Figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggested that 2585 major injuries were suffered by employees in the construction industry in 2009/10. With 225,000 construction professionals working in 24,000 different firms in high risk environments, construction has one of the highest accident rates of all industries in the UK. Moreover, the HSE estimates that in reality, the number of accidents in the construction industry is close to 30,000 each year.
Thankfully though, the number of work-related fatalities in the construction industry was 47% lower in 2008/09 compared with 1999/00, and the number of major injuries over the same period fell by 36%. Nevertheless, the figures are still alarming and the number of avoidable injuries suffered by construction workers gives cause for concern.
Many accidents in construction are attributed to the malfunctioning and deterioration of equipment and machinery. Too often this is caused by poor maintenance of irregular servicing of the equipment and this poses serious risks to the safety of construction workers.
Many workers are unaware that may ask their supervisors for regular breaks when operating heavy machinery and that they are entitled to ask that any faulty equipment be replaced in order to avoid injury. Such safety regulations are overseen by the Government’s Health and Safety Commission, and enforced by the HSE. They are designed to protect workers against many possible accidents, including scaffolding accidents, falls, vehicle accidents and those caused by faulty tools or machinery.
Your physical and financial well being could be greatly affected by a personal injury arising from a construction accident. Therefore, should you be so unfortunate, we advise that you collect evidence about exactly what happened, gather the contact details of witnesses, seek any medical treatment necessary, and then seek the legal advice of an experienced personal injury solicitor as soon as possible. That’s where we can help.
Our personal injury solicitors offer free phone advice and free first interviews.
What’s more, our team specialise in work accidents – so if you think you have grounds for a construction accident personal injury claim, call or email one of our personal injury specialists today.