Legal Issues, Working Alone

[ImanCarrot]

Where does one stand if (hypotheticaly) you were working alone for a company all on your own with heavy machinery. This is the UK btw. If one was to be injured would the Employer's Liability cover be adequate or would there be a "get out" due to the employee knowing that it probably ain't safe to operate big, fast, spinny sharp things on his own?

*scared*

[DareBee]

Usually there are no laws against it.
Otherwise farmers and other sole-proprietors could never work.
OTOH most large manufacturers have policies in place against it.

[ImanCarrot]

Otherwise farmers and other sole-proprietors could never work

Good point, didn't think about that

[Ashley Cobb]

I wonder if the insurance companies could deny a claim based on this? IE, you might not have needed that blood transfusion if an offsider got to you sooner, or you lost 4 fingers instead of 1 with a mate hitting the estop.

Its worth thinking about, insurance companies make their money by denying claims

[john_100]

as an emplyee , you and your employer are jointly responsible for your safety

In my day job , if I worked on live equipment on my own
I'd find my self looking for another job

employers don't like any thing that has an adverse effect on the insurance premiums
and as pointed out insurance companies don't like paying out

[Geof]

Over here if I have fewer than two employees working in the shop I can get into big trouble with Worksafe B.C. In practical terms I really need four because if one does have an accident and is escorted to hospital by another employee I need to have two present to shut everything down.

Working by myself as the proprietor I am probably in a grey area in that I would not be eligible for compensation if I injured myself, but then as the proprietor it is questionable whether I would get anything anyway.

[DareBee]

Due to the nature of my business (in Ontario, Canada) we have looked into it many times.
There is no law against it.
We are also skilled trades people and in most applicable cases doing break-downs.
The skilled trades thing pulls a lot of weight. It may be possible that grunt labourers have to be double redundant.

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

Redundant redundancy? LOL

dICK z

[ImanCarrot]

Nope, you gotta have two.

And you can't have a male and a female. Gotta be same sex (although fuk knows with the law change on stuff recently).. maybee a priest and an islamicc idiot would fit the bill.

[christinandavid]

I don't know about other machinists, but I have developed this annoying voice in my head that starts nagging me when I contemplate doing anything remotely dodgy. Can't seem to shake him off. If I ignore "the voice" and it goes tits up he even comes home to beat me up about it. So in that respect I am never really working "alone".

Our shop is large and loud enough that if another guy was being ripped limb from limb I probably wouldn't notice 'til home time...plus I'd obviously be in a heavy debate with "the voice" so I'd be distracted anyway....

DP