fall A Nottingham school caretaker who was injured when he fell from a stepladder at work while trying to repair a faulty window had to take medical retirement as a result. The unnamed UNISON member, who was 64 when the incident occurred in 2008, suffering tendon damage to his neck and left shoulder, making it painful to work with his hands above head height. UNISON news release 8226 Risks 563 8226 7 July 2012 Britain: Injured groundsman never returned to work A council groundsman suffered a knee injury at work so serious he wasnrsquot able to return to his job. UNISON member John Brown, 65, from Mitcham in Surrey needed surgery on his right knee after he suffered ligament damage when he tripped on a piece of protruding concrete at Morden Recreational Ground. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 563 8226 7 July 2012 Britain: Vibration failures cost worker his job National Grid has been made to twice pay compensation to a worker who was forced to take medical retirement, aged just 48. Keith Rydings, now 49, developed painful carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) after working with vibrating tools for employer National Grid Gas, but six years later, new management made him use vibrating tools again. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 562 8226 30 June 2012 Britain: Pipe fitter suffered serious scalding A self-employed pipe fitter was left with a nine inch scar on his thigh after he was scalded by boiling water. Unite member Graham Tyers, 61, needed to take five weeks off work as a result of the injury, which happened when he was working as a sub-contractor for Ailsen Limited. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 562 8226 30 June 2012 Britain: Brain damaged worker gets lifetime care package The family of a Bristol man left fighting for his life after he was hit on the head by a section of scaffold pole that fell 18 floors down a lift shaft is calling for improved health and safety in the construction industry after he had an undisclosed lsquosubstantialrsquo seven figure lifetime care package approved at Bristol High Court. Father-of-five Richard Chodkiewicz, 54, was left with horrific, life changing head injuries as a result of the July 2008 incident during the construction of the Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. It was almost 18 months before. Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release 8226 Construction Enquirer 8226 Risks 561 8226 23 June 2012 Britain: Traumatised gardener left unprotected from pricks A gardener contracted a life-threatening infection because his employer ignored his requests for thorn-proof gloves. The 59-year-old from Derbyshire, whose name has not been released, was in intensive care for two weeks after being pricked by the Berberis bush whilst working as a gardener for Broxtowe Borough Council. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 561 8226 23 June 2012 Britain: Bottle factory worker loses his senses A plastic bottle factory worker was left with a 90 per cent reduction in his ability to taste and smell after suffering two injuries minutes apart. The Unite member was initially injured when his hand was dragged into a bottle labelling machine at Artenius PET Packaging UK Ltd in Wrexham as he tried to fix it. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 561 8226 23 June 2012 Britain: Injury stopped printer working A print factory worker is still unable to return to work almost two years after injuring his elbow in a fall. The unidentified 35-year-old printer has since lost his job with Impression UK, which has agreed to pay the Unite member an out of court settlement of pound190,500. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 560 8226 16 June 2012 Britain: Electrical engineer suffers vibration injury An electrical engineer suffered permanent damage to his hands caused by the vibrating tools he used at work. Graeme Kelly, 56, from Jarrow, developed carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) after working with vibrating tools for 34 years at Gateshead-based De La Rue Currency. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 560 8226 16 June 2012 Britain: Airport fall ended in hospital A civil servant member needed hospital treatment after falling at Gatwick Airport. The 54-year-old PCS member from Croydon still suffers from exacerbated arthritis in her knee and limps as a result of tripping over loose wiring in April 2011. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 560 8226 16 June 2012 USA: Employers donrsquot pay injury costs lsquoCost-shiftingrsquo by US employers and insurers is landing the bill for work-related injuries and ill-health on the public purse and the community at large. A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine concludes this cost shifting leads to artificially low workers compensation premiums for employers and provides little incentive for companies to promote workplace safety. Paul J Leigh and James C Marcin. Workers compensation benefits and shifting costs for occupational injury and illness. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, volume 54, issue 4, pages 445ndash450, April 2012. Harvard Business Review 8226 Medical Xpress 8226 Risks 559 8226 9 June 2012 Britain: CWU opposes government violence plans CWU is opposing proposals by the government to make cuts to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS). The postal workersrsquo union is concerned that victims of dog attacks who previously relied on CICS as a last resort will now receive no compensation to help deal with serious injuries. CWU news release. submission and Bite Back campaign 8226 Risks 559 8226 9 June 2012 Britain: Electric shock trauma cost worker his job An electrician who fell onto a live electrical board and suffered serious burns to his hand four years ago has been unable to return to his work as a result of nightmares. The Unite member, whose name has not been released, was asked to assess an electrical fault at a local primary school by his employer AD Antrobus when the board was still live so parts could be ordered without disrupting the schools electricity supply. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 559 8226 9 June 2012 Britain: Pressure hose split workerrsquos eye ball A council worker suffered permanent damage to his eye when he was struck by a defective pressure hose. UNISON member Jason Symmonds, 41, needed surgery after the industrial hose hit him in his right eye, splitting his eye ball and causing him to suffer a detached iris. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 559 8226 9 June 2012 Britain: Warning on lsquohidden killerrsquo in schools UNISON is calling for urgent action to protect education staff from the dangers posed by asbestos in schools. The union was speaking out after a school caretaker and member of UNISON died from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma. UNISON news release 8226 Risks 557 8226 26 May 2012 Britain: Injury costs prison officer his job A prison officer had to give up his job after he broke his ankle breaking up a fight. Iain McCallum, 61, needed surgery to repair his right ankle following the incident at HM Prison Camp Hill in Newport, Isle of Wight. The senior prison officer was breaking up a fight between two offenders when he slipped on water which had accumulated on the floor from a nearby shower room. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 556 8226 19 May 2012 Britain: Rail firm did not see sense on poor lighting A rail union safety rep who had complained to management about poor lighting in the yard subsequently hurt his wrist and knee when he tripped on discarded rails at night. The ASLEF member, whose name has not been released, had warned managers that the poor lighting at the depot was an accident waiting to happen. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 556 8226 19 May 2012 Britain: Union protection on the job and on your bike A Norfolk County Council worker was forced to take medical retirement after she suffered nasty fractures to both her wrists when she fell from her bike. The 57-year-old UNISON member from Norwich, whose name has not been released, was left needing surgery in both wrists after she came off her bike as she cycled over electrical cables laid across the road on a country lane. UNISON news release 8226 Risks 556 8226 19 May 2012 Britain: Robot operator suffers brain injury A system of inspection that would have spotted the need for a simple repair could have prevented an incident which left a welder with a brain injury. GMB member Peter Hibbert has memory problems and is unable to lift heavy objects after suffering the injury at Linde Material Handling in Basingstoke. GMB news release 8226 Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 555 8226 12 May 2012 Britain: Polish cleaner suffers costly slip A GMB member who suffered a knee injury after a fall at work has received pound12,000 in compensation. Arkadiusz Chmiel who lives in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, but who is originally from Poland, twisted his knee after slipping on flooring whilst working for Timbet Door Solutions in the town. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 555 8226 12 May 2012 Britain: BT engineer speaks up on hearing risks A British Telecom engineer from Sheffield who suffers from a high pitch buzzing in his ears after years of working with faulty equipment is warning others of the risks. Stephen Starosta has now received pound7,500 from BT to cover the cost of equipment to help deal with his tinnitus, which can be caused by exposure to excessive noise. Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 554 8226 5 May 2012 Britain: Parent firm liable for work-related disease An asbestosis sufferer from London has won an historic case at the Court of Appeal against former global asbestos giant Cape plc. Law firm Leigh Day amp Co says the lsquolandmarkrsquo judgment sets a new legal precedent for holding parent companies accountable for work-related health problems in employees of their subsidiaries. Leigh Day amp Co news release 8226 Uxbridge Gazette 8226 Risks 553 8226 28 April 2012 Britain: Scaffolder forced out of his job by injuries An experienced scaffolder with ThyssenKrupp Palmers Limited suffered a leg injury so severe when he was trapped by a pallet of scaffolding poles he was forced to leave the industry. But in response to a Unite-backed compensation claim, the firm not only settled Craig Cordingrsquos claim out of court for a ldquosignificantrdquo sum but also paid for his physiotherapy, rehabilitation and training as a welder. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 553 8226 28 April 2012 South Africa: Anglo American blamed for dust disease A South African miner who believes he contracted tuberculosis as a result of digging gold on behalf of Anglo American this week used the mining giantrsquos annual meeting to demand compensation. Daniel Seabata Thakamakau, 66, represents more than 1,200 former miners, many with silicosis and tuberculosis, who are suing Anglo American in a mass tort action. Leigh Day amp Co news release 8226 ACTSA news release 8226 Unite news item pdf 8226 The Guardian 8226 Risks 552 8226 21 April 2012 Britain: Government plans a lsquobig mistakersquo on work diseases A campaigner who won a Supreme Court battle last month on industrial disease compensation has warned government legal aid plans could leave others without access to justice. Ruth Durham, who was involved in a landmark asbestos cancer compensation case, says a law being pushed through by the government would force those who contract illnesses at work to pay legal costs out of their damages. Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release 8226 Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK 8226 Risks 552 8226 21 April 2012 Britain: Physio injured in wet floor fall A physiotherapy technical instructor needed two operations after her shoulder was dislocated in a workplace fall. The 61-year-old from Nottingham, a member of the Chartered Society for Physiotherapy (CSP), had to take early retirement following the incident. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 552 8226 21 April 2012 Britain: Lorry driver injured by falling fridge A lorry driver damaged his shoulder after his employer failed to act on his warnings about the dangerous way vehicles were being loaded with scrap and rubbish. Unite member Alan Snook, 61, from Frome, Somerset, was working as a shunter for Wincanton Logistics on the firmrsquos Comet contract when the incident happened in July 2009. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 552 8226 21 April 2012 Britain: Border Force falls down on footwear A UK Border Force worker slipped and suffered a catalogue of injuries because he hadnrsquot been provided with the replacement work boots he had requested. Just a week before the incident the PCS member, whose name has not been released, had written to bosses saying he needed the new boots as a matter of urgency. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Working feet and footwear, TUC guide, 2008 pdf 8226 Risks 551 8226 14 April 2012 Britain: Hospital injury shows need for proper staffing A hospital worker needed two operations on her shoulder and had to take over a year off work after she was injured helping a 20-stone patient. The 53-year-old CPS member, whose name has not been released, has been left unable to lift heavy items with her left arm after the incident at Alcester Community Hospital in Warwickshire. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 551 8226 14 April 2012 Britain: Train door slamming caused tinnitus A train driver was left unable to carry out his job for a year after his hearing was damaged by an explosion-like bang of a faulty door. The ASLEF member, who is employed by Northern Rail Ltd and was driving a train from Manchester Oxford Road station to Liverpool Lime Street at the time of the incident, was left with tinnitus in his right ear which meant he was unable to drive trains for almost a year. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 551 8226 14 April 2012 Britain: Signal box fumes caused disabling chronic fatigue A railway worker who was exposed to chemical fumes at work went onto to develop Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). It is not known if the 44-year-old, from Liskeard in Cornwall, will ever recover from the debilitating condition which has already seen him lose his job as a signalman for Network Rail. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 551 8226 14 April 2012 Britain: Usdaw fights for violent crime compensation Retail union Usdaw is fighting government cost-cutting plans which would deny thousands of workers compensation after violent attacks at work. Usdaw, whose members are in the service sector frontline for violence at work, has initiated a petition opposing the changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICA). Usdaw news release 8226 Risks 550 8226 7 April 2012 Britain: Bad gloves cost railway worker his thumb A Wakefield railway worker provided with unsuitable safety gloves ended up losing part of his thumb after it became infected by contact with human waste. ASLEF member Darren Skelton, 41, ended up in hospital hooked up to an IV drip after his thumb became seriously infected. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 549 8226 31 March 2012 Britain: Unite says no more slip ups The union Unite has called on employers to deliver workplaces free from avoidable hazards after a member suffered a serious knee injury in a slip at an industrial lubricant manufacturer. Russell Scragg, 59, slipped on a step at Fuchs Lubricants in Stoke on Trent where he had worked in a skilled role as a blender for 10 years. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 549 8226 31 March 2012 Britain: Dodgy surface floored firefighter A firefighter who broke his ankle ended up having to resign from the service as a result of his injuries. The 37-year-old FBU member from Porth, Mid-Glamorgan, gave up his 10-year career as a retained firefighter after he broke his right ankle when he tripped on uneven ground in Porth Fire Station during a weekly exercise wearing breathing apparatus in 2007. Thompsons Solicitors 8226 Risks 549 8226 31 March 2012 Britain: Asbestos victory at the Supreme Court A Supreme Court ruling which this week found against insurance companies that had been seeking to deny compensation to the victims of asbestos cancers has been welcomed by unions. TUC news release 8226 Unite news release 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Risks 549 8226 31 March 2012 Britain: Insurers turn a blind eye to workrsquos real harm The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has called ldquofor action to free businesses from the fear of the UKrsquos compensation culture and overzealous interpretations of health and safety rules that could hold back Britainrsquos economic recovery. rdquo ABI, though, makes no mention of life-threatening and disabling occupational diseases, instead focusing on ldquolsquoslip and triprsquo style liability claims. rdquo ABI news release 8226 Risks 548 8226 24 March 2012 Britain: Engineering firm injured apprentice An apprentice engineer who was trained to remove safety guards from machinery suffered a severe head injury as a result. The 22-year-old from Bournemouth, who has received a lsquosubstantialrsquo settlement in a Unite-backed compensation claim, was struck on the face when a solid nylon billet he was attempting to work on at a precision engineering firm in the Bournemouth area flew off the machine. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 548 8226 24 March 2012 Britain: Lords vote down lsquocruelrsquo legal aid move Dying victims of occupational cancers should not be penalised as a consequence as a governmentrsquos drive to trim pound350m of the legal aid bill by 2015, peers have said. An amendment to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill blocking government plans to force asbestos victims to use some of their damages to pay legal bills succeeded this week in the House of Lords. House of Lords debate. 14 March 2012, Hansard 8226 BBC News Online 8226 Yorkshire Evening Post 8226 Risks 547 8226 17 March 2012 Britain: Work victims attack lsquoabhorrentrsquo legal fees plan People with deadly work-related diseases are demanding justice secretary Ken Clarke ditches his ldquoabhorrentrdquo reforms that would force them to pay two new fees. Shadow justice minister Andy Slaughter said: ldquoThis is all part of a campaign to protect insurance companies and badly behaving industrial giants at the expense of people who worked hard all their lives and did nothing wrong. rdquo Daily Mirror 8226 Risks 545 8226 3 March 2012 Britain: Firefighter injured by faulty fire station doors A retained firefighter needed surgery on his ankle after he was injured trying to close antiquated heavy doors at his fire station. The FBU member was attempting to close the huge 12ft high by 16ft wide front doors to the station when he suffered the injury in 2008. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 545 8226 3 March 2012 Britain: Union card pays off as bakery worker uses his loaf A bakery worker who was approached directly by an insurance company after suffering disabling injuries at work could have lost almost pound150,000 had he not turned to his union for advice. The 53-year-old from Birmingham, whose name has not been released, was initially offered just pound69,000 for his injuries by his employerrsquos insurer, but received a pound211,000 settlement ndash more than three times the original offer ndash after calling in the union. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 543 8226 18 February 2012 Britain: Self-employed are not alone in a union A self-employed worker who fell from a faulty scaffolding platform, breaking his hip and leg, has received compensation after help from his trade union. GMB member Michael Ramsey, 66, wasnrsquot trained to work at height. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 543 8226 18 February 2012 Britain: Knee injury worsened by botched surgery A Unite member who damaged his knee at work was then left even more seriously injured when private surgery funded by his employers went wrong. The 58-year-old maintenance fitter from Cheshire, whose name has not been released but who as received as substantial payout, has been left with a limp and unable to undertake heavy work after the injury suffered at Albion Inorganic Chemicals Ltd in Sandbach and the subsequent operation. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 543 8226 18 February 2012 Britain: Compensation lsquounder threatrsquo from government Workers are facing an lsquoonslaughtrsquo by the government on their ability to claim compensation, the TUC has warned. The union body says compensation is facing a triple whammy, with for workplace injury and ill-health victims, victims of criminal violence and those unfairly dismissed all set to lose out. Compensation under threat 8226 Defend health and safety Day of Action, 28 April 2012, Bulletin Number 3, TUC, February 2012. TUC Workersrsquo Memorial Day webpages 8226 Risks 543 8226 18 February 2012 Britain: Faulty system left car worker in a jam A toolsetter for a car parts manufacturer suffered a painful back injury after a machine with a known problem jammed. The 57-year-old Unite member from Walsall suffered a slipped disc as he was fitting a four foot long beam to reinforce a car bumper for Wagon Industries in May 2008. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 541 8226 4 February 2012 Britain: Knee injury stops train driver A train driver was off work for nine months after being injured in a fall on an icy platform. The 30-year-old ASLEF member from Oxfordshire, who fell on snow and ice on the platform at Frome station in January 2009, has received a ldquosignificantrdquo out of court payout. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 541 8226 4 February 2012 Britain: Justice under threat from all sides Workers are facing a government ldquoonslaughtrdquo on their ability to get justice after being abused at work, the TUC has warned. TUCrsquos head of safety Hugh Robertson notes an attack on access to employment tribunals forms part of an injustice triple whammy, with personal injury and criminal injury compensation also in the governmentrsquos sights. Stronger Unions blog 8226 Risks 541 8226 4 February 2012 Britain: Union nips in to get finger payout A Unite member who suffered permanent damage to his fingers at work and waited almost three years before he claimed compensation has received a payout of more than pound8,000. The 65-year-old from Isleworth in Middlesex, whose name has not been released, suffered from tendon damage to his little and ring fingers after using an unsafe drill whilst working for Field Systems Design. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 540 8226 28 January 2011 Britain: Honda ignored grate warning Car manufacturer Honda ignored a workerrsquos warning about a hazardous grate, which subsequently caused the concerned employee to suffer serious knee injuries that ldquodestroyedrdquo his life. Unite member Patrick Scanlon, 47, had warned his bosses at the Honda factory in Swindon that a raised grate on the factory floor was an accident waiting to happen but nothing was done to fix it. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 540 8226 28 January 2011 Britain: Vibration caused ongoing health problems A plater who suffered permanent damage to his hands after he was exposed to vibrating tools at work has received a second dose of compensation. The 54-year-old GMB member from Doncaster developed the painful wrist condition carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) after working with vibrating machinery for 25 years. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 539 8226 21 January 2012 Britain: Union protection extends outside of work A UNISON member who was involved in a car smash and left needing spinal surgery has received compensation with the help of union lawyers. The grandmother-of-four from County Durham, whose name has not been released, suffered a slipped disc after her car was hit from behind by a 4x4 as she was waiting at a roundabout. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 539 8226 21 January 2012 Britain: Newsagent caused cleanerrsquos painful trip A street cleaner has been awarded compensation by the courts after a newsagent failed to dispose of his waste responsibly. The GMB member from Bedfordshire was cleaning outside shop fronts in Luton in January 2004 when her feet became entangled on plastic newspaper strapping which had been dumped in a public rubbish bin. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 538 8226 14 January 2012 Britain: Nuke firm ignored safety warnings Managers at a major nuclear firm had dismissed safety concerns raised by workers moments before the dangerous job led to a worker suffering a serious injury. The GMB member from Cumbria broke her right ankle after she was ordered to move heavy archive boxes down a flight of three narrow steps at Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Seascale in February 2010. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 538 8226 14 January 2012 Britain: Injured workers need safety insured A welder whose hands have been left permanently damaged by his work has lost half of his compensation because the firms responsible have folded and their insurers could not be traced. Unite says its memberrsquos plight highlights why an Employerrsquos Liability Insurance Bureau (ELIB) is necessary. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 537 8226 7 January 2012 Britain: Redundancy threat follows injury claim A worker who suffered permanent damage to his hand at work was threatened with redundancy when he pursued a claim for compensation. A few months after initiating a compensation claim, GMB member Craig Dunwell was forced to sign a letter abandoning his compensation claim when his employer threatened to make him redundant. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 537 8226 7 January 2012 Britain: Print fumes caused occupational asthma A printer who developed asthma when he was exposed to dangerous fumes at work has received compensation. Unite member Jason MaCann, 35, was diagnosed with the condition after he was exposed to isocyanates used in laminating machines at FFP Packaging in Northampton. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 537 8226 7 January 2012 Britain: Civil servant gets payout after office fall A civil servant has received pound8,000 in compensation after needing surgery following a fall in the workplace. PCS union member Marilyn McKenzie, 58, needed an operation on her left knee after she tripped over the lid of a socket hatch embedded into the floor at her offices at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in Sheffield. Thompsons Solicitors news release 8226 Risks 537 8226 7 January 2012 Robbed Compensation culture I donrsquot think so. The government may want you to believe we are a nation of greedy money grabbing chancers, says Hazards editor Rory OrsquoNeill, but claims figures tell a different story. Even those dying of occupational diseases have precious little chance of securing a payout. Hazards 122, April-June 2013 Who pays The British Chambers of Commerce is targeting health and safety laws because it says they cost business billions. Only itrsquos not true. And Hazards reveals the real cost of business neglecting safety is borne almost entirely by workers and the public purse, with companies evading the blame and the bill. Hazards 106, April-June 2009 A little compensation Workers lose billions each year as a result of occupational injuries and diseases. Some will never see work again. Hazards outlines what8217s available from a system that provides consolation for some, frustration for most and proper compensation to no-one suffering as a result of their job. Hazards 90, April-June 2005 Hazards dossier. What price on your life Hazards dossier of recent compensation UK settlements for work-related injuries and ill-health. What price on your life Whats your body worth Hazards looks at the value UK courts put on a body damaged by work hazards. Hazards 73, January-March 2001 Globally health and safety laws because are being targetedbecause business says it they cost it billions. The real cost of business neglecting safety is borne almost entirely by workers and the public purse, with companies evading the blame and the bill. Conveyancing Solicitors Guide Save pound850 on legal fees Click here for free conveyancing quotes pound850 is the average saving on a typical sale and purchase through our panel of conveyancing solicitors compared to using a high street solicitor (Survey of 52 high street solicitors, September 2010). The 4 Steps to Choosing a Conveyancing Solicitor (So you dont get ripped off) The perfect nightmare Why is it so important to get the right conveyancing solicitor Well, for a start if youre not careful you could end up paying two or three times as much in legal fees as you need to - for the same transaction Or you could end up with a cheap quote, only to find hundreds of pounds of hidden extras added to your final bill. You could find yourself dealing with different call centre based paralegals every time you ring up. Your sale could fall through because of slow or incomplete legal work. If youre buying you risk missing out on the house of your dreams because someone elses solicitor got them to exchange first. Then theres the sheer frustration of poor, slow service. Of not being kept in the loop, not knowing why things are taking so long and having no idea whether youre ever going to complete. The perfect transaction On the other hand if you get things right you can have a dream transaction: You can save yourself hundreds of pounds. You can have the certainty and peace of mind of knowing exactly what you will pay. You can have a fast, efficient transaction where you feel in control. And you can even set things up so that if you cant complete for some reason you dont pay any legal fees Its important to instruct your solicitor as early as you can. This will save you lots of time later on because youll be on their books as a client ready for when you need them. And if youre selling they can get your draft contract prepared and ready to go out as soon as you have a buyer. The high street monopoly In the old days, both buyers and sellers were victims of the old high street monopoly. Those were the days when people had to choose from a small number of local firms - who all knew what each other were charging. In other words there was little competition and it was easy to keep prices high. Your big advantage. The internet has smashed the old high street monopoly Conveyancing work can now be done from anywhere in the country - you definitely dont need a local solicitor. This has broken the old high street monopoly and led to a huge drop in prices. As a rule of thumb, to get a good solicitor you should expect to pay from around pound400 if youre buying and pound500 if youre selling - plus disbursements. But watch out for. One problem with the internet is the growth of cut price (and cut rate) online law factories. They sucker people in with cheap headline prices. Then the final bill comes in with a host of hidden extras that pushes up the real cost by hundreds of pounds. And you probably wont be able to pick up the phone to your solicitor. Its more likely that youll be ringing a call centre, where a paralegal will be looking your details up on a computer. Perhaps worst of all, these law factories are often extremely busy (because they appear so cheap). This means a slow and frustrating service with the ever present risk of your transaction falling through as a result. How to you take advantage of the cheap online prices without getting caught out by a law factory The answer is to follow this simple 4 step guide: The 4 Steps to Choosing a Solicitor The ideal solicitor is one with an established reputation who specialises in (or has a department specialising in) conveyancing - not divorce or litigation, etc. At the same time, they should be large enough that economies of scale allow them to keep their overheads low. They can then pass these savings on to you. Avoid cut price law factories like the plague. 2) Get a fixed fee quote Never, ever hire a solicitor on a per hour basis. This is how costs skyrocket and get out of control. You risk paying many hundreds of pounds more than you need to. Because solicitors know the average cost of a conveyancing transaction fixed fee quotes are now relatively common. If a solicitor will not provide you with a fixed fee quote then look elsewhere. 3) Get a complete quote The new favourite trick of dodgy conveyancing firms (both online and high street) is to provide low quotes to get your business and then add on lots of expensive hidden extras. These hidden extras are known in the legal trade as disbursements, which simply means expenses that the solicitors have incurred on your behalf. Legitimate disbursements include things like: search costs telegraphic transfers land registry fees Dodgy expenses designed to inflate your bill include things like: photocopy charges phone calls letters filing your Stamp Duty Return For a more complete guide to disbursements (and when theyre ok and when youre getting ripped off) have a look at Appendix 2.Another trick is not to include VAT in the quote. This makes it look much lower than it actually is and makes honest comparisons very difficult. Make sure that your quote includes VAT, both on the legal fee and on the disbursements. 4) Get a No completion - no fee quote Up to 1 in 3 property sales fall through. Because of this, one of the biggest unexpected costs when buying or selling is additional legal fees. This is something that can be avoided by finding a solicitor who will work on a no completion - no fee basis. This means that if your transaction falls through you will not have to pay legal fees. Note that you will normally have to pay for expenses that have been incurred on your behalf - its just the legal fee that is waived. What to do next Now that you know exactly what to look for you could start searching online for firms that match those criteria. Trouble is, its still going to be difficult to know which category a firm fits into: To take away the stress of trying to work out what sort of firm youre dealing with weve put together a panel of solicitors who meet all of our recommended criteria: How to take advantage of this If youd like to take advantage of this and get FREE, instant quotes from our recommended panel of solicitors then here are the four simple steps to follow: 2. Enter some simple details about your transaction (you dont even need to give your email). 3. Click on the calculate button and youll instantly get a set of complete quotes presented to you onscreen. 4. Choose the solicitor you want and click on the instruct button. Thats all there is to it And the great thing is, because you do the choosing your contact details need only go to one solicitor. That way you dont have to worry about getting lots of emails from other solicitors wanting your business And as part of their service promise, whichever solicitor you choose guarantees to start work straight away if you need them to - if not, youve got them on call for when you do. You will also be able to track your case online 247 as well as being able to pick up the phone to your solicitor during office hours. you now have a recommended solicitor you can trust youve saved yourself hundreds of pounds you know your exact costs you have no legal fees unless you complete Extra Info about Conveyancing Typical costs buying: pound450 - pound1,000 selling: pound350 - pound800 leasehold transactions: add pound50 - pound250 remortgage: pound200 - pound500 expenses (often referred to as disbursements): pound100 - pound300 Buying It costs more to buy than to sell, because theres more work involved - mainly in carrying out and reviewing the various searches that have to be done. Selling Selling will be cheaper than buying as the process takes less work. Dont forget that if youre buying and selling then you must factor in the cost of both. Remortgage A remortgage will usually be cheaper if you switch to another mortgage with the same lender. Market competition is fierce so some lenders will pick up the legal fees (though make sure theyre not making them up elsewhere). Disbursements See Appendix 2 Leasehold Leasehold transactions involve extra work and so will cost about pound50 - pound250 more than freehold transactions. Payment of fees Dont sign a contract that allows the solicitor to take their fees from your completion monies - you should receive a separate bill. This way, if youre not happy you can withhold payment until you are. (All of our recommended solicitors send separate bills.) As we explained above, some dodgy solicitors will try to tempt you in with low quotes only to add lots of expensive - and unexpected - disbursements to the final bill. Weve divided this appendix into two parts: Part I sets out the Legitimate Costs you should expect to pay when you are: selling buying Part II sets out fees that we consider to be Hidden Extras - the sort that dodgy solicitors use to pad out their bills. Remember that if you get a conveyancing quote from our panel of recommended solicitors then all disbursement costs will be included in the quote.(Please note that the costs set out below are approximate and are intended as a guide.) Part I - Legitimate Costs Fee for solicitors legal work: pound350 - pound800 If your property is leasehold you should expect to pay an extra pound50 - pound250 because of the additional work involved. Land Registry Office Copies: pound4 - pound8 These confirm that you are the registered titleholder. Telegraphic transfer fee: pound20 - pound30 Telegraphic transfer ensures the same day transfer of completion monies as cleared funds. Some solicitors will make a profit on this by charging more than the bank charges them: around pound30 is what you should be paying. Fee for solicitors legal work: pound450 - pound1,000 If your property is leasehold you should expect to pay an extra pound50 - pound250 because of the additional work involved. Land Registry Office Copies: pound4 - pound8 These confirm that the seller is the registered titleholder. You may hear them referred to as priority searches. Your solicitor may have to order additional Office Copies immediately prior to completion. This is to protect you by making sure that the seller is still the registered titleholder when completion takes place. Telegraphic transfer fee: pound20 - pound30 This ensures the same day transfer of completion monies as cleared funds. Some solicitors will make a profit on this by charging more than the bank charges them: around pound30 is what you should be paying. Bankruptcy search: pound2 - pound4 A bankruptcy search confirms to your lender that you havent recently gone bankrupt. Local Authority searches: pound100 - pound200 The cost will vary depending on the authority. A good conveyancing quote will ask for the postcode of the property you are buying and will be able to give you the exact cost. Drainage search: pound40 - pound60 A drainage search checks the propertys water and sewerage connections. The cost varies depending on the local water company. Chancel Repair Liability search: pound15 Dating back to medieval times, Chancel Repair Liability is a requirement to contribute to the upkeep of the local parish church. About 40 of land in England and Wales is Chancel land. Some solicitors will try to get you to take out Chancel Repair Liability insurance (on which they make commission). In most cases it will not be worth you doing so, particularly since Chancel Repair Liability is being phased out from 2013. Environmental search: pound40 - pound60 An environmental search will check for contamination in and around the land that you are buying. This can be particularly important if you are buying on land that was once used for industrial purposes. Apart from not wanting to live on contaminated land, you - as the owner - could be asked to clean it up at a cost of many thousands of pounds (even though you werent the one who contaminated it). Mining searches (coal, tin, limestone, china clay): around pound60 for each applicable search. Whether a mining search is required (and which one) will depend on where you live in the country. Land registry fee: This is a sneaky extra tax on your property transaction. Lets face it, it doesnt cost any more to register a property thats worth a million plus than it does to register one thats worth pound50,000, but as you can see from the fee scale below thats not how you get treated: Value of property pound Land Registry Fee pound 0 - 50,000 50,001 - 80,000 80,001 - 100,000 100,001 - 200,000 200,001 - 500,000 500,001 - 1,000,000 1,000,001 and over Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT): This is how much you will be taxed on your purchase and depends on the value of your property: Up to pound125,000 Over pound125,000 to pound250,000lowast Over pound250,000 to pound500,000 Over pound500,000 to pound1,000,000 Over pound1,000,000lowastlowast lowast The 2010 budget introduced SDLT relief on properties worth between pound125,001 and pound250,000 where the buyer or all the buyers (if more than one) are first time buyers. This relief applies to all purchases where the transaction date is on or after 25 March 2010 and before 25 March 2012. lowastlowast From 6 April 2011 a new higher rate of SDLT (5) will apply to properties worth more than pound1,000,000. This change was introduced in the 2010 budget. Part II - Hidden Extras PI or Professional Indemnity contribution: pound30 - pound50 Having professional indemnity insurance in place is a Law Society requirement and as such is simply an expense of the business. It is certainly not something that you should have to contribute towards. Photocopying, phone calls and postage: variable These are all business overheads, which you should not be charged for. Completing your Stamp Duty Return: pound50 A good solicitor will have factored in the cost of the Stamp Duty Return into their basic legal fee and not be adding it as a disbursement. Dealing with your lender: pound100 - pound150 Again, this should be factored into the solicitors basic legal fee. Leasehold property charge: pound50 - pound250 The extra charge for dealing with leasehold property should be included in your initial quote. You should be asked whether your property is freehold or leasehold when you are given a quote so this is something your solicitor ought to know from the outset.
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