Workers in the United Kingdom (UK) are presently protected from injury at work by several pieces of Workplace Regulation(s) derived from the European Union. These are commonly known as the Workplace Regulations 1999. It is worth noting that until Brexit negotiations are complete the Regulations will remain in force in the UK.
The concern in some quarters is the perceived burden that the EU Regulations place on small to medium sized companies and that the excessive red tape in relation to health and safety is stifling business.
Critics of the EU are of the belief that fewer health and safety rules will allow for businesses to prosper by cutting down on red tape. The UK Government have as recently as 2013 brought in a new act called the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, which has removed a Claimant’s automatic right to sue for breach of duty under the Workplace Regulations.
Does that mean that workers in the UK are going to be exposed to greater risk, in light of the Government relaxing its stance on health and safety at work post Brexit, to promote industry growth in the UK? No one really knows is all that can be said.
What we do know for certain is that the UK is often seen as the benchmark for health and safety at work.
We still have the pre Europe, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which offers protection to workers in the UK. We also have the Health and Safety Executive, which is globally renowned for its expertise in dealing with health and safety at work and implementing measures to ensure safe working practices. Furthermore, The Sentencing Council’s new guidelines, April 2017, have significantly increased the penalties for health and safety breaches.
Only time will tell if Brexit will literally cause more harm than good to the UK workforce and what the Government’s position to protecting workers from accidents at work will be.
If you, or a loved one, have suffered an injury as a result of an accident in the workplace, within the last 3 years, our team of dedicated accident at work lawyers may be able to assist you with an accident at work compensation claim. Please call our Personal Injury Team on Freephone 0808 164 0808 or complete the request a call back form and we will call you.
