Construction Accidents

Construction sites are notoriously dangerous places to work. There are a number of different risks to contend with, which makes the possibility of an accident happening quite high. Construction workers often have to deal with dangerous equipment and work with hazardous and unsafe materials. In many cases, the workers have to be physically fit to contend with the demanding work and strain of working on a construction site; any health impairment could lead to an accident.

Other potential hazards on a construction site involve working at a height where materials could fall, failure to carry out appropriate safety measures as construction work progresses and working with heavy machinery and lifting procedures. All these procedures require special training, risk assessment and safety precautions to ensure that accidents and injuries do not happen.

As each construction site will have its own specific risks and it is the responsibility of your employer and site manager to carry out a duty of care towards you and your fellow employees. This involves providing correct, suitable and up to date safety equipment and advice. If, for any reason, this duty of care is neglected they are then running the risk of a construction accident claim and putting the safety of the employees in danger.

Strict safety regulations have been set out by the Government’s Health and Safety Commission, and are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that all construction sites are run properly and potential risks are reduced.

As with any work place, accidents can happen anywhere on a construction site, and not just in the places you would expect. In fact, most accidents occur when moving around the construction site or simply walking around the area. It is essential to take regular breaks as prescribed by the law when working on a construction site to ensure that accidents don’t occur due to lack of concentration. Regular breaks could be the difference between an accident happening, and being avoided.

Another reason for construction accidents is faulty equipment. All equipment needs to be tested by the equipment manufacturers to make sure it is safe to use, as even the smallest problem could cause an accident. If any equipment is faulty it is the responsibility of the employer to replace it.

When it comes to injuries on construction sites, the problem is that you might not notice the damage you have caused until later on in life. Exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and can be potentially deadly and is why it is essential to use the correct equipment, wear the right protective clothing and follow procedures at all times.

If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a construction work accident then the best thing you can do is to collect all the evidence about exactly what happened. This will help you to potentially win your case; so get names and addresses of witnesses if possible. You will then need to get independent specialist advice about making a construction accident claim.

Following your accident you may be too ill to go to work resulting in loss of earnings; therefore you may be entitled to compensation. You may also be left out of pocket for medical fees and expenses.

If you think that you might be entitled to compensation following a construction accident then contact Accident Consult who have a team of specialist personal injury lawyers on hand to help you with any compensation claim you may have.

Tags: accident claim, construction accident, construction sites, dangerous equipment, dangerous places, duty of care, fellow employees, health and safety executive, heavy machinery, risk assessment, safety commission, safety measures, safety precautions, safety regulations, work place accidents