Crush accidents at work can cause some of the most severe injuries and can sometimes even result in fatalities. There are a number of work place regulations that state that companies need to have reasonable measures in place to protect their employees against such risks, including having appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), providing employees with the correct training for their surroundings, and work equipment/machinery that is in good working order.
Despite these regulations, sometimes crush injury do still occur, and sometimes this is due to a failure on the companies part to implement and enforce a safe working environment.
It has recently been reported that a Sheffield based company, Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions Limited, was fined £2.6 million after an employee, Mr James Sim, was killed when a 2.4 meter deep trench that he was working in collapsed around him in April 2010 due to a lack of shoring. In this case, the company was found to have failed to adequately risk assess the job in hand and put any controls in place for the excavation.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector stated after the hearing that the outcome of the above case should be construed as warning to companies not to disregard health and safety procedures.
Given the number of crush injuries resulting from accidents at work previously reported to the HSE, it is not surprising that the Courts would take such a stringent approach to accidents as severe as this.
If you have been involved in any form of accident at work, and believe your employer has not correctly adhered to health and safety procedures, then speak to our team to see if you are able to claim for compensation.
