Accident Causes Eye Damage To Employee
Permanent eye damage to an employee resulted from a corrosive chemical leak at a factory in Low Moor has forced the employer to pay a compensation for damages. The employer, Ciba Speciality Chemicals Ltd, is engaged in making chemical products for various uses, including water purification.
A 59-year-old employee filed for damages after sight in his right eye was damaged permanently after the accident. This was especially unfortunate for him, as his left eye was already damaged right from childhood. The worker was wholly dependent on his right eye’s vision for performing essential activities like night driving - activities that have now become impossible for him to carry out. He has also been forced to quit his job owing to the injuries caused by the accident.
The accident occurred in 2005 at the company’s premises in Low Moor. A pipe carrying Sodium Hydroxide was broken and it started leaking, and the corrosive chemical dripped into the employee’s eye. The accident caused extensive and permanent corneal damage to the eye, according to doctors. The victim also had to undergo surgical treatment to correct the inward turning of his eyelid in the affected right eye.
Following this, the employee approached his union GMB for restitution. The union asked its lawyers Thompsons Solicitors to pursue the claim with the chemical company. When presented with the facts of the case, Ciba Speciality Chemicals agreed to pay damages to the employee in an out-of-court settlement. The worker has now received £100,000 in compensation.
Commenting on the incident, Tim Roache from GMB said that such incidents bring to light the need for establishing good safety procedures at workplaces. As the company was engaged in producing dangerous chemicals, it should have provided for regular checks of the pipes to avert any untoward incidents. The accident that caused the employee so much trouble and exposed him to permanent blindness could have easily been prevented if the employer had been more cautious.
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