For those who have been checking out our Yola blog this is an answer to one of our construction site quizzes. It is important to stress why you need to check and keep an eye out for construction warning signs on a busy place like a building site or any kind of construction work.

Quite an easy one...Dumper Trucks are also known as Tippers in the UK.

For more information on the different types of dumper trucks, why not take a look at our Accidents and Compensation Blogspot on these great trucks that are recognised and associated with construction sites.

We have covered several areas and aspects of a construction site and how potential hazards are all around that might lead to an accident claim. So today we thought we'd see how many people know their trucks....

Quick Quiz – What is the dumper truck known as in the UK?

_Another element of excavation is to make sure that any digging and excavations are carried out safely and securely. Structural excavations are different from general excavations on a site. There are still dangers that can happen and cause an accident or personal injury claim.

There are three main concerns with excavations and these involve both public and employees. One of these concerns is moving. This mainly includes injury that could happen to a pedestrian when an excavation vehicle is reversing. A construction worker might be aware to look out for machinery, but a member of the public might not be aware to look out for the vehicle.
There is a possibility of an employee or member of the public being trapped between the truck or an existing structure.

One of the main concerns is when the machinery is moving and the bucket or any other attachments fall from the excavator machinery. This is one of the main causes of death, when the bucket falls from the machine.

All of these risks can be controlled to avoid an accident claim and there are processes in place to ensure safety is paramount.

There is another aspect of building works and construction and this looks more at the 'behind the scenes' aspect of buildings. The foundations of a building and discovering a problem and investigation work that can lead to these discoveries. This involves excavation work and the level of excavation will depend on the location of the pit and how far down to go to perform a through investigation.There are a few main factors which are important and need to be considered before any digging begins. This involves getting information on;

1. Underground structures
2. Water courses
3. Ground conditions

To reduce the chances of a personal injury claim there are areas that contractors and workers on a building site will look at and these include;

1. Potential collapse of the excavation area
2. Dislodging material or falling material that might be in the excavation
3. People or machinery falling into the area
4. Regular inspections

Excavation areas need to be cornered off and protected from the public. There is potential for serious harm if an excavation pit caves in and this is why supports are needed to prevent the sides caving in. The issue of excavations falling in will have been assessed during the health and safety element.

_The statements that were correct - were....(drumroll...)

2, 3, only.

1./ Ladder rungs do need to be clean at all times
4./ Ladders can be used when it is raining, but it is not advised as they can be slippy and the floor surface might also become slippy
5./ Ladders should only be used for low risk work that takes no longer than half an hour (depending on the task)
6./ Domestic ladders are suitable for small light-weight DIY tasks around the home. Commercial use ladders should be class 1 industrial. Ladders intended for home use should not be used for lenghty commercial use.   

Midlands employers and employees need to be aware of when ladders are suitable and when not to use them to avoid a personal injury claim Wolverhampton.

There is always the risk of accidents at work and some of those have the potential for workers to make a personal injury claim as as result of loss of earnings or needing additional financial help. So here is a quick quiz about ladder safety (our previous article).

Which of these following statements are correct?

1./ Ladder rungs do not need to be clean - as long as they can be stood on that's ok
2./ Ladders should be regularly inspected
3./ A leaning ladder must have feet firmly attached and a good tread
4./ Ladders should not be used when raining
5./ Ladders can be used for high-risk work so long as there is someone else there
6./ All ladders are the same and can be used for multiple purposes

Answers to follow shortly....no cheating now....

Anyone working at heights will know the benefit of being able to carry out a task as soon as possible and with the maximum safety equipment possible. Some jobs will require alot of man hours and processes, so in this case it is cost efficient to use scaffolding and towers that can remain next to the building until the work is complete.
If the job is a quick job, and the right safety assessment has confirmed this, it can be possible to use a ladder for certain jobs. These should be a last choice though if there is another option that would be safer to use and only if the job is considered low risk.

The condition of the ladder is important and must be to the industry standard, be strong enough for the duties that you need to do and all elements of the ladders must be inspected to check the condition to prevent a personal injury claim Wolverhampton. If the ladder needs to leaning to complete the task, check the following before considering using the ladder:

• Feet of the ladder have a good tread and attached firmly
• Clean rungs as these can become a slip and trip hazard and finally;
• The fastenings on the ladder are secure if extending the ladder.

One of the obvious requirements is that you have a head for heights and do not suffer from a fear of heights as this might lead to an accident or the services of a no win no fee solicitor. There are several factors to consider when working on roofs from both a domestic and commercial aspect. Roof work can involve anything from replacing a tile to laying a new roof and making it weatherproof.  A tile replacement can take a few minutes, but if not thought through or treading onto a slippery roof can make the job instantly more dangerous.

One of the key factors is making sure there is safe access to the roof . This basically involves as little climbing and manovering over a surface as possible. Access should be from a scaffold tower as a preference or roof access hatches. The act of climbing up a ladder and simply leaning on the roof is not an option due to a potential fall and personal injury claim Nottingham.

Flat roofs require the use of double guard rails and toeboards around the edges of the roof to reduce the risk of people falling off.

Fragile surfaces can also account for many accidents. Consider if you are walking on a surface that you are not sure how it was built, or if any repairs have made it unstable. Often owners of a house might not know the history of any building work and it therefore essential to treat the roof as unstable until you know the surface. These can include sheeted roofing that is made up of any materials.

There are lots of industries and jobs that will deal with working at height and it is not just the construction industry. Alot of companies and small businesses across Nottingham and the Midlands have employees that are required to work at height such as window cleaners, construction workers, roofers, tilers and anyone associated with sign making even. If you look at your office or work place surroundings there are alot of examples of needing to work at height that are not necessarily outdoors.

This can include decorating, installing lighting and heating and cooling engineers. The construction site is what alot of people tend to consider when thinking about heights as buildings can be quite high and in these circumstances health and safety and awareness are paramount to safe working. This is where fall restraints, scaffolding and guards are essential to ensure maximum safety and reduce the risk of a personal injury and potential personal injury claim Nottingham.

Working outdoors on roofing jobs is especially dangerous as roofs are often slanted which requires working at an angle. The roof reliability and unknown fragile surfaces is also something to be aware of as often the history of a house and previous work is not always known and one wrong foot can cause an potential accident which might result in an injury and require the services of a no win no fee solicitor.