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5th February 2010

Cooker manufacturer pays compensation for unsafe practices

Injury to shoulder and neck

A GMB member has received £10,000 in damages after a cooker manufacturer failed to put safety measures in place to avoid injuries to assembly line workers.

Michael Mountford from Stoke on Trent suffered serious damage to his shoulder and neck while putting together heavy cookers for Indesit Company UK, based in Blythe Bridge, Staffordshire. His job on the assembly line involved lifting the cookers before adding parts to them.

On the day of the accident the belt was running too quickly, so that Mr Mountford had insufficient time to lift and work on each appliance. As he lifted one cooker it snared on the conveyor belt. He tore ligaments in his neck and shoulder. His evidence was that colleagues had suffered similar accidents in the past yet the firm had done nothing to change working practices.

Mr Mountford was forced to take two months off work and has been told he needs surgery to fix his shoulder.

Thompsons Solicitors made claim for compensation

The Indesit factory has since closed down, but fortunately Mr Mountford who had worked for the firm for 28 years has found another job.

Following the accident he contacted his union, the GMB, which instructed its lawyers Thompsons Solicitors to pursue a claim for compensation.

Thompsons argued that Mr Mountford’s job should have been carried out by two people to allow for the weight of the cooker.

Indesit admitted liability and settled the claim out of court.

Injury caused by heavy lifting

Mr Mountford said: “On the day of the accident the cookers were too close together and as a result I couldn’t lift them fast enough to add the parts I needed to. They are heavy and when you have to work fast it becomes even harder to lift them. I still suffer from pain in my neck and shoulder and have been told I need an operation. I’m only glad I’ve been able to find another job. I can no longer lift and that is a worry as it affects my future employability.”

Joe Morgan from the GMB said: “Employers need to be more aware of the health and safety issues faced by their employees and should address complaints when they are made. Indesit’s concession on liability in our member’s case shows that failing to amend work practices when there have been similar accidents in the past is legally unacceptable.”

Monica Bhakri at Thompsons Solicitors added: “The Manual Handling Operation Regulations are specifically aimed at avoiding injury from heavy lifting. The cookers in this case were far too heavy for one person to lift and others had been hurt before. Previous accidents and a failure to amend work practices is almost always evidence of negligence.”

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered a personal injury at work after lifting a heavy object, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any personal injury claim.  For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for manual handling compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a manual handling claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.