A woman from Sheffield had to undergo cosmetic surgery to fix her nose after she fell face-first on a shelving unit at her workplace in 2007. She also suffered from respiratory problems because of the fall.

The woman named Linzi Hall was working as an office administrator with MKM Building Supplies Ltd when she met with the accident. She was placing products on a metal shelf, while the office cleaner was mopping the floor behind her. Hall was not aware that the floor was wet and when she moved her chair, it slipped causing her to bang her face onto the metal shelving unit.

Due to the fall, Hall broke her nose and received several cuts and bruises on her face. She was hospitalised and operated upon to straighten her nose and aid her respiratory problems.

Hall with the help of her lawyers Irwin Mitchell was able to secure an out of court settlement of 4,000 pounds with the insurers of MKM Building Supplies after the firm accepted liability for the accident.

Louise Morgan, Hall’s legal representative from the law firm, said that the incident had caused Hall to undergo several surgeries, including a cosmetic surgery. She added that the incident could have been prevented if only the cleaner had informed Hall of the wet floor.

Morgan added that this case should serve as a reminder to companies that the health and safety of their employees is of utmost importance and that they should follow safety guidelines to make the workplace more secure.

The health and safety consultants from workplace Law Training offer a range of services, and can help in managing the consequences of incidents and accidents; to identify and make recommendations of an accident investigation aimed at preventing a re-occurrence with the aim to get your business up and running in the event of an accident or an improvement or prohibition notice.