by David Carter
14 October 2010
A man suffered extensive injury to his legs after a work accident in Portsmouth.
Contractor Martin Cox, 29, was one of seven people asked to life a pre-constructed wall from the floor on which it was built. After it had been lifted, the men realised it was too heavy and decided to set it down again. However, Mr Cox’s legs were bent under the wall as he was kneeling down at the time. When the rest of the men lowered the wall its full weight, over a tonne, crushed them. He has been confined to a wheelchair ever since.
The company which contracted him, BAE Systems, was prosecuted by the Heath and Safety Executive for breaching the Construction, Design and Management Regulations after the accident on August 20, 2008. They also found that the company had failed to employ a health and safety officer at the start of the project.
In the light of this ruling Mr Cox will be eligible to pursue a compensation claim for his work injury.