Accidents on Construction Sites

Construction is the most dangerous industry in the UK with, according to the Labour Force Survey, 64,000 non-fatal injuries each year.

Construction sites, by their very nature, are hazardous places to work. There are usually several different contractors and subcontractors on site working on different parts of the project. This coming together of trades, their equipment and people creates a high-risk environment exposing workers to risk of injury from falling objects, electrical and machinery faults, defective scaffolding, falling from heights, dangerous machinery, and slips and trips. In addition, there may be a lot of site traffic, both pedestrians and vehicles, giving rise to risk of injury if not properly organised.

Your employer, subcontractors and the company in control of the site have a duty to take reasonable care for your health and safety while you are working on the site, even if this is not your usual place of work. This also includes taking sufficient steps to protect against the risks of contracting COVID.

f you suffer an injury working on a construction site, you may have grounds for a compensation claim. Our specialist Solicitors can advise you on your case and support you through the whole claims process.

Causes of site accidents

While there can be a range of reasons for accidents on construction sites, the most common causes of the 5,000 injuries reported annually under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), are as follows.

Slips, trip and falls

Your employer has a duty to prevent the risk of slips and trips, and to provide you with a safe working environment. Traffic routes in your workplace should be suitably constructed and free from obstructions and substances which may cause you to slip, trip or fall.

They are also responsible for the acts and/or failures of their employees. This means that if, for example, your colleague left an object in the wrong place on the site and you tripped over it injuring yourself, you may be eligible to make a personal injury compensation claim against your employer.

Injured whilst carrying something

On a construction site, many jobs will include manual handling tasks. Manual handling is any task that involves moving a load by carrying, pushing, pulling or lifting. If you do such a task incorrectly, with the wrong equipment or with too heavy a load, you can injure yourself and exacerbate any existing medical conditions you may have.

You should have had proper training before undertaking manual handling tasks. Your employer should also have reviewed the working practices, removing the need for any manual handling tasks where reasonably practicable and risk assessing any unavoidable ones. Risk assessments should take into consideration the working individual’s particular abilities including any existing or previous injuries.

Your employer ought to take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of injury on a construction site by organising the work properly so there is adequate manpower for the job, and by providing suitable training and equipment.

Fall from height

On construction sites there will be areas where it is possible to fall from a height. Such falls from height could well be fatal or lead to serious injuries.

Your employer, subcontractors and the company in control of the site have a duty to reduce the risk of injury to you and this includes making sure that, where possible, work is not carried out at height. If working at height is unavoidable then protective measures must be taken to prevent a fall from occurring and to mitigate the effects of a fall, and a detailed risk assessment has to be carried for any such task.

If you are injured in an accident on a construction site due to falling from height you may be eligible to make an injury at work compensation claim.

Struck by a moving or falling object

Given the nature of work on a construction site and different teams possibly working there at any one time, there is the potential of being hurt by a moving or falling object. With accidents involving heavy loads and materials, such injuries can be very serious.

You have a right to work in a safe environment and your employer, subcontractors and site company have to ensure that there is a safe system in place to make sure workers are not injured and it must also be enforced. If they have not shown adequate care for your health and safety, they may be liable if you are injured on site.

How can Thorntons help?

If you are a self-employed tradesperson or employed by the main contractor or a sub-contractor you need specialist legal advice to assist you following an accident on a construction site. Investigations are often lengthy and involve several parties. Our specialist team of construction site accident lawyers are here to help.

You can start your claim today by calling us free on 0800 731 8434 or complete our enquiry form. We will talk through your situation, answer any questions you may have and advise you if you can make an accident compensation claim for your construction site injury. Our discussion will be confidential and you are under no obligation to make a claim. You can also take a look at our Claims Calculator to find out how much compensation you may be entitled to.