Government Urged To ‘Do Everything in Its Power’ By Lawyer to Protect UK Workers
09/09/2011
A leading industrial injury lawyer has called on the government to do all that it can to prevent UK workers from injury by continuing to make ‘vital written risk assessments’ compulsory in what are deemed to be low risk work places.
The call comes ahead of a House of Commons debate over whether “low hazard workplaces”, such as shops, offices, classrooms and households, should be given an exemption from producing written risk assessments.
David Urpeth, National Head of Workplace Injuries and Illness at leading law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “Time and time again we help people whose lives have been devastated by accidents and injuries – that are often life changing - which have occurred in what are considered to be low hazard environments.
“Often the most frustrating thing for injured people and their families is that accidents may have been easily prevented if a suitable and sufficient risk assessment had been carried out.”
Irwin Mitchell has already supported numerous clients, including office, shop, school and university workers, with industrial accident and illness claims. These include workers who have suffered from second hand exposure to deadly asbestos dust, leading them to develop terminal cancer (mesothelioma).
In one example, a Bradford Coroner this week concluded that former teacher Graham Butterfield died of mesothelioma. Graham had worked as a teacher at both Tong Comprehensive School and Hutton Middle School between 1967 and 1996.
Before he died, he explained that workmen at both schools removed asbestos ceiling tiles, disturbing the deadly dust in the process. He also added that while at Hutton Middle School, he helped with the cabling of computers throughout the school which involved being in the basement and service tunnels, exposing him to asbestos lagging dust.
Urpeth continues: “Cases like this demonstrate that things can go badly wrong and result in life changing consequences if risk assessments are not carried out in what are referred to as low hazard workplaces.
He continues: “Reducing the health and safety requirement to void written risk assessments in certain workplaces is likely lead to an increase in numbers of people killed or injured at work which is the last thing that anyone wants to happen.
“I’d urge the Government to consider the wider implications of introducing this legislation to help keep UK workers safe.”
This will be the second reading of the Low Hazard Workplaces (Risk Assessment Exemption) Bill 2010 – 11 and the Self-Employment (Risk Assessment Exemption) Bill 2010 – 11.
Back to news