Ice Watch investigates Duty of Care Regulations

Without the right preventative measures in place, slips and falls on icy pathways and roads are inevitable. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, 1999, states that it is the employers or business owners duty to fulfil and help prevent such accidents. Regulation 12 in the workplace regulations of 1992 requires employers to ensure so far as is reasonably practical, that floor surfaces shall be kept free from obstructions and from any article or substance which may cause a person to slip, trip or fall.

There are also risks of dropping temperature; according to the Health and Safety Regulations, 1992, the temperatures inside the workplace have to be reasonable, meaning they have to be adequate to the active duties and should not affect the employee in fulfilling them correctly. For example, an office space should have a temperature no lower than 16 degrees Celcius. This regulation, however, does not affect working outdoors, but in these situations, the employer is required to provide warm outdoor clothing and warm break areas.