Can I be dismissed for refusing to work in unsafe conditions?

What the Law Says

The Employment Rights Act 1996 gives workers strong protection when they face dangerous working conditions.

Under section 100 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, dismissal is automatically unfair if the reason (or principal reason) is that the employee took (or proposed to take) appropriate steps to protect themselves or others from serious and imminent danger.

This protection applies regardless of how long you’ve worked for your employer — no minimum service period is required.

The law requires that you reasonably believed the danger was serious and imminent, and that you could not reasonably have been expected to avert it by other means (e.g., reporting it first).

Statutory Text

An employee is entitled to be regarded as unfairly dismissed if the reason (or principal reason) for his dismissal was that he took (or proposed to take) appropriate steps to protect himself or other persons from danger which he reasonably believed to be serious and imminent.

— Employment Rights Act 1996, s. 100 — Dismissal for asserting statutory rights

Sources