The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has begun a month long crackdown on construction companies that it believes have the highest risk of accidents at work. The move will see the HSE perform unannounced spot checks on construction companies dealing with refurbishment projects and repairs. They will be concentrating on safety regarding working at height and exposure to potentially harmful materials while checking toilets and other basic welfare facilities. The HSE has said that they will discuss preventative measures with employers and will not hesitate in taking robust action in cases where they find employees are being put under unnecessary risk.

The construction industry has the highest risk of accidents at work and while there are obviously some risks naturally associated with working on a construction site, it is still the responsibility of employers to ensure that employees and site visitors remain safe and healthy. As well as accidents at work, construction employees may be put in danger through exposure to dangerous materials like asbestos, and chemicals. If an employer is found to be negligent they not only face the possibility of fines and even closure, but employees that are adversely affected could claim compensation.

The HSE is responsible for ensuring that companies provide these safe working conditions and they conduct regular checks and investigations where they believe that suitable and effective measures are not being met. In recent months they have taken steps to help ensure that people are not put in danger when working at height, and also that others are not put in danger by people that are working in these conditions.

Working at height has a number of obvious dangers. As well as the danger of falling and the serious injuries that may follow, there is also the danger of falling objects. It isn’t just employees that are put at risk when something falls but anybody underneath can potentially be hurt or injured. According to recent figures, the number of people hurt falling from height or hurt in injuries involving items falling from height is still on the increase.

The HSE estimates that around 70,000 employees from within the construction industry are currently suffering from an illness or an injury caused by an accident at work. Furthermore, construction workers are four times more likely to die as a result of an accident at work compared to the average worker. While the number of fatalities has dropped in recent years, the HSE believes more can still be done and they are conducting unannounced checks to ensure everything possible is being done to protect construction employees.

Accidents at work can leave victims footing large medical and care bills, while missing out on earnings. It is possible for these victims to submit compensation claims against their employers, where negligence can be proven. For advice or to instruct a professional and experienced personal injury solicitor, call StocksLegal.co.uk on 0800 988 9055 to discuss your injuries and to determine whether you have a case to claim.

MAKING A CLAIM

Making a claim for your personal injuries with Stocks Legal is really easy. You can speak to an experienced personal injury solicitor today by calling 0800 988 9055 or you can use our online claim enquiry form by clicking here. There is no obligation and you have nothing to lose by speaking to us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Topper is the litigation manager at Stocks Legal Personal Injury Solicitors. Mike is highly experienced in all types of personal injury cases. He is highly focussed on client care and getting the maximum compensation that is available for his clients and their families. He rightly sees personal injury claims as a real must for the English legal System as without a proper compensation structure, many injury people can be left with no support or ongoing medical treatment.

If you have any questions arising from this article to can contact Mike by calling 0800 988 9055 or by sending him an email by clicking here.

Accidents At Work StockslegalAug 28th, 20130 comments