This guide will highlight common archaeological dig risks to emphasise the importance of health and safety and show how injuries in the workplace can be caused. Furthermore, the guide will also answer important questions about claiming compensation for an injury at work.
This includes providing potential examples of what could be received for a workplace injury and emphasising the benefits of using our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors to claim.
If you prefer, you can contact us for free at a time that suits you using the details above. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff are available 24/7 and can answer any queries you have regarding how to claim for an accident at work.
Please read on to learn more about the accident at work procedure in the UK.
Select A Section
- A Guide To Archaeological Dig Risks
- Archaeological Dig Risks – How Can A Workplace Injury Happen?
- What Could I Claim For An Accident At Work?
- What Is A No Win No Fee Claim For A Work Accident?
- Learn More About Accident At Work Procedure In The UK
A Guide To Archaeological Dig Risks
In archaeology, a watching brief can help determine important aspects of excavation, such as the practical implications of the work and the number of people needed to perform the relevant tasks. Part of this brief revolves around assessing archaeological dig risks, as it’s important to ensure that the work can be done without risk of injury to workers.
This guide will illustrate the legal principles behind claiming for an accident at work and give a greater idea of the potential compensation that could be received from a successful claim.
Archaeological Dig Risks – How Can A Workplace Injury Happen?
This section will highlight common archaeological dig risks, how they should be avoided and how, in some instances, you may be able to claim. Examples of dig risks include:
- Spoil heaps – These heaps of rubble and findings need to be properly managed to ensure no collapses are caused by the excavation. A slip, trip and fall could occur, for instance, if these have been poorly managed.
- Faulty equipment – Tools, such as drills, hammers and diggers, will be used during the excavation. If your employer has supplied the equipment and you’re injured due to a fault in the equipment, you may be able to claim.
- Poor signposting – There can be many steep or sudden drops while working in excavations. If these are not properly indicated or signposted, it could lead to a serious injury. This is why reporting unsafe work conditions is crucial in archaeology – failing to do so could lead to a work accident claim.
The reason you may be able to claim for incidents like the ones listed above revolves around employer negligence. Every employer in the UK has a duty of care to ensure, within reason, that the work facilities, equipment and environment are safe enough to be used without leading to a work injury. This duty of care is outlined in The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
As such, if you suffer an injury because your employer breached this duty of care, you may be able to claim. Contact us for free using the above details to learn more about claiming.
What Could I Claim For An Accident At Work?
Solicitors and lawyers use the Judicial College Guidelines to indicate to clients what they could receive in compensation. The injuries are categorised by the type of injury and its severity. The compensation brackets have been taken from successful court cases in England and Wales. The below indicates what could be received in general damages compensation for certain injuries.
| Site of Injury | Severity | Description | Compensation Bracket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain | Moderate (i) | These types of brain injuries lead to an intellectual deficit of a moderate to severe range, a personality change and causes a negative impact to speech, sight and senses. | £150,110 to £219,070 |
| Foot | Severe | Fractures of both feet or heels that leads to a substantial degree of mobility restriction or pain that is permanent in nature. | £41,970 to £70,030 |
| PTSD | Moderately Severe | Better prognosis than in more severe cases is caused by a positive reaction to professional help. | £23,150 to £59,860 |
| Ankle | Severe | An extensive period of treatment is usually required after this injury with significant residual disability caused. | £31,310 to £50,060 |
| Achilles Tendon | Serious | Complete division of the tendon has been repaired. However, a limitation of ankle movements and residual weakness will be caused. | £24,990 to £30,090 |
General damages compensation relates to the impact and severity of the injury itself. As such, the amount you could receive is dictated by factors, such as whether any permanent side effects were caused and if any loss of amenity resulting from the injury.
Furthermore, evidence is vital to proving that your injury was caused by employer negligence. Evidence you could use includes:
- CCTV footage of the incident.
- Witness statements.
- Photographs of your injury and the site of the accident.
- Medical reports from your doctor or a healthcare professional.
You could also claim for special damages compensation as part of the same claim. This relates to financial losses caused by the workplace injury. Losses you could claim include loss of earnings, home adjustments and travel expenses. Evidence would be required, such as bank statements, invoices and receipts, to potentially claim for these losses.
What Is A No Win No Fee Claim For A Work Accident?
You may wonder what the benefits are when making a No Win No Fee claim for a work accident. If you use a solicitor using the normal claims method, you would need to pay them upfront for their legal services. However, with a No Win No Fee claim:
- You only have to pay for your solicitor’s legal fees if your claim is successful.
- Your solicitor’s legal fees will be taken as a success fee out of your compensation at the end of the claim.
- There are no hidden fees or costs. The small, legally capped percentage of your compensation taken as the success fee will be agreed upon before you agree to use their services.
This means that, if you use a solicitor from our panel to claim for an accident at work, they won’t waste your time. They will be open and honest about your chances of making a successful claim and will only take your case if they feel you have a reasonably good chance of success.
Contact Us 24/7 To See If You Can Claim
Want to see if you can claim? If so, you can contact our team of advisors 24/7 at a time that works for you using the above details. They offer free legal advice, can provide you with a clear assessment of your case and can even provide you with a compensation estimate.
Furthermore, if you’re unsure if the archaeological dig risks you were subjected to led to your injury, they can assess your claim eligibility and even put you through to a solicitor from our panel who could help you claim compensation.
Learn More About Accident At Work Procedure In The UK
Use the links below to learn more about archaeological dig risks and the accident at work procedure in the UK.
Want to know how to manage Occupational Health Risks in Archaeology? If so, read this webpage.
Read this for further guidance for archaeological work.
Read this guide to learn more about Basic Health and Safety in Archaeology.
You can learn more via these other guides we’ve created too: