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Formerly one of the most common causes of a building site accident was a trench collapse and, although these are now less usual because of changes in construction site working and technology, if insufficient safety precautions are taken, there is still a large risk of death or serious personal injury from this situation.
Excavations are necessary for all new building work at the initial stage when services are being connected and foundations are laid. They can also be needed for extensions to existing buildings and infrastructure surrounding a site, such as an access road.
The increased use of moling and other trenchless techniques have very much reduced the need for extensive trench work and its accompanying hazards for building site workers, but even shallow digging, if not carried out correctly, can collapse with the consequent risk of burying workers or otherwise injuring them.
Unstable soil types, such as those with a large element of sand, and heavy rain can make a big difference to the safety of a trench or tunnel, bringing the threat of a sudden collapse on a site which may have appeared to be safe.
When work starts on a building site, specialist groundwork contractors are often called in to complete the foundations and dig trenches for services before the main construction begins and it is often only when other workers, who may be less familiar with site safety, start at the site that the risk of a work-related accident increases.
Whoever digs the trench must ensure it meets safety requirements. For example, the sides and ends of trenches must be prevented from collapse with appropriate supports and edge protection used to stop people or materials falling into the excavation.
The ground around a dug-up area should be kept clear of spoil or machinery and there should be a safe means for workers to get in and out of the trenches.
If water, electricity, gas supply pipes and cables are already in the area, anyone using a mechanical digger needs to be aware of the risk of cutting across one of the existing services when creating access to a new site or excavating for foundations.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offers guidance on safe construction and use of trenches.
An HSE representative said, "Trench collapses are entirely avoidable. Without suitable support, any face of an excavation will collapse; it's just a matter of when. The steeper and deeper the face, the wetter the soil, the sooner the collapse."
Employers are responsible for the safety of their employees on a building site and must ensure suitable guidelines are in place to protect both their own workers and others who come into the area at all stages of a construction project. Open trenches are a serious potential hazard and need to be treated as such by all in order to reduce the deaths and serious personal injury which occurs each year.
YouClaim can help after a building site accident
If you, or a loved one, has suffered as a result of a trench collapse or other building site accident, the compensation lawyers at YouClaim are ready and willing to help you achieve your justified recompense.
Our experienced personal injury solicitors, who work throughout the UK, have acted on behalf of hundreds of claimants who have been hurt in a work-related accident as a result of the actions or negligence of others.
They offer free advice in a sympathetic and friendly manner, explaining everything in plain English, and, should you decide to go ahead with a damages claim, will do their utmost to secure the best settlement. What's more, under the no win, no fee system, every penny of compensation won for you will be yours to keep.
To find out more about our special schemes for anyone who has been involved in a building site accident, you can call YouClaim's free advice line on 0800 10 757 95 or use the claim form on this page to contact one of our helpful legal advisers.
