The 5 Most Common Ways Your Employer Places You in Danger on a Building Site
Accidents at work can happen to anyone
When it comes to the workplace, construction and building sites are unfortunately environments where the chances of suffering an injury are higher than that of a standard workplace. 61,000 workers are injured on average per year whilst carrying out their duties on building sites and construction premises.
Accidents and injuries sustained on construction sites can have serious consequences and usually involve life-changing injuries such as spinal injuries, brain injuries, electrocutions, burn injuries and in the worst case scenario, fatal injuries.
Your employer and site manager have a duty of care
Employers and site managers have a duty of care to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to avoid accidents on building/construction sites but unfortunately, they can fail in the following ways:
- Failing to carry an appropriate risk assessment on the building site
- Failing to provide employees and subcontractors with sufficient personal protective equipment
- Failing to maintain equipment and machinery efficiently
- Failing to ensure that scaffolding and ladders are erected safely and maintained in an efficient state
- Failing to enforce health and safety regulations and failing to train employees appropriately
If the employer or site managers do not fulfil their duties to provide a safe workplace, then you can make a personal injury claim for compensation.
The most common types of injury that take place on building sites are the following:
- Falls from height that are usually from ladders or scaffolding that has been erected negligently
- Being trapped by an object that has collapsed or overturned
- Being struck by a moving/falling object
- Being struck by a moving vehicle/machinery
- Suffering injury whilst having to use defective machinery and equipment
Reporting your Accident at Work
If you have suffered an accident on a building site or construction site, it is vital that you do the following things:
Hopefully, there should be a first aider on the site, and it is imperative that you obtain treatment from them immediately. You should also ensure that you visit your GP or A&E straight away.
It is imperative that you report your injury to your employer or the site manager. If they have an accident book, make sure that you complete an entry and keep a copy of this accident book entry. This will be a vital piece of evidence in any compensation claim that you may pursue.
It is also vital that you notify your manager of any near miss incidents and also if you notice something on the building/construction site that could present a threat to your safety.
You should take photos and videos of your injury and, more importantly, of the accident site and any defective equipment that you were using at the time.
Contact details of any witnesses should also be obtained as soon as possible after your accident has taken place.
Legal position if you are self-employed
Please note that you will still be able to pursue a claim for compensation if you are not an employee, as a claim can be pursued against the site manager or main contractor for whom you have performed duties.
How much can I claim for a building/construction site accident?
Our compensation calculator provides you with an approximate assessment of what you might be awarded in relation to each type of injury. You will also be able to claim compensation even if you are held to be partly at fault for the accident taking place.
No Win, No Fee service
Please do not hesitate to instruct us to act on your behalf in respect of a building/construction site accident. We offer a No Win, No Fee service. You do not need to worry about paying for any upfront legal fees.
Contact our Bradley Wright on Bradley.Wright@edslaw.co.uk
