Case Highlights Health And Safety Issues

A security guard who slipped on an unkempt floor while trying to stop shoplifters in a supermarket in Doncaster is calling for better safety standards at work after he fractured his hip and was left using a walking frame.

Darren Mason, 38, from Wolverhampton, was off work for five months with a fractured hip after he fell while working for Chubb Security at Sainsbury’s on Thorn Road, Doncaster in 2006.

His lawyers, personal injury experts Irwin Mitchell, achieved a settlement of £9,000 with his employers to cover the costs of his care since the accident.

While Mr Mason was on his break customer services alerted him to some suspicious customers that were swapping labels on meat products and shoplifting.

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 blow on his right side. He fractured his hip and was unable to get up without assistance so 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.

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."

If you've suffered a serious broken or fractured bone injury at work, our specialist serious injury claims team could help you to claim compensation. See our Fracture Claims page or Accidents At Work Claims page for more information.