Falling off a chair results in $420K

Employers who receive complaints from their employees about the safety of their work conditions should take note of the decision in Taylor v Invitro Technologies Pty Ltd [2010] QSC 282. The Supreme Court of Queensland ordered the employer to pay damages of approximately $420,000 for injuries sustained by an employee when she fell while attempting to sit on her chair. The chair was placed on a plastic mat which the employer had instructed all employees to use. The plaintiff and a co-worker complained about the safety of the mat but were instructed that it was company policy to have the mats and they must be retained. The dispute between the parties boiled down to the question of whether the plastic mat placed under the chair was safe or not.