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Nigel DuPree
Member - 171 posts
Managers/supervisors let alone employees are going to need some form of insurance underwriting or bond if at risk of litigation along side employers.
No wonder employers finding it increasingly difficult as potential management become more averse to taking on responsibilities of management/supervision roles due to the not insignificant pressure to meet tick-box targets for continual improvement regardless of stress related performance decremation.
I wonder how many managers will now feel at risk of litigation cascading down from company directors who find themselves in court following introduction of Manslaughter legislation ?
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Anne McAllister
Member - 165 posts
Unfortunately Health and Safety Law would not be required if we could all exercise some common sense.
Why leave a machine without a guard ?
It was irresponsible and dangerous.
Health and Safety is everyones business and its not until something like this happens that the penny finally drops.
Yes employers have a duty of care but employees also need to ensure their practice doesnt harm anyone else.
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Craig Stuart
Member - 106 posts
It's not quite as simple as that unfortunately Anne. The article does not go into too much detail, but in my experience employees are placed under pressure on a regular basis and it could well have been the case that he had tried to rectify the situation and had been told there were no funds available; we just do not know.
As to H&S being 'common sense' I think we need to be very careful about using this phrase. It is often used by the right-wing press and employers to avoid obligation (legal and moral) and to rubbish any attenpts to make workpaces safer, using the 'careless worker' approach.
If we investigate fully we find that in the majority of cases there have been management failings and that most accidents are avoidable. I agree that H&S is everyone's business and also agree that employee's need to be made aware that their actions could harm others, but this only achieved by creating a 'safety culture' with good safety management, policies, procedures and training coming from the top of the organisation.
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