Kay Fagg, a sheltered housing officer of Southern-on-Sea Borough Council, recently experienced a slipped disc because of being forced to work sitting on a broken chair. The wheels of the chair of the 62-year-old woman stopped moving around six years back, which restricted her movement in the office. She found it difficult to work in such circumstances and requested the council to replace the chair.
Because of failure of the council to do so, she had to have an operation done for her slipped disc. However, she never recovered completely and had to give up her job due to persistent pain in her back.
Mrs Fagg filed a lawsuit against the council in which she was represented by Thompsons Solicitors. The court gave a verdict in her favour and she was awarded compensation of around £10,000.
Kam Singh from Thompsons Solicitors said that the Council ought to have followed all the laws which protect the health of employees who work on computers. The purpose of these regulations is to ensure that these employees do not face such health issues. He added that the council should have assessed Mrs Fagg’s health risk and provided her a better chair immediately. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations require that employers assess the risks to employees of work with computers - click on DSE Courses - for information on training for organisations to learn how to meet their responsibilities under health and safety legislation and minimise their exposure to risk.
Ann Vinden, the Head of Local Government of UNISON in the Eastern Region, also agreed that the chair must have been replaced as soon as Mrs Fagg reported that she was facing difficulties. If it would have been done, the problem would not have aggravated and she would not have lost her job. She also said that bosses should understand the need to ensure health and safety of their employees and conduct periodic checks with earnestness.