Manual Handling Claims

Manual handling tasks are common in many workplaces, and involve the lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling of heavy objects. If these jobs are not managed safely, workers can often sustain serious injuries. 

If you have been injured during a manual handling task in the workplace that could have been prevented by safer working practices, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. The legal experts at Clough & Willis are here to help you, and can provide the expert legal guidance you will need to get the compensation you deserve. 

Making a manual handling claim can help you to recover any financial losses that resulted from your injury, including loss of earnings, private medical treatment, and the cost of care provided by friends or relatives. This will provide the security you need to move on with your life and career. 

To find out more about how we can help you make a manual handling claim, contact us today by calling 0800 083 0815, or fill out our online enquiry form and we will get in touch at a time that is suitable for you. 

How our manual handling injury solicitors can help

At Clough & Willis, we have considerable experience in providing legal support and assistance to victims of manual handling injuries, and can help you resolve your claim quickly and efficiently, while minimising the stress involved with these legal proceedings. 

To accomplish this, we will help you build the strongest possible claim, pulling together all of the necessary information about the circumstances of the accident and injury, and stating a clear case when employers have been found to have neglected their health and safety responsibilities. 

Our priority is to make the claims process as easy and stress-free as possible for the person making the manual handling claim, offering clear explanations and updates at every stage and making ourselves available in a professional capacity whenever we are needed. 

The team at Clough & Willis have considerable expertise in UK employment and workplace safety laws, and are led by Partner and Head of Litigation Chris Macwilliam, a personal injury specialist who believes passionately in the duty of employers to ensure the safety of their workers. 

What is manual handling?

Manual handling is a term used to describe any workplace activity requiring the manual movement of objects, and includes not just lifting and carrying, but also pushing and pulling. 

These tasks are most common in sectors such as construction, agriculture and warehouse work, but the need for manual handling can arise in any workplace, and must always be approached with proper care due to the significant associated risk of injury. 

Manual handling injuries usually result in musculoskeletal disorders or damage, and will typically involve injury to the person’s joints or tissue. The Health and Safety Executive estimates that more than one-third of all workplace injuries are caused by manual handling. 

What are the legal responsibilities of employers to prevent manual handling injuries?

Because manual handling can be so dangerous, there is a specific set of statutory regulations - the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (amended in 2002) - in place for dealing with this type of work. 

Under these regulations, every employer has an overriding legal duty to take every reasonably practical step to prevent anyone from being hurt while carrying out manual handling tasks at work. These include: 

• Ensuring manual handling is avoided completely wherever possible
• Using the right work equipment or other methods to reduce the risk of injury when the task itself cannot be avoided
• Limiting the weight of any objects being moved
• Providing mechanical assistance whenever possible
• Adequately training workers on safe manual handling techniques
• Conducting risk assessments for every task and taking steps to eliminate or reduce the risk of injury 

When accidents occur due to an employer’s failure to provide these basic protections, the injured party will have a strong case to make a manual handling claim for compensation.