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Gardener Injured at Work – Personal Injury Claims for Gardeners and Groundsmen
Introduction to injury claims for Gardeners
About Gardeners and Groundsmen injured at work
Types of injury suffered by Gardeners and Groundsmen
Common accidents involving Gardeners and Groundsmen
News stories about claims we have dealt with for Gardeners
Real cases we have dealt with involving injured Gardeners and Groundsmen
Personal Injury Compensation Claim Advice for Gardeners and Groundsmen
How to start a claim for compensation if you have been injured at work
Introduction to injury claims for Gardeners
About Gardeners and Groundsmen injured at work
Working as a gardener or groundsman can bring a person into contact with many different hazards throughout their working day. It is important that thorough health and safety procedures are implemented and enforced to avoid injury to gardeners and groundsmen.
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 places a duty on all employers to protect their employees, contractors and visitors from accidents and injuries and gardeners are no exception.
If you have been injured while working as a gardener or groundsman and the accident was someone else’s fault, you may be able to make a claim for compensation. To discuss the individual circumstances of your accident to find out if a claim is possible, call us on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
You will be under no obligation to instruct us and we will assess your claim as quickly as possible to let you know if we can help.
Types of injury suffered by Gardeners and Groundsmen
Common accidents involving Gardeners and Groundsmen
Some of the most common causes of accidents and injuries suffered by gardeners and groundsmen are listed below. If the exact circumstances of your case is not mentioned we may still be able to help you make a personal injury claim on a cost-free basis. To find out more about how we could help you, call us on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
- Gardeners using dangerous machinery
- Gardeners using vibrating tools
- Gardeners exposed to noisy machinery
- Gardeners using chemicals at work
- Gardeners working at height
- Gardeners and the risk of needlestick injuries
- Gardeners lifting heavy items
Gardeners and groundsmen frequently have to use a wide variety of potentially dangerous tools and equipment as part of their job. Mowers, strimmers, hedge trimmers and other power tools often have very sharp blades or rotating parts which can cause catastrophic injuries, such as amputations or deep lacerations.
All machinery and tools should be inspected regularly and kept in a good state of repair. Gardeners and groundsmen should be provided with full training on how to operate the machinery safely and should also be provided with appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) which should prevent or at least minimise any injuries sustained.
To read more in depth information about working with dangerous machinery visit our Dangerous Machinery at Work page.
Some of the power tools and mowers used by gardeners and groundsmen give off levels of vibration which can be harmful if they are used over a prolonged period of time without proper breaks and appropriate PPE.
Thompsons’ specialist industrial disease solicitors and lawyers have dealt with many personal injury compensation claims for gardeners and groundsmen who have developed vibration white finger or hand arm vibration syndrome as it is also known after being exposed to vibrating tools at work.
Another industrial illness suffered frequently by gardeners and groundsmen is industrial deafness as many of the tools and machinery they use are power tools or motorised machines which can be very noisy.
Ear defenders are an essential piece of PPE for anyone operating loud machinery including gardeners and groundsmen.
If you suspect that your hearing has been damaged by your working environment contact your GP who should help you arrange the necessary tests.
As part of a gardener’s or groundsman’s job the use of chemicals is sometimes required. Chemicals are found in cleaning products and in gardening related products such as pesticides and weed killers.
There are detailed regulations in place which are designed to protect all workers from exposure to chemicals and other substances in the workplace and these are called “The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations” (COSHH).
The COSHH regulations state that employers must first try to avoid using any chemicals known to be hazardous and replace them with safe alternatives. If this is impossible, they must minimise the exposure and provide appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). For a gardener or groundsman, this may include gloves, boots, overalls or goggles.
Dangerous chemicals can cause problems with the skin such as dermatitis, neurological problems or breathing problems such as asthma.
As part of their job, gardeners and groundsmen may need to work at height, for example when cutting back or felling trees.
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (amended in 2007) are intended to protect everyone who has to work at height including gardeners and groundsmen. The regulations apply equally whether the person is just a few feet up a set of ladders or much higher in a cherry picker or harness system.
Falls from height can result in a whole range of different injuries including fatalities.
To read more about working at height, visit our Compensation Claims relating to Falls from Height at Work page.
Unfortunately gardeners and groundsmen can be at risk of needlestick injuries whilst at work, particularly if they are working in public parks or other areas which are popular with drug users.
With needlestick injuries, the victim not only has to suffer the pain from the initial injury itself but also the stress and worry that they may have contracted a blood-borne virus (BBV) such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
Tests to determine whether an infection has been contracted can take months to complete and this wait is understandably agonising for anyone who has suffered a needlestick injury.
Gardeners and groundsmen should have all the tools and PPE they require to carry out jobs such as collecting up piles of leaves and clearing cuttings from mowers to eliminate the need for them to use their bare hands for these jobs and risk a needlestick injury from a hidden syringe.
Mowers and other types of machinery which gardeners have to use are often very heavy. The most common type of injury to suffer after lifting a heavy object is a back injury but injuries to feet, toes, arms and shoulders are also not uncommon.
A gardener's employer has a duty to review the working practices and eliminate any manual handling which is not absolutely necessary. They should also carry out a risk assessment of all of the manual handling which cannot be eliminated and which may cause an injury as well as trying to reduce the risk of injury from all essential manual handling as much as possible.
To read more about lifting heavy objects at work and The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (amended in 2002), visit our Workplace Manual Handling Compensation Claim page.
News stories about claims we have dealt with for Gardeners
Real cases we have dealt with involving injured Gardeners and Groundsmen
At Thompsons Solicitors we frequently publish news stories about personal injury claims we have dealt with which may be of interest.
Below, you will find links to a small selection of these which involve claims we successfully handled for gardeners and groundsmen.
If you would like to find out if we can help you with an accident you have had whilst working as a gardener or groundsman, call us on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
Council pays out to gardener who used vibrating tools
Prison gardener compensated for assault
Gardener from Rumney secures £3000 compensation
Kent groundsman secures compensation after losing a limb in an accident
Personal Injury Compensation Claim Advice for Gardeners and Groundsmen
How to start a claim for compensation if you have been injured at work
If you or someone you know has suffered an injury, illness or disease which was not their fault, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.
There are strict time limits in place to make any personal injury compensation claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.
Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury solicitors and lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
Contact us about your accident or injury
Call us for free on 08000 224 224 Call us from your mobile on 0330 123 123 0 (charged at local number and free when covered by inclusive minutes) Request a call back Text CLAIM to 82010 (standard network rates apply)
