Manufacturing — Claiming Employer Negligence
If you have suffered an injury at working in the manufacturing sector, and feel employer negligence is to blame, contact us to make a compensation claim. Our experts can help evaluate your claim, free of charge, and we offer our services on a no win, no fee* basis. Call us today on 08082391859^ to start your claim.
Health & Safety in Manufacturing in the UK
Manufacturing has been a staple of the British trade landscape since the industrial revolution, where new practices and technologies made use of machines to produce quantities of goods that wouldn’t have been possible by hand. As such, it propelled the UK into being a front-runner of the global economy and ensured its status as a hub for innovation for years to come. However, new work environments, literally geared toward high production quotas, and a general lack of health and safety regulation meant workers were put at great personal risk and were made to work horribly long hours. Fortunately, UK manufacturing has changed massively over the years to the betterment of employees. Incidents of injury, fatalities and ill-health are falling in number, but there is one key constant to this day — manufacturing environments have the potential to be very dangerous if not properly risk assessed or managed to put staff safety first.
Workplace injuries and industrial disease cases are falling — manufacturing is comparatively low for diseases and disorders compared to the rest of UK industry. However, it does have a higher rate of both fatal and non-fatal injuries than other sectors. In the financial year of 2018/19, there have been an estimated 61,000 cases of non-fatal injuries and 26 reported fatal injuries to employees in manufacturing. With threats in the form of falls from heights, manual handling, moving or falling objects, contact with machinery and even explosions injuring or mortally wounding employees, maintaining health and safety standards in the manufacturing workplace is paramount.
What types of work does manufacturing include, and can I claim compensation from them?
Manufacturing in itself is a fairly broad industry and makes up around 9% of the working population of the UK. It encompasses, usually from connections in agriculture, forestry, and fishing or from mining & quarrying, the following industries:
- Food and beverage processing — such as meat, vegetables, and alcohol manufacture
- tobacco production
- textile and clothing manufacture — such as weaving, spinning, and tailoring clothes
- leather produce manufacturing
- wood working
- printing and media production — newspapers, books, cards
- chemical manufacture
- petroleum and coke refinement — crude, coal, and other fuels
- pharmaceuticals
- rubber and plastic products
- mineral product manufacture — including glass work, ceramics, and cement
- basic and fabricated metal production, metallurgy
- computer, optical and electronic products
- electrical equipment — such as lighting and household appliances
- machinery manufacture
- vehicle manufacture — including cars, ship building, aircraft and vehicle parts
- furniture production
- repair and installation of manufacturing tools or products
The type of job or items one can produce working in manufacturing is therefore very broad. The areas of the UK however are not quite as broad where manufacturing takes place — there are high concentrations of manufacturing companies in regions like Yorkshire & the Humber, as well a few areas in East Midlands, West Midlands and Scotland. This means that our panel solicitors have built a wide array of experience dealing with employer negligence claims arising from manufacturing in many forms.
We support employees who have suffered from negligent workplace practices, especially where proper precautions haven’t been taken to ensure staff safety. If you have been injured as a result of your work in manufacturing, speak to our team to discuss your case for free. We’ll connect you with a panel solicitor who will help you claim compensation on a no win, no fee* basis — we’re on 08082391859^ 24/7
Claim compensation for an injury or illness from work with our solicitors.
There have been an estimated 79,000 manufacturing employees suffering from a new or aggravated illness they attribute to their workplace environment. There is also a high rate of asbestos exposure cases, with numbers second only to construction. In the same year, there was 61,000 employees sustaining injuries from accidents that weren’t life-threatening. During that time, 26 manufacturing staff died, mostly from falling from a height, making contact with machines or being hit by falling/moving objects. We have years of experience successfully claiming compensation for employees in manufacturing.
Regardless of what manufacturing job you have — or how you’ve suffered — speak to our team if the problem is a result of your employer or workplace. We can help you build a case for compensation on a no win, no fee* basis. Our team is available 24/7 on 08082391859^ and will give you a free claim assessment and guide you through your claim with expert knowledge of the pitfalls of working in manufacturing.
What are the most common causes of manufacturing accidents resulting in injury?
There was an estimated annual average of 61,000 injuries to manufacturing workers in the last 5 years. What’s interesting is that whilst the rate of injuries in manufacturing is much higher than other industries, the workers producing metal or metallic items (metallurgy) are also more prone to injury than in other manufacturing subcategories. On the other end of the spectrum, chemical and pharmaceutical production tend to see less injuries sustained by employees than other manufacture-type sectors, even though chemicals are listed as a hazard in 2/3rds of all manufacturing companies. Lucky for staff, numbers of injuries at work have fallen quite substantially in the last few decades. Still, the most common types of injury we see today are:
- Lifting & carrying accidents
- slips, trips, or falls
- Moving or falling object accidents
- Contact with machinery
- Falls from heights
- Strike against some fixed or stationary
- Exposure to harmful chemicals of substances
- Being hit by moving vehicles
What occupational illness are typically linked to manufacturing?
Starting with the good news: work-related stress, anxiety, and depression rates are surprisingly low in manufacturing, with only food and drink production being comparable to the UK average. Musculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain, hand arm vibration syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome are also fairly consistent with the UK averages. However, these still happen, with an estimated 33,000 cases yearly, and have remained at that sort of level for some decades.
Lung diseases are fairly problematic, with some 4000 cases yearly of breathing problems made worse of caused by the workplace. The most common of this being occupational asthma, with rates some 5 times higher than other UK sectors. Mostly, people working with food — especially bakers, vehicle painters and woodworkers. Dust, oils, flour, isocyanates and coolants are typically the main causative agents for asthma in manufacturing environments.
In terms of lungs problems becoming worse, occupational cancer reports suggest that carcinogens found in manufacturing accounted for around 2,200 cancer deaths in 2005. A vast number of these were attributed to asbestos exposure — possibly from buildings known to have been constructed with the substance — with a large percentage of shipbuilding companies reporting employees suffering from afflictions like Mesothelioma.
Other occupational cancer cases were linked to exposure to mineral oils, which is typically associated with lung and bladder cancer, but counted to some skin cancers also. Skin diseases are also at least twice as common in manufacturing, especially in the form of contact dermatitis. In particular, chemical and metal manufacture, and transport equipment production reported the highest rates of contact dermatitis in workers.
Whilst cases of occupational ill-health are generally lower for those working in manufacturing, some diseases can be significantly limiting or scarring. If you’ve suffered some form of illness due to the workplace, speak to our team of employer negligence experts. We can help you make a case for your claim for free, meaning you’re not encountering legal fees just to get questions answered. Our helpline is on 08082391859^ for all queries concerning your health.
What accidents result in manufacturing injuries leading to fatalities?
Twenty-six fatal injuries occurred from accidents in 2018/19. Most of them from falls from heights and contact with machinery. The rate of fatalities is some 1.5 times higher than the UK industry average. Of all accidents, the most common causes of fatalities are:
- Falls from heights — 17%
- Contact with machinery — 14%
- Struck by a falling or moving object — 12%
- Being caught in an explosion — 11%
- Trapped by a collapsing or overturning structure — 10%
Can I claim on behalf of a loved one who has died or is seriously suffering?
Yes, we can help loved ones claim compensation for the loss of life, or if that person has become seriously ill or disabled. We aim to seek damages to help support families during such tragedies to do what we can to ease the burden. Speak to us whenever it suits you on 08082391859^ for friendly and empathetic guidance.
What advantages do I have if I claim for employer negligence compensation against manufacturing companies with Workplace Injury Claims?
- We have a team of technical qualifiers who can assess your claim for free. If they feel you have a case, we bring your claim to one of our panel solicitors — that way you don’t run up any legal fees by just asking questions.
- Our telephony team is open 24hrs a day, but you can leave them a message with our contact form, and they’ll get back to you within a few working days.
- Our panel of employer liability solicitors can work on a no win, no fee* basis, meaning again, you’re not drumming up expensive legal fees by claiming for your personal injury or illness.
- Our team covers the whole of the UK, and you’ll be assigned to a panel solicitor depending on if you’re in England and Wales, or Scotland.
- We have helped many people claim compensation who have worked in manufacturing.
- We can also help with rehabilitation; arranging physio or, in harsher situations, surgery and medical treatment. Furthermore, we offer a whole accident management package.
- We have a UK call centre, based in Manchester, and come from all walks of life.
- We fight for the maximum compensation for you, because ultimately your job is to make the company successful, and they should at least ensure your safety in exchange.
- When we calculate your claim amount, we factor in loss of earnings, general expenses and any ongoing costs incurred, so that you get the highest level of compensation due to you.
- We’re friendly, empathetic and here to help you however we can.
Get in touch with our employer negligence solicitors** today to find out if and how much compensation you could claim.
If you’ve suffered because of work in manufacturing and your employer is at fault, call our helpline today on 08082391859^ to start your claim — we’re here to help.
