The incident happened to Mr Colin Ball when he was making a delivery to Recticel Limited of Alfreton, Derbyshire. Mr Ball was dropping off a consignment of insulation board at the company’s Stoke on Trent warehouse. While performing this operation, a separate warehouse stack toppled onto him, causing fractures of the spine. He also suffered a serious head injury.

Recticel were prosecuted for breaking the Health and Safety at Work Act in regards to protecting persons not in their employment from unacceptable safety risks. They pleaded guilty and were fined £6,238.

The multi-national firm, which employs 11,000 people in over a hundred manufacturing locations worldwide, were reminded by a Health and Safety Executive inspector of the need to protect workers visiting their sites. Safe systems of work in warehouses should ensure that there are no risks of stacked materials toppling over and causing injury, as was the case with this accident.

Kiera Berry was born at Jessop Hospital, Sheffield in April 2001. She did not breathe for the first seven minutes of her life, which caused her to suffer from oxygen starvation. She has been left with brain damage, cerebral palsy and dystonic quadriplegia. Her injuries mean she cannot sit unaided and will need round-the-clock care all of her life.

According to the Sheffield Star newspaper, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust admitted it mismanaged the labour of Kiera’s mum, and has agreed to pay a multi million pound settlement. The exact amount of compensation awarded has not been reported.

The damages agreement was approved at the High Court in London and will cover the costs of Kiera’s extensive care needs for the rest of her life. While approving the settlement the Judge in the case paid tribute to Kiera and her family and wished them all the best for the future.

The Health and Safety Executive has released figures relating to the period between April 2009 and March 2010. They reveal that 640 serious injuries were suffered by workers on farms during the last year. This has risen from 599 for the equivalent period the year before. A major injury is classed as one which causes such injuries as amputations, head injuries or broken bones. The number of fatal accidents also rose from 25 to 38.

The figures mean that statistically agriculture is the most dangerous industry to work in. Fatal accidents are at the lowest recorded yearly level (152), which makes the rise amongst farm workers the more surprising. A spokesperson for the HSE stated that they will continue to work with the farming community to help reduce the number of accidents occurring on British farms.

It is unclear whether the increase in injuries has resulted in an increase in farm accident compensation claims.

Jenna Maher was severely injured while crossing the road as a teenager. She was struck down by a van in Feltham, west London. After the accident in 2001, she was left in a coma due to her head injuries. She suffered brain injuries which left her frontal lobe damaged and affected her functioning ability and memory.

The Blackpool Gazette is reporting that although she has recovered partially, allowing her to live a semi independent life, she still requires hours of care and support every day.

She has now received £1.5 million in compensation from the insurers of the van. They admitted to two thirds liability for the accident, a compromise both sides agreed to to avoid a costly High Court trial. The settlement was approved by Mrs Justice Sharp.

The money will be used to pay for Miss Maher’s care needs for the rest of her life.

Lee Baker was working for Elmatic Ltd of Cardiff when the accident occurred back in March last year. He was asked to drill holes in metal boxes, and while positioning one of the components, his glove became entangled with the drill and broke his wrist in two places. The injury was so severe that he had to have metal plates inserted to ensure strength in the bones.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that Mr Baker did not normally work on the drill and had had no training on how to use it safely. They also found that the drill was not fitted with a suitable safety guard. The HSE had taken action against the company previously in 2002 and 2009 due to unguarded drills, and decided to prosecute the firm.

Elmatic Ltd pleaded guilty to breaking the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and were fined £8,000 at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court.

The two men had been working for Wyndeham Heron Ltd during the course of last year when the personal injury causing accidents happened. In March, Paul Howard tried to clear a paper jam in the firms’ machinery and ended up with a fractured thumb. Then in November, Mark Frost was trying to fix a problem with the drive belts on a conveyor, when his hand was dragged between the belts and his fingers were crushed.

The incidents were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive, which found a lack of training, supervision and safe working methods to deal with problems correctly.

The HSE prosecuted the firm for breaking the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company pleaded guilty and was fined a total for both accidents of £25,000 and made to pay legal costs.

A HSE inspector stated afterwards that as printing presses were dangerous pieces of equipment, clear procedures need to be put in place to deal safely with problems such as paper jams or mechanical failure.

The figures have been released by the Health and Safety Executive, and are summarised below:

- Accidents at work fell from 105,261 a year to 95,369
- Fatal accidents at work fell from 179 to 152
- Accidents at work which caused serious injury fell from 27,894 to 26,061

Despite these reductions a staggering 28.5 million working days are lost due to injury and work caused ill-health every year. This averages out at 1.2 days per worker.

The Health and Safety Executive continues to try and reduce the number of injured workers in the UK by taking action against employers who do not fully follow health and safety laws. The HSE made 1,025 successful prosecutions last year against the most serious offenders.

Those people who are still unfortunate enough to suffer injury or illness at work through no fault of their own, can make compensation claims against their employers to seek damages.

Britain does however remain one of the safest places to work in the EU, with one of the lowest accident rates.

Capri Foods Ltd from Housnlow failed to act on an Improvement Notice by the Health and Safety Executive about a risk to workers. This was in relation to a doorway which was four metres off the ground and was used to load and unload forklift trucks which operated in the yard outside. The doorway was kept open even when not in use, and there was no form of railings, barrier or guards used. This meant there was nothing to stop an employer falling a considerable distance to the concrete floor below.

A HSE inspector warned about the doorway on the 29th July 2009 and served an Improvement Notice for the company to make changes by the beginning of November 2009. However, when an inspection was made in December it was discovered that no changes had been made.

The firm was prosecuted for breaking the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Work at Height Regulations. They pleaded guilty and were fined £15,000.

Fall from height accidents are still one of the biggest causes of serious injuries in UK workplaces every year.

Peter Walton was working on the construction of three new office blocks when the accident occurred back in May 2006. He suffered a fatal fall when an unsecured scaffolding board he was working on gave way. He spent five weeks in hospital being treated for his injuries, but unfortunately passed away.

Howorth Scaffolding Services Ltd and Glenmill Group (Developments) Ltd were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive in regards to the accident. They pleaded guilty to breaking the Health and Safety at Work Act and were fined £13,793 and £1 respectively. The fines reflected the financial situations of the companies.

The HSE inspector stated that both companies contributed to Mr Walton’s tragic death through not following proper safety procedures, in regards to installing correctly and checking scaffolding before use.

Falls from height are one of the biggest dangers to the UK workforce, and Mr Walton’s widow stated after the decision that she hoped what happened to Peter will make people realise the importance of health and safety laws and following correct procedures.

Antonia Caddock suffered from oxygen starvation during her delivery at Watford General Hospital back in June 2004. This caused here serious brain injury which means she will require round-the-clock care for the rest of her life.

Her family sought legal damages from the NHS, claiming errors in her birth caused the serious injuries she suffered. In the High Court, London, her legal team alleged that medical staff were responsible for urging Antonia’s mother to undergo a conventional delivery without explaining the full risks. She had suffered from complications in a previous pregnancy and had originally decided on a planned caesarean before having her mind changed.

Antonia’s mother is also claiming compensation for injuries she herself sustained in the delivery, and on Friday the NHS offered to settle both claims on a basis of 40% liability. This will avoid the need for full court proceedings, unless the amount due in damages cannot be agreed. Even on the basis of 40% liability, Antonia could be set for a multi-million pound settlement to help cover the costs of her extensive care needs.