A law firm has issued warning to employers in the UK about serious legal action if they do not take adequate safety measures at workplace.
This warning comes after a landmark judgement in a case involving workers in Australia, who became victims of skin cancer, because of long hours of work outside in the sun. The furious workers filed a legal case against their employer for not providing a good sunscreen for skin protection. The court found the employer guilty of the damage.
Although, there is a great difference between UK and Australia as regards the temperature. In recent years the UK has experienced adverse weather conditions and employers should ensure the safety of workers in extreme condition hot or cold as exposure could potentially leads to future health implications.
Richard Biggs, associate at law firm Ralli, said that the firms must take this warning seriously and protect their workers. He further added that it is the responsibility of employers to examine the workplace to ensure safety of workers. They must also provide safety equipments and adequate information about protective measures to workers.
There are two notable regulations binding upon firms. One is the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation, which requires every employer to conduct adequate safety examination of the workplace to rule out any danger to the lives of workers.
Another one is the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, which states that it is the responsibility of companies to prevent employees from any kind of hazard. Employees should have easy access to all the necessary information about health and safety measures.
