Work related injuries - Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launches new programme to protect workers from suffering permanent damage to their health

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have launched a new programme to protect workers from suffering permanent damage to their health as a result of their work.
Common workplace injuries include occupational deafness, vibration white finger, dermatitis, repetitive strain injury (RSI), occupational asthma, injuries due to another employee's negligence, injuries to due defective of dangerous equipment, injury due to an employer's failure to provide adequate safety training and equipment, respiratory diseases and asbestos related diseases.
Specialist accident at work solicitor Ian Bailey welcomed the HSE initiative:
"Latest figures show that more than two million workers in Great Britain are exposed to either excessive noise or hand arm vibration. The types of injuries we see as a result of work practices are long term and cause a great deal of distress to those people affected by them."
"The HSE Programme is designed to eliminate new cases of occupational induced hearing damage, and control new cases of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) sufficiently to enable workers to remain at work without disability."
"I hope this initiative from the HSE results in greater awareness on the part of employers of their duty of care to their staff."
Dave developed Vibration White Finger after using vibratory equipment at work for over twenty years.
Vibration White Finger - a generally irreversible condition which causes fingers to become affected by numbness, tingling and a weakness of grip.
His solicitor successfully settled Dave's case, obtaining a four figure sum in compensation. He said:
"Cases like Dave's, in which he was not warned or advised about the dangers of Vibration White Finger, or provided with any protective equipment show how companies can often overlook essential safety measures which can result in long term health issues."
Related case studies:
- Hand injury sustained at work - case settled
- Sean's story - spinal injury suffered through accident at work
- Dave's story - ankle injury during military training
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