We can help you claim
compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
Call: 0800 10 757 95
Experiencing a building site accident and subsequent personal injury can cause pain, suffering and loss of earnings. There are many dangers on the ground in a construction area, but individuals who operate tower cranes, should also be very careful.
Channel 4's 2009 documentary on what it is like to be a crane operator, The Solitary Life of Cranes" showed and described very well how cut off from the building site those working in the crane cab can be. It may seem peaceful in a crane at times, but safety must always be at the forefront of the mind of the operator, as well as the minds of those working below.
How do tower cranes work?
Cranes are used to lift various heavy building materials and move them about a building site. Counterweights on the machinery arm (or counter jib), keep the structure from falling over when a load is lifted on the end of the working arm with the lifting hook.
The crane should have a tonne-metre rating and this should not be exceeded for the safety of all workers on the site, any members of the public or surrounding buildings. The crane's mast is fixed securely, with large anchor bolts, to a heavy pad of concrete which the construction company responsible for the site will typically start pouring some weeks before the crane is needed. The size and weight of the concrete pad will vary according to the height and weight of the crane.
Tower crane safety
The two most common accidents caused by cranes occur when its structure collapses, or when its load falls. The HSE had to issue a safety alert on the use of tower cranes in 2006, due to the number of building site accidents, involving cranes, which had occurred in the previous years. Their guidelines suggested that to reduce the risk of employee crane-related personal injury, by law the crane should be installed, examined, operated and lastly dismantled by "competent people who have the necessary training and experience". By ensuring that each of these important procedures is undertaken by someone who is certified for the job, the margin for error and subsequent accident should be substantially narrowed.
It's not only tower crane operators and those working around them who need to be careful however, smaller, mobile cranes are also involved in accidents.
In December 2010 the operator of a small mobile crane in Cambridgeshire, who was carrying out dredging work, died when his crane toppled into a drainage ditch, trapping him in his cab under freezing water. Although firefighters tried to free him, his accident was unfortunately fatal.
Have you suffered a building site accident?
If you have been injured in a crane incident which was not your fault, then you might be eligible to claim compensation from those found liable.
YouClaim won't cost you a penny and should your claim be successful you will receive 100% compensation because we don't take a cut. As well as that, our advisers will explain the legal process to you in plain English.
To see if you are able to make a building site accident compensation claim after suffering a personal injury, simply talk to one of our team members on live help or 0800 10 757 95. Alternatively, you can fill in our short online claim form.
