One UK hospital has paid out £300,000 in compensation to staff over five years because of accidents at work, new figures have revealed.
The statistics, published by a local newspaper, found that over 40 claims were made by staff who had been injured at work over this period.
Two of the main causes of accident compensation payouts were found to be staff falling over as well as injuring themselves when lifting. Slips and trips at work accounted for over £115,000 of the compensation payouts from the hospital. Lifting injuries accounted for just under £100,000 in accident compensation.
The rest of the money was paid out due to various work accidents, including one payout of over £6,000 after an employee was exposed to electricity. Other compensation reasons included needle injuries, assaults from patients, and stress.
A spokesperson for the hospital in question told the newspaper that the hospital takes staff safety and welfare very seriously. They added that staff are regularly trained in health and safety matters and that procedures had been implemented to prevent accidents and injuries.
The hospital also said it uses new technology where possible to keep injuries to a minimum. For example, it is currently swapping manual beds for electric beds.