31st January 2008

Accident at work compensation claim for slipping on wet floor in school dining room

During the lunchtime rush at the school where she worked as a dinner nanny, between 270 and 300 children needed to be fed within a very short time. When an accidental spillage occurred during this busy time, it should have been cleaned up as quickly as possible to avoid an accident at work if someone slipped in the wet area.

Although you could reasonably expect this type of accident or hazard to occur from time to time in a busy dining area, no formal training had been provided to any of the dinner ladies on the best practice for dealing with spillages of this type quickly and efficiently. Acting on their own initiative, and trying to deal with the situation as best they could, one of the dinner ladies had decided to stand guard around the area whilst another went for something with which to mop up the excess water.

Busy trying to prevent the children suffering a slipping injury by keeping them well away from the spillage, the dinner lady guarding the area did not see another lady approaching. Not realising there had been an accident, our client slipped and fell, suffering injury. The judge found that there had been no contributory negligence on the part of our client, as she had not been advised of the hazard.

The judge also found that there should have been a more formal system in place so that everyone knew the actions to take and their role in the clean-up operation. This would include the use of warning cones, someone to stand guard, and someone to make sure the spill was quickly and adequately cleaned up. He felt that the ad-hoc system of dealing with spillages, as and when they occurred, fell far short of a safe system of working.

Compensation Claim

Clear Answers’ lawyers have teams of experts waiting to help you, should you decide to instruct us to represent you in your claim. Whether you were injured as a result of an accident at work, or whether your accident happened in a public place, we specialise in all types of personal injury claims, including slips, trips and falls,

You will receive 100% of your compensation if you select Clear Answers to represent you in this matter. The person responsible for your accident will pay our legal fees, and our service will be cost-free for you.

If you or a family member has been injured in these circumstances, you may like to complete one of our online compensation claim forms and one of our representatives will contact as soon as possible. Alternative, please ring us on 0800 783 9019 and speak to one of our advisers. They will be happy to provide you with expert legal advice, talk you through the claims process in plain English and answer any questions you may have regarding your claim.

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