Every year, more than 60 workers are killed by falls from scaffolds at construction and other building sites.
If you have been injured as a result of a fall from a scaffold at a building site, you may be entitled to compensation. You need the help of a lawyer with experience in construction site accidents to assist you in claiming the compensation that you deserve.
The main causes of injuries and deaths on scaffolds are poor planning for assembling and taking scaffolds apart, missing tie-ins or bracing, loads that are too heavy, and being too close to power lines.
Surgeons, who treat fall from scaffold injuries, know that the majority could be avoided by construction companies if they follow safety guidelines to ensure that:
• All scaffolds and work platforms are erected, altered and dismantled by competent persons.
• They have handover certificates for all work platforms and scaffolds.
• There is safe access method (ladder) to the scaffold platform.
• All uprights are provided with base plates (and, where necessary, timber sole plates) or prevented in some other way from slipping or sinking.
• All uprights, ledgers, braces and struts are in position.
• The scaffold is secured to the building or structure in enough places to prevent collapse.
• There are adequate guardrails and toe boards or an equivalent standard of protection at every edge from which a person could fall 2 m or more.
• Intermediate guardrails are fitted.
Whilst scaffolds are useful tools, if construction companies do not follow proper safety procedures, workers get injured or killed.
If you have suffered an injury or lost a loved one as a result of a fall from a scaffold, you need the help of a good specialist personal injury lawyer to help you claim full compensation for your pain, suffering and other losses.
To get a good construction accident solicitor, contact Balinda and Co now on 0800 321 3287 and find out how we can help.