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With falls from height being a major cause of scaffolding accident injury and death, it is vital that anyone supervising the erection and use of scaffolds and platforms carries out an initial risk assessment to reduce the likelihood of a workplace accident occurring.
For anyone unused to dealing with risk management, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has guidance on its website and in publications so that the issues can be analysed and put into practical use on any particular construction site before work starts.
Risk assessment is a legal requirement on employers and if one has been carried out but an accident still occurs, it may be less severe than otherwise would have been the case.
For small businesses which do not have a standard health and safety policy, the HSE offers a sample Five Steps to Risk Assessment.
These are:
A hazard is defined as anything which could cause harm and a risk is the chance, either high or low, that somebody could be harmed by that hazard and how serious the consequences of that happening could be.
Risk assessment is a straightforward process that most people can do, given a little time and effort, and the people who are experienced in the practical needs and safety issues of the construction industry are probably the best to draw up guidelines to avoid a scaffolding accident.
All workers are entitled to work in environments where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Under health and safety law, the primary responsibility for this is down to employers. The law requires that where five or more people are employed a record is kept of any significant findings of an assessment.
Risk assessment should identify the measures that are needed to reduce the risk as low as 'reasonably practicable' and no further. If existing safety measures are shown to be adequate then no more needs to be done.
Co-operation between employers, supervisors and employees, perhaps with guidance from HSE officials, is the key to reducing the toll of falls from height and other scaffolding accidents which kill, disable and injury dozens of UK workers each year.
YouClaim for scaffolding accident claims
Among people working in the construction industry are many who are self-employed and, as with full-time employees, they can become victims of a scaffolding accident if the correct precautions have not been taken to reduce the risk of injury for those on the site.
Falls from height can be life-changing in terms of the injuries caused so it is important that a sufficient amount of compensation is claimed in recompense for pain, suffering and loss of earnings and that an experienced work-related injury solicitor is available for advice and representation.
YouClaim has a panel of such lawyers who work throughout the UK on non-fault personal injury claims. Claimants can rely on their high professional standards, allied to a straight-forward and efficient approach.
To find out how to make a scaffolding accident claim, you can use the internet to send us brief details and we'll get back to you or call now and speak to a member of our friendly, helpful legal team on 0800 10 757 95.
