Accident in Northern Ireland led to man’s death
A construction company from Northern Ireland has been fined £30,000 after being found guilty of breaching health and safety regulations in an incident last year that saw one of its employees crushed to death when part of a wall he was demolishing fell on him. The Health and Safety Executive found that the company, PFG Plant Hire Ltd., had not carried out a sufficiently detailed risk assessment before the accident.
This omission by PFG led to a tragic accident when its worker, Oliver Rutledge, was killed by falling masonry whilst working on a building site in the town of Fintona, County Tyrone. Commenting on this case, the Health and Safety Executive said, “It is vital that all companies properly identify and address hazards within the workplace, and implement systems to minimise and control risks. These systems need to be communicated to the workforce, implemented, maintained and updated when necessary.”
Whilst fatal accidents in the construction and demolition industries are fortunately a rare occurrence, each year a handful of workers lose their lives in avoidable accidents. Proper health and safety procedures should aim to minimise all risks to workers, either by providing them with the appropriate protective gear and equipment to enable them to carry out their jobs safely, or by clearly indicating the risks and providing training to make them aware of the risks and the proper procedures.
In any circumstances where either a lack of health and safety procedures or a failure to follow health and safety procedures has contributed towards an accident at work, it should be possible for the employee or their family to make a compensation claim against their employer. Camps Solicitors work with hundreds of people injured in accidents at work, many of which could have been easily prevented by providing training, appropriate safety equipment, or by notifying employees of the risks.
Free consultation with a Workplace accident lawyer
If you have been injured in an accident at work which you believe was down to your employer’s poor health and safety procedures, inadequate training or unsuitable safety equipment, call Camps Solicitors today on 0800 092 8586. Our workplace accident lawyers will be able to offer you a free initial consultation over the phone to advise you on whether you have a claim to bring. If we think that you do have a strong claim, then we will be able to take your case forward on a No-Win No-Fee basis, so that win or lose your claim will not cost you a penny.
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