ABSTRACT

The British approach is to allow victims of industrial accidents and diseases to sue in the civil courts for compensation. Early recognition that the fear of having to pay compensation was not a sufficient incentive to induce organisations to operate safely led Parliament to legislate standards for the workplace and to provide for inspectors to ‘police’ the workplace, in order to ensure that the statutory standards were being met. A failure to comply with the legislation leads to penalties, following conviction in the criminal courts.