Balfour Beatty sentenced and fined after worker falls from height

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Construction company Balfour Beatty has been sentenced after a 62-year-old worker fell 10 metres to the ground and died during the assembly of a new university facility.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the fall and prosecuted Balfour Beatty, with the firm fined £285,000 on Monday 16th of September.

Balfour Beatty sentenced

The incident occurred when Igor Malka and a second contractor, Edmund Vispulskis, had been in a scissor lift while installing cladding during the construction of a new engineering hall at the University of Birmingham on 7 January 2020.

The pair, from Lithuania, fell approximately 10 metres when their scissor lift was pushed over by a nearby crane.

This led to Mr.Malka losing his life while Mr. Vispulskis sustained injuries to his spine and broken ribs, before spending seven weeks in a neck brace. Mr. Vispulskis also required pins to be inserted in his pelvis and thigh.

Balfour Beatty had been the principal contractor while the National Buried Infrastructure Facility was being built at the university.

The crane was being used to move hydraulic equipment that had been delivered by a lorry. The equipment was set to be installed at the facility.

HSE investigation

The HSE investigation found the incident could have been prevented had Balfour Beatty implemented better controls and put in place better communication between contractors.

There were contractors at the site that were moving the hydraulic units into place with the overhead travelling gantry crane, and another team who were installing internal cladding. Balfour Beatty, as principal contractor on site, had a duty to ensure communication and co-operation between these contractors. There was also no lift supervisor present at the time of the incident.

The University of Birmingham was not prosecuted by HSE.

Balfour Beatty sentenced and fined

Balfour Beatty, of Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £285,000 and ordered to pay £21,768.88 in costs at Birmingham Crown Court on 16 September 2024.

HSE inspector Gareth Langston said: “This was a tragic incident that led to the death of a worker with another being seriously injured and still experiencing difficulties today as a result.

“Lifting operations must be properly controlled – they must be planned, with plans adhered to.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Andy Siddall and supported by HSE paralegal officer Helen Jacob.

Accidents at work – How to make a claim

Whether you are an employee, agency worker or contractor you may be able to claim for an accident at work.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that it is the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.

This includes assessing risks, and implementing strategies to minimise risks, providing adequate training and protective equipment for all workers, and carrying out checks to ensure maintenance of any equipment is up to date.

However, if you have suffered an injury at work you may be entitled to make a claim.

Accidents at work – How long do I have to make a claim?

Legal proceedings must be commenced within 3 years from the date of your accident. Failure to do this may result in your claim being time-barred and you may not be able to make a claim for compensation.

If a loved one has deceased, the time limit for bringing a claim is 3 years from the date of death.

What compensation can I claim?

Each Employers’ Liability case is assessed individually and is dependent on supportive medical evidence. You can claim for:

General Damages – Made for the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity of life that are evidentially linked to the accident at work directly. The pain and suffering element of the award compensates for all past, present, and future physical and psychiatric symptoms.

Loss of amenity means the inability to complete activities, either temporarily or permanently, after an accident, which could be undertaken before. This is an award designed to compensate you for the actual injuries suffered, and the effect those have had on your quality of life.

Special Damages – Compensates for any financial losses or out-of-pocket expenses as a result of the accident at work. This would include (but is not limited to) loss of earnings, medication or prescription charges, travel to appointments or any cost of care for the extra care you have needed from family or care providers.

If you are unable to do tasks like gardening, or walking the dog, and have to pay for these services as a consequence of your accident and subsequent injuries, these can also be claimed for.

This can also include any future loss claim and if you are unable to return to the same job as a result of the accident at work, you can claim for a lump sum based on your wages known as the Smith v Manchester award.

This is where it can be proved that as a result of your injuries, there is a risk you would find it more difficult to obtain similar employment.

However, an injured person has a duty to take reasonable steps to minimise their losses/expenses. This is called mitigation of losses, and a Court will assess whether or not the loss was reasonably incurred, before making an award.

How much compensation will I get?

The amount of compensation you can claim depends on the severity of your injuries and the effect it has had on your life. If symptoms are ongoing and are supported by medical evidence, this would increase the value of your claim.

The Judicial College Guidelines set out financial brackets for common types of injuries, as will be referenced to estimate the value of the claim.

The guidelines are broken down into the affected body parts and the type and severity of the injury. They were introduced as it was recognised that whilst no two cases are ever precisely the same, justice was required to develop consistency between awards.

Precedent case law is also relied on to support the valuation and consideration must also be given to whether you have had a pre-existing disability or whether the injury accelerated a pre-existing condition.

Even where the older injury may not be symptomatic at the time of the accident, it is something that will have to be considered and would affect the value of your claim.

How long does an accident at work claim take?

Each case is different and whether an insurance company agrees to deal with a case depends on a number of factors. It is therefore very difficult to advise on the length of time a case may take as it may be that it is not clear who is responsible for your accident.

Your solicitor will advise you if there are issues that arise which means the duration of your case will be affected. It will depend on various matters, such as:

Level of your injury
Ongoing treatment
Whether your employers admit fault
Whether proceedings would need to be issued to secure compensation
Speed of communication between parties
Issues with your medical records/reports

Why should I use Oakwood Solicitors for my accident at work claim?

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd is an expert in Employers’ Liability cases and has over twenty years of experience in running and pursuing these cases.

We will ensure that we update you at every stage of the case and you will have a dedicated handler from the very beginning. It can be very stressful after an injury and our team can assist you by breaking down the legal jargon during the process and listening to you.

When you instruct us, you can expect a friendly, down-to-earth approach together with extensive knowledge of the field which will be used to fight tenaciously with the insurers to achieve the maximum level of compensation possible for you.