Men killed in Liverpool fall from height at work

According to recent reports, two men were involved in a fall from height at work at a Liverpool site. The accident proved instantly fatal for one of the workers. The second worker was taken to hospital and, after days in a critical condition, has now also died.

The workers, who were father and son, were working on site when a mast climber collapsed, causing them both to fall. Contractor Laing O’Rourke had been carrying out waterproofing works at the Unity Building on Chapel Street, a mixed-use residential and commercial development of 27 and 16 storeys respectively.

fall from height

Suffering a Fall from height

There are many industries where you may need to work above ground level, which comes with the risk of a fall from height. The further you are from the ground, the more dangerous your working conditions are, so your employer has a duty to make sure you are less at risk of falling from height. If you work in one of these industries, then it is the responsibility of your employer to make sure that you are kept safe, and they must follow the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

  • Construction
  • Window cleaning
  • Architecture
  • Roofing
  • Engineering
  • Warehouses
  • Retail

All these industries involve some form of working at elevation. This means they require correct and thorough training to ensure employees are kept safe from falls from height at work. However, they are, of course, not the only industries that see falls from height. Accident claims are also made from employees falling down stairways.

It is your employer’s responsibility to keep you safe from falling from a height at work. This means that they must make sure you have the correct training and equipment to be able to do your job correctly. Risk assessments must also be carried out, to ensure the job is done safely. This is especially important when working from height.

If your employer has not followed the guidelines to keep you safe at work you may be able to claim. We understand that you may feel uneasy about claiming against your employer, however all employers must have employer’s liability insurance. This covers the costs of accidents at work, including falling from height. It is the insurance company who would pay the fall compensation, so your employer would not be directly out of pocket.

Claiming on Behalf of Someone Else

Unfortunately, due to the nature of these accidents, you may be in a situation where a loved one has sadly lost their life due to falling from height. Or they might be unable to make a claim for themselves. If a loved one is dependent on you, or if they suffered a fatal accident, then you may be able to claim compensation on their behalf.

We understand that it is a difficult situation when an accident has caused the death of a loved one, and we also understand that it may not be very easy to talk about. However, the solicitors we work with are here to help; they can help address the financial burden you may have been left with due to your loved one’s accident. They can also help you recover from it.

How We Can Help

Here at The Compensation Experts we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with personal injury claims. This includes falling from height at work. Contact us by filling in our contact form. Or call us on 01614138765 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisors.