Birmingham City Council has spent nearly £5 million in personal injury compensation after five years’ worth of successful work accident claims were made against it, industry experts recently reported.
According to a recent freedom of information request made by the Birmingham Post newspaper, the local authority has made £4.9 million in compensation payments since 2006 for accident claims including asbestos exposure, slips and trips, and injuries brought about by a lack of staff training. Noteworthy claims reported by the newspaper include one employee receiving a £1,750 compensation award following his injury from a collapsing toilet seat and the £36,000 in compensation paid out in an asbestos exposure incident.
There were several instances of compensation of £10,000 or more, according to the information received by the newspaper. The injuries of one employee suffering from hand arm vibration syndrome earned him nearly £11,000, while another employee who was struck by a falling object was awarded a £15,000 payment from the local authority for the damage the object caused.
One council spokesman commented on the figures, remarking that over the period of time concerned the council had nearly 48,000 people in its employ. The average number of claims the local authority handled on a yearly basis was around 100, the spokesman also said, adding that Birmingham City Council felt that it could take pride in its health and safety management strategy not just within the council itself but in the community at large as well.
Whenever an accident occurred, the circumstances leading to the incident were reviewed carefully, with any needed revisions to safety procedures taking place as quickly as possible, the spokesman added.