Council worker had ribs broken after being elbowed by member of the public

A council worker had their ribs broken in an attack by a member of the public in one of two major injury incidents recorded in Redcar and Cleveland to date in 2024/25.

The employee was described as being “elbowed by a service user”, although no more details were given in a health and safety update provided for councillors.

The other incident saw an employee fall after a slip in a council building and suffer a fracture to an upper limb.

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Both incidents were reported to the Health and Safety Executive.

The civic centre in Redcar belonging to Redcar and Cleveland Council. Picture/credit: Teesside Live.The civic centre in Redcar belonging to Redcar and Cleveland Council. Picture/credit: Teesside Live.
The civic centre in Redcar belonging to Redcar and Cleveland Council. Picture/credit: Teesside Live.

The update for members of the employee, health and safety committee said that between April 1 and November 30 this year, 70 accidents had been recorded at the council, an increase of nine on the same period in 2023.

A further six incidents were required to be reported to the HSE over the period since they involved injuries which led to staff being absent from work for more than seven days.

These were

  • A refuse worker who tripped on a kerb, bruising their ribs
  • A teaching assistant who was kicked by a special educational needs pupil and damaged their knee
  • An employee who was moving a trade waste bin and hurt their arm
  • An employee who slipped getting out of a council vehicle and suffered ligament damage to their foot
  • A council highways worker who damaged their hand while changing a road sign
  • A council ‘handyperson’ who injured their arm from moving a paving slab.

The update described an increasing trend at one school overseen by the council which caters for children with special educational needs, which involved “significant numbers” of incidents where staff had been injured in physical assaults by pupils.

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It said discussions had taken place to determine whether any additional control measures could be put in place as a result.

Of the 70 accidents, five involved staff involved in road traffic collisions while they were carrying out council duties.

Figures contained in the update showed that 491 working days were lost between April 1 and November 30 due to work-based injuries, topping the 266 lost during the total of 2023/24.

However, 173 days within the latest total were due to an accident that occurred in the previous financial year.

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Meanwhile, at a previous meeting of the committee, which meets monthly, a councillor raised a concern about lone working within council libraries.

The update also addressed this matter and said lone working was avoided where possible and not at all at libraries in Guisborough, Redcar and South Bank.

It said any lone working that did occur was restricted to suitably experienced staff and a review of lone working risk assessments had also been completed in respect of all of the local authority’s libraries.

Additional conflict training management for staff was also being arranged.

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