A prison officer who was not given any training in certain aspects of his new job has received accident compensation after he suffered an injury at work.
Although the officer had worked at the prison for more than two decades, he had only been in the new role of workshop instructor for a fortnight when the accident happened.
Part of his job was training inmates in how to recycle CDs. He was trying to move some CDs from a dark storage container using a hydraulic pallet truck when the accident occurred. When the truck became stuck, he attempted to dislodge it with his hand and hurt his groin.
He suffered soft tissue damage and a hip injury which doctors have said may require surgery at a later date. Medical experts said that the accident accelerated a degenerative hip condition that the man already had.
Following the incident, the prison officer did not need any time off work, but his ability to take part in some sports has been hampered as a result of it.
The man’s union and legal team argued that he should have been given training on how to use the pallet truck before driving it. His employer accepted 80 per cent liability for the accident and the claim was settled out of court, with the prison officer receiving £7,000 in accident compensation.