There are approximately 2.3 million people in Britain who have used scaffolding, whether it is on a building site, to help paint the ceilings in tall houses or to put up their Christmas decorations.

But if you fall off scaffolding whilst at work, can you claim compensation? Scaffolding can be extremely dangerous if it has not been constructed properly or it is used incorrectly. There are serious consequences for those who use scaffolding incorrectly and it has been estimated that 4500 people have died due to faulty or poorly constructed scaffolding. Scaffolding is therefore considered a high risk when it comes to work related injuries.

If this happens to you, you may be entitled to claim compensation from your employer. Your employer is liable if there was no attention paid to the safety procedures when erecting or using the scaffolding. All work related injuries are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and every employer must ensure that the standards and procedure set by the HSE are met and followed.

If you can sufficiently prove that these regulations and guidelines were not followed, you may have a case for compensation. It would be worthwhile for you to ring a lawyer who specialises in employment or accident law to see if you have a legitimate claim.