Mantas works in a factory where plastic pipes are made. He is in charge of five machines. Each machine has a number. His job is to keep an eye on each machine and ensure that they do not run out of ingredients. Mantas must pour in the ingredient mix at the top of the hopper. This is at the top of a metal stairs. The environment is a controlled one. He needs to wear a hazmat suit provided by work.

One day at 4:30pm, he noticed that machine number 3 was running low on raw materials. He climbed up the metal stairs and put more ingredients in the hopper. On the way down he tripped over his hazmat suit and fell to his right hand side, fracturing his clavicle shoulder bone.

It turned out that the hazmat suit was too big and had come out over his boots. When he slipped there was no railing to protect him from falling.

Mantas came to Griffin Solicitors who lodged a claim in the Injuries Board. Mantas was advisd that any clothing provided by work needs to be fit for its purpose. In addition there should have been a railing on both sides of the metal staircase. The railing on his right hand side had been omitted due to space constraints. If the safety railing had been installed then only four and not five machines could have been fitted in the available space in the factory.

The Injuries Board wrote to the insurance company who accepted the Injuries Board Assessment. After 9 months Mantas’ injury was assessed at €24,345. Mantas was happy to accept this assessment without having to go to court.

The above story is true. However, the names of the people involved and the locations have been changed to protect their privacy.