Scaffolds are used in sites to provide access to all spaces and heights for construction. Buildings, bridges, and other infrastructures are constructed and repaired with the foundation created by scaffolding. It is initially built before proper construction begins, with some changes along the way. Building scaffolding is crucial that a hint of instability could lead to fatalities of the workers and bystanders, requiring immense medical attention. Since the safety of people should be the topmost priority, there are mandatory guidelines developed for the safety and health of the construction workers.
Scaffolding Accidents
Accidents may happen anytime and anywhere. In construction sites, poorly built or maintained scaffolding is the typical cause of scaffold injuries. Scaffolding may fall or slip and collapse, which could be tragic for anyone nearby. Some injuries include paralysis, trauma, lacerations, organ damages, and amputations.
According to the reported labor statistics, about 65 percent of construction workers deal with scaffolds all the time. And scaffolding accidents arrive at thousands of injuries and more than 50 deaths every year. As a result, construction workers and the authorities involved consider some legal implications.
Regulations on Scaffold Safety
The standards of proper and safe construction, maintenance, and usage of scaffolds serve as a guide for different organizations relevant to the matter. Once a construction company violates the regulations, the law would initiate an unsafe scaffold injury case.
Authorized personnel in construction sites should be knowledgeable about the standard operating procedures in the use of scaffolds. Some of those include the assurance that scaffolding supports at least four times the expected load. And each suspension rope should support at least six times the maximum anticipated weight.
Also, scaffolds should not be held up by loose materials. Tools and other objects are not allowed to pile upon it. Staff should observe the proper measurement of overlaps and the extension of planks. And for added safety, construction employees must wear overhead protection while at work.
Lawsuits on Scaffolding Tragedies
There should be competent personnel in the field that inspects scaffolding for possible defects before every construction activity. Altering the scaffolds should be done under their supervision, and they should check all the components of fall protection devices before usage.
And when an unfortunate event happens on the site, such as calling for unsolvable accusations outside the court, the injured worker should be able to prove that the defendant (allegedly the contractors and the construction company) is guilty. The prosecution should make a strong case, emphasizing that the defendant is the one responsible for the safety of the workers, but failed to perform the duties and caused harm to the employees.
The building owner should be held liable for unsafe scaffold accidents. And it would be a breach of duty if the one responsible for the workers’ safety failed to ensure the same and violated the safety and health regulations of the workers. In the first place, the implementation of safety scaffolding standards should prevent any form of mishaps in the site, which could create personal damages to the workers – physical pain, compromised health, medical expenditures, and lost wages.
Securing a worker’s compensation insurance repays the injury. And if a bystander is the one injured from a scaffold collapse or fall, the possibility of a premise’s liability injury should be considered under the guidance of a lawyer. Construction companies should be held accountable for all kinds of happenings on the site, and reputable companies like Synergy Scaffolding can get all the work down without incurring any problems.
