Protection from Covid-19 at work: health and safety law is fit for purpose (14 December 2021)

Summary

In this opinion piece for the BMJ, the authors argue that shortcomings in protection from contracting Covid-19 at work arise from legislation being ignored. They argue that government departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education, did not adequately emphasise the legal obligations of employers to protect their employees health during the pandemic. The article states that laws dating back to the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act make it a legal requirement for employers to ensure the health of their employees and of patients, students, and site visitors.