It is estimated that over one million people suffer accidents at work in the UK every year. Common results include back injuries and broken bones, which cause suffering, loss of income due to an inability to work and additional expenses for medical fees, and other costs.

Work injuries have various causes with common ones being slips and trips, falls from height and use of machinery. Employees may also suffer from illness due to being exposed to dangerous substances in their place of work. The use of vibrating tools is a well-known cause of a condition generally referred to as vibration white finger while noisy working conditions can result in loss of hearing. The more common the injury, the more easily a claim can be settled since compensation levels are well known and accepted.

In the modern workplace, a common work complaint is repetitive strain injury (RSI), which results from processes that are repeated many times during the working day. This is typically caused by long-term computer use due to employees typing at a keyboard for long periods or repeatedly clicking and scrolling a mouse.

Employers can rely on research and adopt measures to counter the threat of RSI and other injuries. This can include the use of ergonomic chairs and equipment, which are readily available and will reduce the likelihood of employees falling victim to injury. By taking these measures, employers will be seen to be doing all they can to create a safe environment for their employees and will lower the possibility of injury.

PCs are commonly used at home as well as at work. When this is the case, proving that RSI occurred at work will be all the more difficult. However, expert medical witnesses may be able to testify that work practices are unsafe, which will help the case.

Employers are responsible for the safety of their employees when at work and can be held to be failing to take reasonable care should accidents occur. Health and safety legislation requires them to undertake risk assessments in order to reduce the possibility of accidents and to report certain ones should they occur. All injuries, no matter how minor, should be recorded in the company's accident book.

Businesses are regulated by a number of laws that are designed to make the workplace safer. These include the Workplace Regulations 1992, Work Equipment Regulations 1992 and, for those working with harmful substances and dangerous chemicals, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. If you suffer an accident and can prove your employer has not adhered to relevant regulations, then any claim you make for compensation is more likely to be successful.