Scaffolding Compensation Claims

Scaffolding is commonly used in the construction and building industry as a means of obtaining all round access to a building or site while it is under construction or renovation.  It is extremely useful when erected and maintained correctly.

However, scaffolding can be highly dangerous if it is not erected and maintained in the correct way.  This is partly because of the obvious dangers of working on an unstable platform at height but, also because of the vulnerability of the people working in the vicinity of the scaffolding to falling objects which may accidently be dropped from the scaffold.  Statistics suggest that approximately 50 people are killed each year in this country alone because scaffolding has collapsed.  A staggering 4,500 people are injured on faulty or defective scaffolding.

A recent example occurred in Oxford earlier this year when scaffolding collapsed.  Two building site workers were injured and were taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital to be treated.  They sustained minor injuries which were not life threatening. The incident is to be investigated by the Health and Safety Executive and Thames Valley Police.

It has been reported that construction workers are more than twice as likely to have a non-fatal accident at work than people working in other industries.  Scaffolding is sighted as a major cause of the accidents which occur in the building industry.  It is not just in the building industry that accidents on scaffolding can happen because scaffolding is used in other industries such as mining.

If you have had an accident which has caused injury and was not your fault whilst working on or around scaffolding you may be able to make a claim.  You should contact a specialist personal injury lawyer like First Personal Injury.  We have a great deal of experience in handling claims for work related accidents.