_{If you need assistance with a claim, contact injurywatch.co.uk's free, confidential legal claim support helpdesk.}

See also: vibration hazards

Call 0800 066 99 07 and get our personal injury team working for you straight away. The call is free, the advice is free and nothing will ever be deducted from your compensation.

Machines present an obvious danger and a number of statutory regulations are in place to ensure your employer provides

• machinery that is adequate for the job
• machinery that is well maintained
• a suitable location for machinery
• good instructions for use
• adequate training for machinery operators
• conformity to European standards

Guidelines are in place which cover:

• the correct guarding of dangerous and moving parts
• protection against hazards: including control systems, power isolation, stability, lighting, hazard markings and warnings
• protection against extremes of temperature

Always take legal medical and legal advice if you are injured using machinery or plant at work. injurywatch.co.uk's free legal helpdesk is always a good place to start.

Areas where an employer may be negligent include:

• use of unsuitable, inadequate or inappropriate machinery
• use of improperly sited machinery
• absence or inadequate provision of guards
• absence or inadequate provision of other safety devices
• inadequate instruction or training of operators
• operator does not hold required formal qualifications
• machinery is badly lit
• machine is defective
• machinery is poorly maintained
• employer has not provided adequate protective clothing
• work methods do not foster safe working practices
• where you are injured by the actions of another employee in the course of his employment

As always, gather the evidence:

• see a doctor -the effect of your injuries might be obvious in most cases, but injuries don't always show up straight away
• keep a dossier. Include a diary recording all the details of the incident, who you saw and all the expenses or losses you incurred, including receipts
• record the details of the incident. Take photographs of the site and the equipment and anything relevant to the incident (with a ruler to show the scale if necessary - and signed and dated on the back). Draw a sketchmap.
• gather personal details of all the people who witnessed the accident
• gather information (backed up by witness statements from others) as to how long the hazard or unsafe practice had existed. It may be that equipment had not been maintained or mended or that maintenance and checks were insufficiently frequent.
• note and detail any measures (such as signage, instructions or safeguards) which had been taken to warn of, or otherwise diminish the risk
• note and detail any measures (such as absence of handrails or guards) which exacerbated the risk
• if the injury results from an engineering fault, your legal team should have access to expert advice.