Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations Act 1992, employers should
ensure a suitable and personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided to their employees
who may be exposed to a health and safety risk when at work. In addition to this, under the
Employer’s Liability (Defective Equipment) Act 1969 employers are also strictly liable for
any defective equipment that causes any type of injury.
Defective equipment includes any equipment that is not fit for its original purpose, unsafe or suffers from a manufacturing defect.
Examples of defective equipment in the workplace:
- Machines that do not have guards to prevent fingers and hands from getting caught.
- Inappropriate repairs to equipment render it unsafe.
- Ladders collapse due to a lack of maintenance.
The first thing you should do after suffering an accident due to defective or faulty equipment
is to, seek medication attention and let your employer or whoever is in charge of the
equipment of the situation. You should then get a record of the incident written down, as
well as witness testimonies from co-workers and any photographic evidence. When you are
ready, you may take legal action by contacting us or another professional legal provider.
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