Posts Tagged employers liability insurance
Workplace Health and Safety Must be a Priority
Posted by admin in employment law, raleys solicitors on June 3, 2010
It is certainly true that there is a very negative view of Health and Safety in the media, but a recent survey seems to suggest that such a view is also prevalent amongst employees themselves.
A survey recently carried out by the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health showed that only a tenth of the employees they interviewed believed that health and safety was a priority concern in their workplace, whilst 15% of respondents believed that health and safety caused unnecessary bureaucracy.
However, the very same respondents also massively underestimated the number of workplace injuries which are sustained every year in the UK. A huge 46% of survey participants believed that there were 50,000 workplace injuries each year, when the real figure is around 300,000. Furthermore, over 4.5 million working days were lost in 2008-2009 as a result of injuries sustained at work.
As Raleys Solicitors have often been keen to point out, workplace health and safety must be a priority to protect employees.
Employment Law: Facts about Employers’ Liability Insurance
Posted by admin in employment law, raleys solicitors on May 5, 2010
UK employment law states that employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement for any UK company that employs people. It is critical to protecting the staff and future of any firm, yet many employers remain in the dark about the simple facts. For example, did you know:
Employers’ liability insurance safeguards the future of the company and the staff. Should an employee get injured or ill as a result of work, employers’ liability insurance would cover the claim and legal fees. This would prevent hefty claims damaging the company’s finances and jeopardising its future, as well as protecting the injured employee, for example by compensating their financial loss.
This insurance is a legal requirement, not a suggestion. Regardless of how safe you feel your workplace is, you have to have employers’ liability insurance. The policy must cover you for at least £5 million. If you are caught trading without employers’ liability insurance, there will be consequences. The Health and Safety Executive is tasked with ensuring that all businesses subscribe to safe working practices and they have the power to fine you as much as £2,500 for every day you weren’t covered.
As well as being legally obliged to have the insurance, you are legally obliged to display your certificate where employees can easily see it. This is usually on a notice board or wall, but you are perfectly entitled to display electronic copies on the company intranet or server.
Finally, employers should never be tempted to throw away old employers’ liability insurance records. Simply because the year has ended or because the year passed without event, this does not mean you no longer need the records. Some occupational illnesses for which you may be claimed against take many years to become apparent, for example Mesothelioma, the asbestos related form of cancer often develops 30 years after exposure.