COMPANY WARNED ABOUT RISKS OF WORKING AT HEIGHT LEADING TO POTENTIAL WORK ACCIDENTS

May 14th, 2008 Hinchliffes

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to Everest Ltd, after workers were repeatedly put at risk of falling while working at height.

The HSE inspected properties where roof refurbishment was being carried out by the company. Its employees were working on mobile scaffolds and platforms without having suitable protection to prevent them from falling. There was a lack of handrails and parts of the equipment were not properly set up.

At a hearing in the Luton Magistrates Court, the company pleaded guilty to breaching Health and Safety Law, including the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and was fined £6,000. The company was also required to pay almost £16,000 in legal costs

In 2007 over half of the workers who died on construction sites were engaged in refurbishment work, with the number of fatal accidents increasing by 61%. Also during that year working at height was a factor in the deaths of 23 construction workers.

Failure to adhere to Health and Safety regulations is therefore costly both in manpower and financially. In many cases this type of accident at work leads to personal injury compensation claims being made against either the employer or the company responsible for supervision of the building site.

COMMENT:-

The number of fatalities and serious injuries suffered in work accidents on refurbishment projects remains unacceptably high. In these tragic circumstances injury compensation may be the only means for the affected family to obtain justice and financial security.

The construction industry must work harder to ensure sensible and effective precautions are in place to prevent this type of accident. Employers must put in place safe working practices, so that their workers are not put at risk.

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM SOLICITORS:-

If you have suffered any form of accident at work, particularly while working on a construction site, contact personal injury specialists Hinchliffes Solicitors for immediate legal advice, to find out if you are entitled to make claims for injury compensation. All cases are dealt with on a No Win – No Fee basis, where the successful Client keeps 100% of the compensation recovered.

Call now on 0800 138 1348 to speak direct to a personal injury lawyer or go to our Start Your Claim Now page to submit details of your personal injury claim online.