£3,000 damages over noxious fumes

A caretaker who was exposed to noxious fumes by his employers, causing him to pass out and injure his ribs has received £3,000 in an out of court settlement. He broke his ribs when he passed out and struck his side on a sink after starting to use a new cleaning product supplied by his employers. He was using a fungicidal wash to clean mould off walls, ceilings and bathrooms. There were no instructions on how to use it properly and he’d never been trained in using it. He was forced to take three months off work. His law firm, Thompsons, argued that his employer should have risk assessed the use of the product and provided protective equipment to prevent exposure to the fumes.