January 7th, 2009
A construction company has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an incident in which an employee sustained a serious injury in a fall.
William Taylor fell three metres down some concrete steps while working for Laing O’Rourke Construction on Liverpool One, the new shopping mall in the city centre, in 2007.
He narrowly avoided falling the full three floors, but still sustained a major head injury.
HSE principal inspector Nic Rigby said: "The accident occurred because the company failed to make adequate risk assessments and plan a safe system of work. It was down to chance alone that this incident did not result in a fatality."
The company was fined and prosecuted for failing to adhere to health and safety requirements.
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, every employer should make sure that work is not carried out at height when it can be successfully carried out at ground level.
Where work at height is carried out, employers are legally obliged to take adequate steps to prevent falls.
Tags: Adequate Steps, Concrete Steps, Construction Company, Fatality, Head Injury, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hse, Laing O Rourke, Liverpool, New Shopping Mall, Principal Inspector, Risk Assessments, Safety Requirements, William Taylor
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October 30th, 2008
A construction company has paid damages to a former worker after he suffered injuries in a serious accident.
Bill Arthur, 63, was driving a vehicle in 2004 when it hit a pothole and threw him from his seat.
He suffered a dislocated elbow, wrist and shoulder, the Shields Gazette reports. As a result, he needed three operations and still suffers with pain four years later.
"Not only was I in a lot of pain and discomfort over a long period, but even now I can’t do everyday things and have to get a lot of help from my family and friends," Mr Arthur commented.
Clancy Docwra, a utilities and civil engineering firm, has now agreed to pay an undisclosed sum of compensation to Mr Arthur after it was ruled that the vehicle’s seatbelt was not working property and that the building site was unsafe.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, construction and agriculture have the highest rates of fatal injuries. In construction, there were 72 fatal incidents during 2007-08.
Tags: Agriculture, Bill Arthur, Civil Engineering Firm, Construction Company, Construction Worker, Damages, Dislocated Elbow, Everyday Things, Family And Friends, Fatal Incidents, Fatal Injuries, Gazette Reports, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Lot, Pothole, Seatbelt, Shields Gazette, Undisclosed Sum
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