Man in workplace fall receives £118k compensation

January 29th, 2009

Man in workplace fall receives 𧴮k compensation

A man who injured himself after falling from a ladder at work has secured a compensation settlement of £118,500.

The individual, who has not been named, was working for Portchester Plastics Decorators as a painter and decorator in Brighton at the time of the accident.

Although a scaffolding tower had been provided, the employee believed it to be unsafe and instead used a stepladder to reach high areas that he needed to paint.

However, he fell ten feet from the ladder and suffered a fractured leg, an injury which has left him reliant on a mobility scooter to leave the house. He has also undergone numerous operations.

The victim sought legal action and has now secured the payout, which his legal representative said should help to alleviate the "severe disruption and stress" the injury caused.

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.
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Caretaker seeks £50,000 after accident

June 17th, 2008

A Hampshire school caretaker is suing his employees for £50,000 after he fell off a stepladder.

Anthony Gower-Smith claims Hampshire county council acted negligently by failing to provide him with adequate safety training.

Mr Gower-Smith – a former garage owner who has used step ladders for 30 years – broke his cheekbone, fractured his skull and also split a kidney in the accident at Awbridge Primary School in 2004.

Although he admits signing a form saying he had safety training, Mr Gower-Smith told the Winchester county court: "When you’re given something to sign by a superior, you just sign it. I didn’t know there were other things about ladders."

A verdict in the case is expected next week.

More than 36 million working days are lost every year as a result of work related accident or ill health, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
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