One construction worker from Tyne and Wear recently suffered a severe personal injury after he fell from his scaffolding platform and plummeted nearly four metres to the ground, according to his accident claim.
Swalwell, Gateshead native Kevin Clark had been doing construction work for a new County Durham development’s windows when faulty scaffolding gave way beneath him. Mr Clark’s injury claims include a fracture in his left foot and crushed vertebrae from his nearly four-metre fall, which necessitated a two week stay in hospital as he convalesced.
The Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation in the wake of the incident. Inspectors found that Ian Allan Building Contractors Ltd, Mr Clark’s employers, had neglected to identify alterations that had been done to the scaffolding. Additionally the Jesmond, Newcastle construction company also failed to properly conduct routine inspections of the scaffolding, which led to employees making use of unsafe equipment in the course of their work.
After admitting to being in breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act at a recent Consett Magistrates’ Court hearing, Ian Allan was ordered to pay £1,500 in fines and the identical amount in legal costs for their role in Mr Clark’s injuries.
Following the hearing, Mr Clark commented that his injuries have left him in constant pain. The construction worker’s injuries were so severe that he needed to undergo surgical procedures to insert steel rods into his spine. When questioned about the nature of his personal injury claim, Mr Clark stated that he sincerely hoped that other employers would be more aware of how important it is to carry out regular safety checks on equipment such as scaffolding in order to ensure the safety of their employees.
According to government statistics, falls from height in the construction injury are of the largest causes of personal injuries.