Making against employer for not gritting work car park? Anyone done it?

IMHO, given that you have no choice about entering your place of work, whether on a bike or on foot, it is not unreasonable to expect them to ensure that it is safe for you to do so.  The steps needed to do this (check the weather forecast, grit the car park) are trivial and their failure to do so is reprehensible. 

To suggest otherwise shows a worrying and fundamental lack of understanding of health and safety legislation. I am glad I don't work with or for these people.

Contrary to various tabloid nonsense and idiots using it as a lame excuse not to do anything, the UK's health and safety legislation is actually entirely reasonable and has saved countless lives and serious injuries. It has been widely copied across the world for this reason.

As you point out, you could easily have suffered an injury walking across the car park too, so it's really nothing to do with your choice to ride the bike.

You should definitely report it as a lost time incident.

I'd say best not to get the lawyers involved if you can avoid it, as that can be a bad career move. If your employer will act reasonably without any further persuasion, then great. If not, consulting any union you might be a member of would be a good course of action.

An employer with reasonable foresight (perhaps not yours then!) is actually grateful for people formally reporting injuries as they should use this to prevent more serious incidents occurring.

Hope the injuries clear up quickly and fully.

If this happened at my work they'd want you to report stuff like this.  OK so it might cost them £200 or so - but if the next person along breaks a hip or something.... 

If they let you cycle on that road it should be safe enough to do so.

Heal well. 

Yeah, I'd advise that you let HR know and certainly ask them to review why the site management hadn't gritted/salted a heavily used area.  As it's an accident on work property then it does need to be logged.

As for suing your employer?  No, not a wise move!

Hello <HR / Health & Safety Representative>

I fell off my bike this morning - slipped over on the ice in the car park. Thankfully, I'm okay (although I have ripped about £150 worth of clothing!). I thought you'd like to know so that you can arrange for gritting. It'd be a shame if somebody made the same mistake but wasn't so lucky with their injuries!

All the best

Yorkshire Wallet

If you were on site (off the public road) and you are employed there; then this is an accident at work and covered by the Health & Safety at Work Act. It's also a lost time accident, way past a near miss. Have a chat to your H&S rep and HR. They'll more than likely cough up for the kit as you'll be covered by their Employers Liability Insurance but their excess will be much higher than the gear.

Was this on their property ?  You need the report the incident at least. 

I think you would be likely to win if you claimed going fro what you have said, but I'm sure your employer would rather this was taken care off quickly and easily.

Just noticed that you have gone home - so this is a Lost Time Incident now ? 

Whilst I agree with psling - definitely have an off-the-record chat with the Company before you go instructing solicitors - and I think that the onus is really on you to ride according to the conditions, I do also wonder whether your employers have any 'elf'n'safety procedures/guidance in place for dealing with icy conditions on their premises?  If not, I bet they will after you have a chat...

Never pleasant having an ice related off and I hope you heal well.
As for suing your employer, all i'd say is that it tends not to be the best career move

Yeah, let's all blame someone else for everything. Then we can all have a good moan about the price of insurance and the fact that no one organises anything due the fear of being sued. Careful with your coffee...it's hot!

Oh god please, you fell off your bike because it's icey. Everyone knows to take extra care in ice. I for one arrive at work daily and do not expect a member of staff to come in early and gritt the carpark so instead I use some common sense. I go a bit slower, alternatively get yourself a MTB, you''ll have more grip.

"This isn't unusual for them as site management don't seem to look at weather forecasts and only react not preempt anything."

Sounds like you fit right in there then!

Talk to your HR people first rather than claim solicitors, hopefully they can compensate you in some way towards your kit but you have to accept some responsibility yourself. Don't you...?

I'm sorry you slipped over, it's happened to us all, some more often and worse than others. You're lucky you didn't break anything, this time of year it's far too easy to slip out.

Make a claim feel free the law of the land allows it, you might get something out of it (?) I'm sure some solicitors will be happy.

But me personally, I discourage you to do this, it was an unfortunate accident of your own making. I think the correct move would be for you to claim against your own insurance for the damages caused, that's what insurance is for.