Feedback 2010
Set out below is a selection of the feedback received during 2010.
Martin Clarke is a builder, living in Birmingham.
The incident took place when he was instructed to screed a floor, while kneeling in wet concrete. No personal protective equipment had been provided. As a result he suffered serious cement burns to both knees.
At the time he was helping to build a house extension. The structure of the extension had been erected, and the extension had a rough concrete floor. Before domestic flooring could be fitted, the floor needed to be smoothed over.
This was done by applying a layer of screed, comprising three parts cement and one part rough sand. This could be made to a smooth finish.
On the right is a sketch showing how the screed is normally applied. In the normal run of things, the screed would be deposited in a corner of the room. The person applying the screed would then work backwards towards the door, kneeling down and smoothing the screed as he went. For obvious reasons, the screed would arrive wet.
My client had never been in charge of this process before.
He learnt afterwards that screed would normally be placed on the corner of the room. Despite this, the suppliers spread the screed all over the floor. The screed was still damp and had not yet started to set.
So as to spread out the screed, my client was kneeling down. He was wearing combat trousers and had no other personal protective equipment. Normally burns can be avoided by using a kneeling mat, however none was provided.
About 2 hours into the job, his knees started to feel strange. He rolled up his trousers and saw dried blood.
As a result of his exposure to wet cement, my client suffered burns to both knees.
We made a claim against the defendants, on the basis that he had suffered cement burns from kneeling in wet concrete, and no personal protective equipment had been provided. Liability was admitted. When my client reached an endpoint in his recovery, we obtained a supporting medical report from a plastic surgeon.
Appropriate damages were negotiated without the need for litigation.
To read Mr Clarke's feedback, please click here.
Cornel Tomescu is a Romanian carpenter, living in London.
At the time of the accident he was working on a building site, together with a Romanian co-worker. Together they were constructing a lift shaft.
Their work involved assembling formwork, designed to hold shuttering. Once the shuttering was in place, then concrete could be poured.
After the concrete had set, then the shuttering and formwork could be dismantled. The pair would then reassemble everything on the next floor up. In this way, they progressed upwards, floor by floor.
Despite the fact that the client and his colleagues were working many feet above ground level, the supervisor had failed to insist upon safety harnesses being worn.
Furthermore no training had been provided, and the method statement gave no guidance as to how precisely the work should be done.
Finally the supervisor was a somewhat intimidating character, who made it perfectly clear that the work should be done at maximum speed.
While undertaking his job as directed, my client fell down the lift shaft.
He suffered serious injuries, and he spent several days in hospital in London. I visited the client there and obtained a full statement of evidence. I also did some sketches under his direction, as his arm injury prevented this.
We then advanced a compensation claim. Although primary liability was admitted, the opponents put up particularly stiff resistance. Substantial damages were negotiated prior to trial.
To read Mr Tomescu's feedback in English, please click here and in Romanian, please click here
Pablo Rodriguez is from Spain. He has a Masters Degree in animation. His long-term career ambition is to work in the film industry.
At the time of the accident he was working at a cinema in Fulham Road, London.
The accident happened when he was helping his Iranian supervisor to put up a metal shelf inside the cinema.
While doing so his supervisor dropped part of the shelf onto Mr Rodriguez's left thumb, causing a laceration and tendon damage.
We made a claim against the cinema chain. Their insurers admitted legal liability at an early stage. After that appropriate compensation was negotiated.
To read Mr Rodriguez's feedback, please click here.
