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This article was published on July 10th, 2023
The UK construction industry has seen steady growth over the years and is now governed by extensive health and safety regulations and legislation. However, despite the most comprehensive safety measures in place, construction is still one of the most dangerous industries to work in. With powerful tools and equipment, site vehicles, and work taking place at a height on high ladders, roofs and scaffolding, it’s no surprise that in recent years construction has accounted for 59,000 non-fatal injuries in workers annually.
In this article, we’ll explore the leading causes of non-fatal construction site injury, if you can claim for these injuries, and how Thorneycroft Solicitors can help.
While on a construction site, everyone is responsible for safety.
As an employee, you must be aware of your responsibilities, always adhere to onsite rules and procedures, and report any issues or potential risks to health and safety to your employer. But, it is your employer or the main contractor that has a duty of care to provide a safe working environment, ensuring that the possibility of injury is minimised. This includes:
As we’ve already noted, 59,000 construction site workers in the UK suffer from non-fatal injuries yearly, but there are a few other surprising statistics to note. The HSE has identified that approximately 25% of fatal work-related injuries are caused in the industry, and of the 78,000 cases of occupational illness that the sector has seen annually, 53% of these reports were musculoskeletal disorders.
The leading causes of non-fatal work-related injuries are:
Research from Herts Tools indicates that workers within the construction industry are statistically more likely to sustain an injury at work. However, reporting a work-related injury in this sector can often go amiss. This might be due to time constraints, stress, embarrassment, brushing it off as “part of the job”, or simply not knowing if they are eligible to make a claim, particularly in the cases of self-employed construction workers.
If you have been in an accident on a construction site that wasn’t your fault you have the right to file an injury at work claim.
For a successful claim, you will need to prove that your injury occurred due to negligence, whether by your site manager or employer, and you must speak with an experienced personal injury solicitor.
Thorneycroft Solicitors are leading personal injury specialists with a vast amount of experience working on construction site injury claims.
Whether your injury occurred due to a lack of training, inadequate safety equipment or a lack of a risk assessment, our specialist workplace injury solicitors can help you to claim the compensation that you deserve.
Thorneycroft Solicitors provide thorough advice and support in all aspects of the injury-at-work compensation process, providing the support and expertise that you deserve. To speak to one of our specialist solicitors, call us now on 0800 1979 345, or complete our simple enquiry form below and we can call you back at a time that suits you.