The fact that you leave your house every day to go to work is enough reason to take good care of yourself so that you will always return home after work closure.
Some persons working in high-risk environments such as construction and mining should be a bit worried about getting injured as this may make them not be at work the next day.
Under the law, employers have a responsibility to ensure that all workers are safe while working in any work environment. The law mandated that employers provide protective equipment and adequate procedures to guarantee a safer environment.
However, even when the employer has ensured a safe work environment, accidents leading to injuries may still happen. At this point, who is at fault?
Injuries at work.
Injuries at work can range from Minor to Major injuries. In some companies, workers may even lose parts of their bodies, either hands or legs. Poor practices and lack of safety enforcement can lead to injury.
When working and you have an injury. You have the right to report to your manager immediately. You may do so through the safety personnel in place. In some companies, there would be workplace clinics that handle the worker’s injury. Or they’ll have an ambulance on the premises to transport the injured worker to the hospital. So reporting an accident is within your rights as a worker.
Employers’ responsibilities to employees.
Under the law, employers are responsible for all workers against workplace hazards through safety precautions, plans and safe work procedures. Under the worker’s compensation system, employers are obligated to compensate an injured worker for injuries without any thorny questions of raising the blame on anyone.
However, if your employer failed to protect you by not taking reasonable action, or failing to fulfil his part of compensation, then as a worker, you have the right to file for claim compensation from your employer.
No matter the number of injuries involved but you should be mindful of the time limit you have to make the claim for compensation. You can hire an injury lawyer to guide you in that aspect accordingly.
Final thoughts.
Sometimes even when the employers have done all they could to ensure safety at the site, injuries remain unavoidable. A worker may decide to chalk up the injury event to bad luck. Nevertheless, if you feel that your employer didn’t do enough to protect you while at work and that resulted in you having an injury, you may have a case to earn compensation for yourself.
Onyeka Emma is a QHSE Professional with more than 10 years of experience in occupational health and safety, which spans many industries such as construction, beverage, oil and gas, etc. He has many health and safety certifications, including NEBOSH IGC, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 Lead auditor certificate. A member of IOSH, ISPON, and Nigeria Red Cross Society. He is interested in business, entrepreneurship, Speaking, and motivating people to do better for themselves. He enjoys leisure with a good motivational book.
