Established 1847 'for the promotion of Sound Learning'
News Release
Article created: Friday, Friday, December 28, 2007
Accidents in Schools and Colleges Cost Employers over £1/4 Million in Compensation and Legal Payments for Year
Scotland's education authorities and educational establishments have paid out over a quarter of a million pounds in compensation and legal expenses as a result of industrial accidents or attacks against teaching staff in the last 12 months. The startling figure of £1/4 Million, comprised of over £180,000 in compensation to claimants with the remainder being the estimated legal costs to employers, illustrates just how much still has to be done to improve employee health and safety in Scotland's educational establishments.
EIS General Secretary, Ronnie Smith, said, “The figure of a quarter of a million pounds paid out as a result of injuries to EIS members over the past year is extremely worrying. The number of incidents remains far too high and the amount of compensation paid out is actually up slightly on last year. This shows that more still needs to be done in our schools, colleges and universities to ensure the safety and well-being of teaching staff. All employers, including schools and colleges, must take the health and safety of their employees seriously.”
Mr Smith highlighted the growing number of cases arising from psychiatric injury: “Occupational stress is a major problem facing teachers and lecturers. The growth in the number of cases involving psychiatric injury and stress-related illness should provide a stark warning to employers that they must take account of their employees' mental, as well as physical, wellbeing. Employers should be using the Health and Safety Executive's management standards to work with the EIS at local authority and educational establishment level to reduce the impact of occupational stress. Stress-related illness and other injuries to mental health are extremely serious and can take a huge toll on the individual concerned. The long-term effects can be significant, and recovery can take an extremely long period of time. The fact that the largest compensation award arose from a psychiatric injury, which was compounded by a lack of management support, is no co-incidence. This clearly illustrates just how serious such injuries can be, and the heavy price that employers will have to pay if they fail in their obligations to protect their staff.”
Moving on to discuss other types of case over the last year, Mr Smith said, “Nevertheless, the figures on compensation claims held by the EIS show that the biggest risk to teachers and lecturers in the workplace continues to be through slips, trips or falls. Many of these incidents result in injuries with potentially serious and long-lasting consequences. While these are the most common hazards in the workplace, they are also among the most easily avoided by compliance with health and safety law and observing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance. Removing slip, trip and fall hazards would improve safety not just for teaching staff, but also for pupils, students and visitors to establishments who also have a clear right to expect a safe environment.”
Mr Smith continued, “While many of the accidents which happen in our schools and colleges could be avoided by proper application of correct procedures, the issue of assaults on teaching staff cannot be solved so readily. Teachers, in common with many other public service workers, are far too often on the receiving end of assaults in the course of their work. Employers have a duty to assess and minimise the risk facing teachers, and also to send a clear message that all violent conduct – physical or verbal – will not be tolerated.”
Mr Smith added, “Quite apart from the cost to educational establishments – and thus the taxpayer – in legal fees and in settling claims for compensation, we must also consider the hidden costs in these cases. These would include personal costs to the individual concerned through their pain and suffering, as well as the effects on their personal and home life. Much of this could be avoided if employers took health and safety matters more seriously and ensured that correct procedures were followed at all times.”
(ENDS)
For further information, please contact:
Brian Cooper (Media & Communications), Tel 0131 225 6244, Mob 07974 715101
Ronnie Smith (General Secretary), Tel 0131 225 6244, Mob 07974 182744
Awards 2007
- Teacher slipped in corridor, carrying large box, injuries to hand and wrist - £20,000
- PE teacher, voice loss due to environmental/acoustic conditions £8,000
- Teacher caused psychiatric injury as a result of being prosecuted following false allegations and the lack of support from his employer. £38,000
- Teacher suffered injury to shoulder when hit by a cupboard door which fell off its hinges - £3,000.
- Teacher tripped on loose carpet, lower back injuries - £9,000
- Trolley collapse causing teacher to fall (teacher pushing trolley to transport TV), bruising and soft tissue damage to arm - £3,000
- Teacher injured back following collapse of piano chair £1,500.
- Teacher tripped in pot hole. Injury to ankle – £2,500
- Trip on loose carpet rod – wrenched back - £2,500
- Teacher slipped due to snow being brought in and floor wet - £8,500, fractured wrist.
- Slip on litter in stairwell, injuries to knee - £750.
- Fall from ladder during preparations for school play, fractured leg, £10,000.
- Slip on wet stairs, bruised legs and staved finger - £2,000.
- Tripped over school bag, facial injuries and detached retina - £5,000
- Slipped on wet floor, injuries to knee - £4,000.
- Slipped on wet floor, injuries to back and shoulder - £3,500
- Slipped on highly polished floor, fractured wrist and severe bruising to body and knee - £4,000.
- Hit on head by falling object, Post Concussion Syndrome - £10,000.
- Fall from step, severely sprained ankle - £2,000.
- Teacher struck by lever from trampoline during manual handling operation – cut to jaw and lost fillings - £2,500
- Teacher inured leg on table, inadequate working space, sustained haematoma to thigh, £2,500.
- Teacher kicked in groin, sustaining serious damage - £1,750 CICA
- Teacher fell from ladders, sustained broken ankle - £13,000
- Teacher sustained shoulder injury due to moving gym equipment - £11,500
- Teacher suffered psychiatric injury following assault, £2,000 CICA interim award (ie more to follow)
- Teacher tripped over damaged carpet, sustained fracture to arm, £4,000
- Teacher suffered internal injury and Post Traumatic Shock due to assault, kicked by pupil - £1,000 CICA interim award
- Teacher punched in face, suffered fractured cheekbone and broken nose - £2,300
- Teacher slipped on wet floor, sustained fractured finger - £2,500
Note: CICA – Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
For all other cases as well as compensation from member the employer had to pay own legal costs and those of the EIS.
TOTAL (COMPENSATION PAID ONLY) FOR YEAR TO DATE - £180,300