Scaffolding Accidents



by Alexandra Pratt


Scaffolding is one of the most important elements of any building site, especially when it comes to the construction industry. When it comes to working over several stories, scaffolding allows builders to easily complete their work, safe in the knowledge that they have a stable platform to work from. Although scaffolding used to be made up of old wooden slats, the safety levels of the design have come a long way since then and a strong, sturdy steel material is now used in the creations.

As scaffolding still involves working from a height, despite every best attempt to ensure that it is sturdy and structurally sound, there is always a chance that injuries may occur if a worker was to fall through or off the scaffolding structure. Poorly constructed scaffolding, or even if it hasn't been correctly supported, can lead to a whole range of potential problems and very serious injuries if the fall is high.

Workplace safety is taken very seriously and there are many rules and regulations in place to ensure that workers are only able to work on a structure which has been thoroughly tested. In general, each work site will have a health and safety representative whose sole role is to ensure that each member of staff is safe and aware of their surroundings at all times.

There are a number of serious injuries that a worker could suffer from if they were to fall off scaffolding. Broken limbs such as legs and arms are among the most common and this generally occurs when one of these limbs is used to break a fall. If the fall is from a substantial height such as several stories then the situation can be completely different and could result in death.

If you have been injured in a workplace accident then you could be eligible to make a compensation claim against your employer, if you feel they have been negligible toward you. This claim could cover any medical expenses as well as any loss of income you have incurred throughout your injury.




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