My employer didn't provide proper safety equipment and I was injured.

What the Law Says

The law places a clear duty on UK employers to protect their workers — including by providing appropriate safety equipment — and requires them to hold insurance to cover injuries caused by negligence or breach of statutory duty.

Under health and safety law (including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974), employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees. This includes providing suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) free of charge, maintaining it, and ensuring staff are trained in its use.

The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 makes it illegal for most employers to operate without insurance that covers liability for injuries or diseases suffered by employees in the course of their employment.

This insurance requirement applies to virtually all employers with even one employee — including part-time, temporary, and casual workers — and the policy must cover at least £5 million in damages.

Statutory Text

Every employer shall, at any time when he has in his employment any person, insure and keep insured, in respect of liability in respect of bodily injury or disease sustained by his employees in the course of their employment.

— Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, s. 1 — Duty to insure

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