Call For Improved Safety Standards As Worker Traumatised By Five Hour Ordeal At 200ft
25/01/2011
Industrial injury solicitors have made a call for companies to pay closer attention to safety and training procedures after a 32-year-old construction worker was traumatised when he was left to dangle from a collapsed crane, 200ft above the ground, for five hours.
Paul Baxter from Castleford, West Yorkshire, is undergoing rehabilitation to help him to rebuild his life following the incident in June 2007, when a crane that he was working on collapsed and fell into a nearby hotel.
Mr Baxter, who was employed as a trainee tower crane erector at Select Plant Hire Company Limited, and his team were asked to climb a tower crane in Croydon in order to attach a frame to the existing structure and increase its height – despite the fact they had received no training on the procedure.
However, disaster struck when the tower collapsed and although emergency services got to the seriously injured crane driver in around an hour, concerns over the remaining structure meant that they were left dangling for more than five hours before they could be brought back to the ground.
Paul’s employer was fined £100,000 plus costs after a criminal prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive, which highlighted that the firm had contravened safety regulations and breached their duty of care. The incident has taken its toll on Paul, who has been unable to return to work. He has also seen his relationship with his family breakdown and he has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“I had only just been taken on by the company and was excited about the prospect of getting my teeth into the new role. I felt like I had a really great opportunity,” he explained.
“Considering the collapse and the damage it caused, it was almost unbearable hanging on to the remaining part of the tower without knowing whether I was going to live or die.
“Just thinking back to it sends me into a nervous panic. It was truly the most terrifying moment of my entire life and seemed to last forever. Finally getting back to the ground was a massive relief, but by then the damage had been done.”
“The time immediately after the collapse was deeply distressing, so in a way it was a relief when I was diagnosed with a condition. It meant I was able to tackle my demons head-on and look to move forward in my life,” he explained.
An industrial accident claim was issued by Irwin Mitchell on Paul’s behalf, which secured a rehabilitation programme paid for by Select Plant Hire Limited’s Insurers. A further six figure sum was also secured for Paul three years after the incident.
Nicola Handley, an industrial accident specialist at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office, said: “Paul’s story is an undoubtedly terrifying one and it is completely understandable why it has had such a dramatic effect on his day-to-day life.
“However, perhaps the worst aspect is that the story is one that should have never emerged in the first place, as the employer should have been doing everything in its power to stay true to its general duty towards staff.”
“So many of the cases we deal with highlight the physical damage caused by accidents, but the emotional and psychological impact can often be completely underestimated. Lessons must be learnt from this terrifying case to ensure that no one else suffers in a similar manner ever again.
“It is so welcome that Paul is on the road to recovery, but this case goes some way to showing just how important it is for companies to follow all safety guidance when it comes to their workers.”
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