Your guide to accidents on building and construction sites
Your guide to accidents on building and construction sites
They acted in a sympathetic and professional manner and resolved my case very efficiently.
Mr Dowse
Leeds
Despite a significant reduction in the number and rate of injuries on building and construction sites over the last twenty years or more, according to The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the construction industry remains a high risk industry for accidents at work. One in every hundred construction workers suffers a serious injury each year on a building site (HSE, 2014) and construction site workers have the highest risk of a serious, life-changing injury.
You are more likely to have an accident or serious injury if you work on a small building site. The most frequent types of accidents on building sites are falling from height, slips and trips, or being struck by a moving object.
If you work in construction you expect that a building site will have regulations in place to prevent the risk of you having an avoidable accident. Unfortunately, two in five building sites “fail to properly protect workers”, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE, 2013/14).
Alison Saul, Director of Personal Injury leads our Personal Injury and Road Accident teams. A fully qualified solicitor with over 15 years of experience and expertise, Alison is dedicated to achieving the highest levels of compensation for her clients as well as ensuring high-quality client care.
Alison is assisted by her team managers, Philip Waters Lee Quinn, Jenna Hargreaves, and Kathryn Langton. Philip, Lee, and Jenna lead legal teams focussing on Road Traffic Accident cases while Kathyrn leads our Personal Injury team. Together they have a wealth of experience in personal injury compensation.
Read morePhilip, a qualified solicitor, has over 18 years’ experience in personal injury compensation. Having previously worked for a large insurance company, he has extensive insights on how to engage effectively with insurers to achieve the level of compensation our clients deserve. Philip deals with cases of high value, complex cases, and recently secured £1.6 million in compensation for one of his clients who suffered catastrophic injuries in a road accident.
Lee has over 15 years’ specialist experience in Personal Injury claims and also manages a wide variety of high value, complex cases. Lee has extensive experience of working with insurance companies, acting for both claimants and defendants, and so understands how to secure the highest levels of compensation for the victims of road traffic accidents.
Jenna is a qualified solicitor and has studied to become a barrister. Jenna leads the internal reviews of our case management processes to ensure excellent, efficient case handling and high levels of client satisfaction.
Kathryn, also a qualified solicitor, specialises in accidents at work, public liability and accidents abroad. Kathryn deals with a wide variety of cases, often including accidents that involve serious, complex injuries.
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There are many people injured in accidents each year through no fault of their own and the circumstances will be different in each instance. Our team has extensive experience of successfully managing a wide range of personal injury claims, so we can help you secure the maximum compensation you deserve.
Director of Personal Injury
“I found the staff to be friendly, helpful, courteous and they kept me well informed on a regular basis”
Mrs. Vora,
Loughborough
“They acted in a sympathetic and professional manner and resolved my case very efficiently”
Mr Dowse
Leeds
There are many hazards that sites continually overlook, from exposure to dangerous types of dust to inadequate washing facilities. Among the most common areas of site risk are:
Lorries, dumper trucks and heavy machinery driving across uneven ground are also potential accident flashpoints, which require the strict enforcement of health and safety rules to avoid a serious or fatal injury.
All employers have a duty of care to protect all employees, contractors and visitors on a construction site. This should always include the compulsory wearing and use of safety wear and fully functional personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, safety boots, hi-vis jackets, safety glasses and ear defenders.
Among the key areas of legal responsibility are the carrying out and constant updating of risk assessments and safe working methods, communicated in writing to “all who need to know.”
If your employer fails to comply with legislation to prevent an accident and you are injured at work, you may be able to pursue a claim.
Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), a site contractor has a legal duty to:
Read moreThe basic guidelines are to:
All employers have a duty of care to protect everyone on a construction site, including:
A lack of adequate site management and control can often be responsible for a failure to remove hazards or enforce safety measures. Small firm employers can be wilfully negligent and flout the required procedures. Official site inspections often report the following site dangers:
One third of accidents on building sites involve site dumpers and vehicles reversing (HSE). Often a combination of poor planning and inadequate separation of pedestrians and vehicles can cause vehicles or their loads to strike on-site workers and obstructions, particularly when reversing.
The most notable areas of negligence are repeatedly found to be:
Read moreSmaller building firms often consistently fail to observe basic safety procedures or comply with regulations according to the HSE’s “Unannounced Site Inspections” 9th Report, Sep/Oct 2014.
Whether you work with a small building firm or a larger construction company, you are always owed a legal duty of care to ensure your safety and protection at all times. If you have been involved in an accident or suffered an injury on a building site because of unsafe conditions, you may be off work or no longer be able to return to your former trade.
Read lessThe Regulation 36 of The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM) requires that:
“Every construction site shall be organised in such a way that, so far as is reasonably practicable, pedestrians and vehicles can move safely.”
Site contractors have a duty to protect all on-site personnel from the risk of being struck by a vehicle. A safe system should be put into place to ensure:
Almost all the large construction sites will display large signs to notify personnel that they must wear the basic standard of PPE before they are allowed to enter the site:
In many cases, there will also be a requirement to wear safety glasses and ear defenders, which can be supplied attached to a safety hard hat.
Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, an employer has a legal duty to ensure protective equipment is supplied and used wherever there are unavoidable risks in carrying out tasks in the workplace.
Read lessThe basic welfare of people working on site can often be simply neglected, and may be a cause of health or hygiene issues.
Site management is responsible for personnel welfare and the provision of essential facilities maintained to regulation standards.
A small builder is generally defined as an individual who carries out work on:
An employer of a small building firm must comply with the regulations to ensure the safety of his workforce and members of the public when working on all and every type of residential or small commercial project.
Read moreUnder the law, a builder has the main duties to:
Many people are injured in the construction industry when they fall from height, for example they may be working up ladders or scaffolding. Injuries associated from falls from height can be quite wide ranging, anything from cuts and bruises to strains and sprains or broken bones, head injuries to catastrophic injuries.
Some falls from height can tragically result in death where the impact on family members is of course devastating. About 34% of on the job deaths happen this way.
Slips and trips are also common, caused by stray tools and equipment, and holes in the ground, or other hazards lying around.
Read moreElectrocutions, fires and explosions are also common because construction sites are works in progress and often there is loose wiring, unfinished piping and leaking gases.
If you’ve been injured on a construction site, you may have a claim against either the employer or the contractor. Your employer or contractor has a duty to look after your health, safety and welfare, and if they fail to carry out risk assessments, fail to carry out training, or fail to provide protective equipment, and made you unsafe at work, then you may have a claim against them.
If you’re an employed contractor working on the site of another, the person responsible for your health and safety and welfare will be your own employer, but additionally the contractor upon whose site you are working will also have a duty to look after you and keep you safe.
Read lessIf you can show that your employer or contractor was negligent, then you need also to prove that your condition or injury was a result of that negligence.
You should make sure that the accident is recorded in the Accident Book at work, reported to the supervisor or foreman on the construction site, and you should also see your GP for medical attention.
We can help you with a claim by obtaining medical records and also occupational health records. We’ll also obtain medical report to confirm that your injuries have been caused as a direct result of negligence in work.
Any claimant has 3 years from the date of the accident in order to bring a claim. You should always make sure you consult specialist solicitors so that we can advise you about all the evidence we need in order to make your claim successful.
Here at Your Legal Friend we’ll advise you on a No Win, No Fee basis. Our initial consultation is free of charge in any event and we will always discuss our terms and conditions with you right from the outset so that you never need worry about any surprises.
You should be able to claim compensation for the injuries you’ve received, both physical and any psychological injuries as a result of everything you’ve been through.
The award for compensation for your injuries will be based on the medical evidence we receive in relation to your case and we’ll also look to claim financial losses for you both past and in the future. We’ll compile a schedule of financial loss, so it is helpful if you can keep receipts for things like travel or medical expenses, but we’ll also look to loss of earnings, both past and in future, if you’re not able to work straight away.
Read moreAnd we’ll include the cost of care provided by friends and family for doing things for you that you are unable to do yourself as a direct result of the injuries you’ve suffered.
Read lessThere are many hazards that sites continually overlook, from exposure to dangerous types of dust to inadequate washing facilities. Among the most common areas of site risk are:
Lorries, dumper trucks and heavy machinery driving across uneven ground are also potential accident flashpoints, which require the strict enforcement of health and safety rules to avoid a serious or fatal injury.
All employers have a duty of care to protect all employees, contractors and visitors on a construction site. This should always include the compulsory wearing and use of safety wear and fully functional personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, safety boots, hi-vis jackets, safety glasses and ear defenders.
Among the key areas of legal responsibility are the carrying out and constant updating of risk assessments and safe working methods, communicated in writing to “all who need to know.”
If your employer fails to comply with legislation to prevent an accident and you are injured at work, you may be able to pursue a claim.
Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), a site contractor has a legal duty to:
Read moreThe basic guidelines are to:
All employers have a duty of care to protect everyone on a construction site, including:
A lack of adequate site management and control can often be responsible for a failure to remove hazards or enforce safety measures. Small firm employers can be wilfully negligent and flout the required procedures. Official site inspections often report the following site dangers:
One third of accidents on building sites involve site dumpers and vehicles reversing (HSE). Often a combination of poor planning and inadequate separation of pedestrians and vehicles can cause vehicles or their loads to strike on-site workers and obstructions, particularly when reversing.
The most notable areas of negligence are repeatedly found to be:
Read moreSmaller building firms often consistently fail to observe basic safety procedures or comply with regulations according to the HSE’s “Unannounced Site Inspections” 9th Report, Sep/Oct 2014.
Whether you work with a small building firm or a larger construction company, you are always owed a legal duty of care to ensure your safety and protection at all times. If you have been involved in an accident or suffered an injury on a building site because of unsafe conditions, you may be off work or no longer be able to return to your former trade.
Read lessThe Regulation 36 of The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM) requires that:
“Every construction site shall be organised in such a way that, so far as is reasonably practicable, pedestrians and vehicles can move safely.”
Site contractors have a duty to protect all on-site personnel from the risk of being struck by a vehicle. A safe system should be put into place to ensure:
Almost all the large construction sites will display large signs to notify personnel that they must wear the basic standard of PPE before they are allowed to enter the site:
In many cases, there will also be a requirement to wear safety glasses and ear defenders, which can be supplied attached to a safety hard hat.
Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, an employer has a legal duty to ensure protective equipment is supplied and used wherever there are unavoidable risks in carrying out tasks in the workplace.
Read lessThe basic welfare of people working on site can often be simply neglected, and may be a cause of health or hygiene issues.
Site management is responsible for personnel welfare and the provision of essential facilities maintained to regulation standards.
A small builder is generally defined as an individual who carries out work on:
An employer of a small building firm must comply with the regulations to ensure the safety of his workforce and members of the public when working on all and every type of residential or small commercial project.
Read moreUnder the law, a builder has the main duties to:
Many people are injured in the construction industry when they fall from height, for example they may be working up ladders or scaffolding. Injuries associated from falls from height can be quite wide ranging, anything from cuts and bruises to strains and sprains or broken bones, head injuries to catastrophic injuries.
Some falls from height can tragically result in death where the impact on family members is of course devastating. About 34% of on the job deaths happen this way.
Slips and trips are also common, caused by stray tools and equipment, and holes in the ground, or other hazards lying around.
Read moreElectrocutions, fires and explosions are also common because construction sites are works in progress and often there is loose wiring, unfinished piping and leaking gases.
If you’ve been injured on a construction site, you may have a claim against either the employer or the contractor. Your employer or contractor has a duty to look after your health, safety and welfare, and if they fail to carry out risk assessments, fail to carry out training, or fail to provide protective equipment, and made you unsafe at work, then you may have a claim against them.
If you’re an employed contractor working on the site of another, the person responsible for your health and safety and welfare will be your own employer, but additionally the contractor upon whose site you are working will also have a duty to look after you and keep you safe.
Read lessIf you can show that your employer or contractor was negligent, then you need also to prove that your condition or injury was a result of that negligence.
You should make sure that the accident is recorded in the Accident Book at work, reported to the supervisor or foreman on the construction site, and you should also see your GP for medical attention.
We can help you with a claim by obtaining medical records and also occupational health records. We’ll also obtain medical report to confirm that your injuries have been caused as a direct result of negligence in work.
Any claimant has 3 years from the date of the accident in order to bring a claim. You should always make sure you consult specialist solicitors so that we can advise you about all the evidence we need in order to make your claim successful.
Here at Your Legal Friend we’ll advise you on a No Win, No Fee basis. Our initial consultation is free of charge in any event and we will always discuss our terms and conditions with you right from the outset so that you never need worry about any surprises.
You should be able to claim compensation for the injuries you’ve received, both physical and any psychological injuries as a result of everything you’ve been through.
The award for compensation for your injuries will be based on the medical evidence we receive in relation to your case and we’ll also look to claim financial losses for you both past and in the future. We’ll compile a schedule of financial loss, so it is helpful if you can keep receipts for things like travel or medical expenses, but we’ll also look to loss of earnings, both past and in future, if you’re not able to work straight away.
Read moreAnd we’ll include the cost of care provided by friends and family for doing things for you that you are unable to do yourself as a direct result of the injuries you’ve suffered.
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