Refurbishing construction site accidents
Despite all the technological and legislative safety advances made over the past two decades, construction site accidents remain both a serious concern and one of the major causes of workplace deaths in the UK.
There were a total of 77 construction site accident deaths in the UK during 2007, clearly an unacceptable number. More than 50% of these fatalities were suffered by workers working in the refurbishment sector, influenced by a rise of an alarming 61% on the previous year.
Of particular concern is the number of fall from height deaths in 2007, believed to be 23. This situation has led to the HSE pledging to take action in 2008, undertaking 1,000 construction site spot checks in the month of February alone.
The Health and Safety Executive's chief inspector of construction Stephen Williams commented on his organisation's renewed safety drive, "It is totally unacceptable that so many lives have been lost and continue to be put at risk on construction sites, particularly within the refurbishment sector.
"We will continue to take firm action against rogue elements who ignore safety precautions. Sites where health and safety is taken seriously have nothing to fear, but we will root out those that put lives at risk".
According to the HSE, the main priorities of the spot checks will be to assess if:
- Jobs that involve working at height have been identified and properly planned to ensure that appropriate precautions are in place;
- Equipment is correctly installed / assembled, inspected and maintained and used properly;
- Sites are well organised, to avoid trips and falls;
- Walkways and stairs are free from obstructions;
- Work areas are clear of unnecessary materials and waste;
- The work force is made aware of risk control measures.
Making a no win, no fee work injury claim
If you have suffered personal injury while working in the construction industry in an accident that was not entirely your fault you may be entitled to claim construction site accident compensation.
YouClaim's no win, no fee solicitors have an in-depth working knowledge of the legal issues which form the heart of these cases. Win or lose, their services are available to you at absolutely no cost and we guarantee that where possible we will always secure you 100% compensation. And as all solicitors on our panel firms are governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority you can rest assured that you will be in receipt of the very highest industry standards.
We are available to field your enquiries 24/7 and can be reached by free phone 0800 10 757 95.
You can also get in touch with us by filling out an online claim form, requesting a callback or logging on to our e-chat service.
