Employees or workers are prone to accidents and injuries at their workplace. These may sometimes be minor injuries or big accidents leading to inevitable death. While it is the employer's responsibility to provide a safe work environment and look after the employee's health, the employee should also be aware of his employee's rights regarding workers' compensation for injury at work.
Provisions in an ideal workplace
- A workplace should provide a suitable environment for its employees to work. The employer must ensure the following:
- A safe place to work with the availability of emergency toolkits.
- Proper and non-hazardous equipment for employees to use.
- A safe and sound work system.
- A safe workplace with proper escape routes and other infrastructural liabilities.
Types of injuries that might occur at a workplace
Permanent Total Disability
When a worker is no longer able to perform certain activities in the workplace and is incurable, it can be determined as a permanent total disability. Examples include loss of limbs, paralysis, etc.
Permanent Partial Disability
When a worker is no longer able to perform activities with complete functionality due to an injury sustained at the workplace, it is called permanent partial disability. Examples include loss of finger or toe, loss of hearing, eyesight, etc.
Temporary Disability
When a worker is subject to an injury that can be recovered with proper and timely medical treatment, it is called a temporary disability. The examples include- concussions, fractures, short term impairments, etc.
Death
In case of unfortunate occurrence of death of the person, the employer is subject to compensation for the worker's family.
Legal Compensation for Workers Injury
The Safety, Health, and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 details the rights and regulations which help in the protection of the employees. It provides provisions regarding penalties and compensation for injury at work for the employers and ensures a safer workplace.
To be noted, sometimes the injuries may not be covered legally and are not subjected to any aid or compensation for injury at work by the employer.
An injured employee can claim the rights only if:
- the employee was not injured earlier or had any illness before the accident.
- the injury is significant.
- the accident caused was due to irresponsibility of the employer's side.
Following are the estimated compensations for injury at work that will be provided to the employee in case of the following accidents:
Permanent Total Disability: € 16,000 to € 105,000
Permanent Partial Disability: € 21,000 to € 80,000
Temporary Disability: € 4,500 to € 35,000
Death: compensation starting at € 100,000
Workers Injury Compensation is a right for every employee. Every person working under an employer has the full right to ask for compensation for an injury at work when needed. Keenan & Co is a law firm based in Dublin, Ireland, who can provide you with proper guidance and assistance when it comes to cases related to workers injury compensation and much more.
*In contentious business a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement.