Injured store security officer makes call for increased safety standards
10/09/2010
A supermarket security guard who fractured his hip whilst attempting to apprehend a shoplifter has urged improvements in safety standards in the workplace.
Darren Mason, 38, from Wolverhampton, was unable to work for five months and left using a walking frame after he slipped on an unkempt floor whilst working for Chubb Security at Sainsbury’s on Thorn Road, Doncaster in 2006.
Mr Mason was on a designated break when customer services staff alerted him to some suspicious customers that were swapping labels on meat products and shoplifting. On his way to investigate, he slipped on a walkway from the canteen to the shop floor, which was slippery from dust as the store was undergoing a renovation. There was also a freezer nearby that was faulty and known to leak.
Because Mr Mason suffers from a mild form of cerebral palsy, he was unable to break the fall using his arm and took the full force of the impact on his right side. He fractured his hip and, unable to get up without assistance, he was taken by ambulance to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Mr Mason spent four weeks in traction and was discharged on 24 October but he needed a walking frame, as further injuries to his right shoulder stopped him using crutches.
Workplace injury solicitors from Irwin Mitchell secured a £9,000 settlement with his employers to cover the costs of his care following the accident
Mr Mason said: "I had no idea that this would happen, I had only just gone through the door when I fell on the slippery floor. At first I couldn't tell I was so badly injured but when I couldn’t get up I realised that I would need help.
"I used to go running a lot so to fracture my hip and have to use a walking frame was a shock to the system. For five months I needed help with all the things people take for granted; cooking, cleaning, shopping, bathing and dressing.
"I just hope that businesses will look at my case and realise that they have a duty to protect their employees."
Sally Rissbrook, a personal injury specialist at law firm Irwin Mitchell, represented Mason, she said: "Employers need to understand their responsibility to look after their staff. All too often we see cases such as Mr Mason’s that could easily be prevented by following the basic health and safety regulations.
"After Mr Mason's accident signs were put up to warn of the slippery floor, but this was too little too late. A very painful injury could have easily been avoided had Mr Mason's employers implemented the correct policies in the first place."
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