Litigation Risk

litigation risk

Health and Safety Risk Assessment: A Must For Your Business

In the litigious society we live in, risk assessments have become as necessary for businesses as remembering to stock up on pens. Every business is liable from multi-billion pound corporations to ‘mom and pop’ outfits.
Smaller companies often choose to do these risk assessments themselves although larger companies often choose to outsource it to Health and Safety experts to minimise any potential risks.

In this kind of situations being the smallest company can be extremely hazardous. Even though you stand a much lower risk of being at the receiving end of litigation it can be very hard to be able to be objective and look through a critical eye at a workplace.

A businesses obligation as far as health and safety goes is not necessarily to remove all element of risk but to protect you, employees and members of the public as far as is ‘reasonably practicable’.

A basic risk assessment has 3 major stages:

Identifying the hazards and who is at risk from them.

Decide what course of action is required depending on the degree of risk.

Implement any necessary precautions and make a record.

Once these are complete a regular review is required to ensure that the original assessment was correct and to account for any changes in the workplace.

There are 3 main divisions of hazards:

Environmental hazards: such as pollutions i.e. smoke, grit or dust.

Activity hazards: a hazard that may result from a activity a worker must perform i.e. repetitive strain injury.

Workplace hazards: a hazard resulting from the location or layout of the workplace.

There are thousands of potential workplace hazards, a list of the easy to overlook ones include:

The adequate storage, handling and disposal of potentially hazardous chemicals

Faulty electrical equipment

Loose cabling

Insufficient rest breaks

Wet, slippery, unclean or badly surfaced floors

Poorly lit areas

Inadequate Ventilation

Poorly designed workstations

Inappropriate training or procedures

To help identify all potential hazards in a small company it is useful to get all staff members involved to help to get a range of views on the risks they may face in their day to day jobs.

Once risks are identified classify them as low, medium or high risk. High and Medium risk problems will need to be dealt with immediately. While low risk may require the implementation of new training, procedures or possibly no action at all if current safety precautions are adequate.

Taking steps to minimise the risk of workplace injury may include replacing old equipment, introducing new procedures, modernising training etc. Any hazardous materials that have been identified may be reduced as a risk by replacing it with a less hazardous substance, using it in lower quantities, introducing protective equipment/ clothing or reducing the amount of time people are exposed to it.

In a company with fewer than 5 employees it is not a legal requirement to have a written risk assessment, however it may be beneficial in many circumstances to ensure liability is kept to a minimum and that any future risk assessments have a previous basis to work on. It is a good idea to do an annual review to ensure any new equipment, personnel, procedures or premises changes are accounted for.

Often companies will carry out risk assessments after an accident to ensure that it is not a hazard for which they are liable or that could be a danger to another employee or member of the public.

Risk assessments should be a vital part of your business practices regardless of whether you are going it alone or hiring in a professional Health and Safety company. They protect you as a company in the short term, in the case of litigation and, in the long term, by protecting the health and well being of everyone who steps foot in your businesses workplace.

Done properly, they can nip a problem in the bud. Done badly, they can leave you open to a variety of problems. In a choice between a comprehensive risk assessment or the cost of hiring a good solicitor to sort out all the problems created; the assessment will always be the money better spent.

does anyone know if there are risks to having a tubal?

i signed the paper today to get my tubal litigation after the baby is born, the doc didn’t mention any risks but i reading the paper when i got home and it said “i understand the risks involved”
are there any and if so what are they?
thanks!
i’ll be having a vaginal birth, the tubal will be within the six weeks after the baby.
and I want to get it done instead of my hubby because i wanna make sure i’m not having anymore

Its quite a simple operation,
I had no trouble after mine.

I would have to say though be very sure you want it done,

After 10yrs i am now having mine reversed as ive decieded i want another baby, and let me tell you its more difficult to reverse them and also cost alot.

So just be sure its what you want.

But no as i said its quite simple and takes a couple of days to get over,,all good.

Tubal ligation is a method of sterilization that is used by nearly 40 percent of married couples. It is a simple, safe, and effective permanent birth control method for women.

Sterilization is a serious decision that is made voluntarily.

Anyone considering this should be well informed and understand that it is permanent, and yet not totally 100 percent effective.

Each method has a small failure rate that needs to be understood.

Be sure you understand the process, risks, and alternatives before going ahead with a permanent method.

Tubal ligation is a minor surgery that can be done at any time, even after a birth of a baby or after an abortion.

During the procedure, an area of the uterine tubes is blocked or destroyed, preventing sperm from reaching the egg.

All surgical procedures include risks related to anaesthesia, infection, and bleeding.

Whatever procedure is used will depend on your situation and body.

Many tubal ligation procedures are done using an instrument called a laparoscope.

This instrument is passed through an incision made just below the belly button.

Often another small cut is placed at the pubic hairline to allow another instrument to be used.

The second device can burn, cut, or place clips or loops on the tubes.

Extra damage done by these instruments is possible and considered a risk during surgery.

Once the surgery is complete, small, dissolving sutures are placed in the cuts and steri-strips are applied.

Patients are usually released a few hours after their surgery to recover for a day or two at home.

Pain relief may be required and a temporary light diet may be suggested.

The main benefit of having a tubal ligation is the comfort of knowing you no longer need to worry about using another method of birth control.

Other options for women include all short-term methods of birth control, such as the pill, IUD, barrier methods, and hormone injections.

A vasectomy is a permanent birth control option for men.