Three UK companies have been ordered to pay a total of £283,332 after a worker was paralysed in an accident.
The work accident compensation claim occurred when the claimant was working on a refurbishment project at the plant in a refinery in Cheshire. The worker was removing part of the concrete lining of the ‘cracker’ unit, where crude oil is turned into various chemical components. The court heard that the incident was caused by the materials being suspended above a walkway.

Employers across the North West of England are being urged to ensure their workers are kept safe in 2010, and improve on 2009 safety figures.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), last year more than 300 work-related incidents occurred across the North West each week – amounting to a total of 16,385 people killed or injured during 2009.

What is stress?
According to the Health and Safety Executive, the formal definition of stress is:
The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work
It is important to realise that stress NOT an illness, but a state. However if it becomes prolonged then it is possible for mental and physical illness to develop.
While well-organised and structured work is considered good for people, it can also be an enormous source of stress and anxiety to others. It is important to recognise that there is …