HSENI receive 336 Complaints for Alleged Breaches of Covid-19 Guidelines
According to the Health and Safety Executive in Northern Ireland (“HSENI”) there were 336 complaints made against companies for alleged breaches of Covid-19 guidelines between 5th May and 17th July 2020.
Up until 4th May 2020 HSENI were dealing with complaints remotely and had faced criticism about workplace inspections after the death of a poultry worker who had contacted Covid-19.
From 5th May until 17th July 2020 the HSENI carried out 372 unannounced inspections reporting a high level of compliance. Interestingly, not one company was required to stop work due to breaches and most issues were resolved by way of correspondence with action points and timescales or verbal instructions.
In Scotland, non-essential businesses are still waiting for the Scottish Government to announce a re-opening date. The HSENI response in Northern Ireland shows that employers in Scotland need to treat the Covid-19 situation seriously and monitor all advice carefully, whether that be from the Government or industry bodies.
Employers will be required to risk assess to ensure they are taking all the necessary precautions when reopening to ensure that their employees are safe in the workplace. If they don’t take the necessary precautions it is possible that employers could face personal injury claims being raised against them for employees contracting the virus.
It should be noted that due to the nature of the virus and the multiple sources of infection it would be difficult, but not impossible, to prove that an employee contracted the virus at work.
At Walker Laird our personal injury lawyers in Glasgow and Paisley regularly advise clients throughout Scotland about accidents at work. If you have had an accident at work within the last 3 years that wasn’t your fault contact us today.