Worker compensated after fall into cement
A construction worker who was left buried alive in cement for several minutes in a work accident, has made a successful claim for compensation, after the incident.
The 30 year old who is from Houghton-le-Spring, said that he is now 'too scared' to work in the building and construction trade after the horrific work accident, which took place on the site of the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
At the time of the incident the man was working as a concrete finisher for a firm, for the construction of the hospital's new cancer centre during December 2005.
His job involved wading through the newly laid concrete foundations, with a vibrating poker - a special tool which helps to set the concrete.
The pole gave way
On the day of the accident, one of the scaffolding poles which were holding up the foundations gave way as he was wading through the concrete. Because of this, the man fell through the foundations and landed five metres below on his ankle.
The wet concrete poured in all over him. It took ten minutes for the worker's colleagues to pull him free. He suffered cement burns across his entire body, which left unsightly ulcers.
The accident left the man with servere personal injuries including cement burns across his entire body, a broken ankle and also post traumatic stress disorder.
After the accident the man said that he would never work in construction again and is now working as a bin man for Sunderland City Council, on a much lower wage.
Fortunately for the man he made a full recovery from the cement burns. However there appears to be longer term affects. Three operations on his ankle indicated that he may need an ankle replacement in the future and he is currently required to take up extensive counselling to help him deal with flashbacks and nightmares.
'It was the end'
Speaking about the incident, the man said: "When the concrete started pouring on top of me I thought it was the end. I thought I was dead. It was so heavy I couldn't get out of it. It seemed like an eternity before I was pulled out. I have had real problems dealing with memories of that."
He also added: "I was relieved when the burns healed and didn't scar. I thought I was going to be scarred for life. I am now working as a bin man but I'm on half my pre accident wages. It makes day-to-day living very difficult but this compensation will be a big help."
Following the work accident, the man contacted a legal firm so that he could pursue a claim for accident compensation.
The construction firm admitted liability for the accident and decided to settle the claim out of court.
Mick Laffey a spokesperson from the legal firm said: "Construction sites are inherently extremely dangerous workplaces but strict health and safety regulations mean accidents like this one should be avoided. Here the supporting scaffolding was not erected properly."
Updated on 04/01/2010