R v Associated Octel Co Ltd [1997] IRLR 123 HL

Employers liable under HSW Act for risks caused by contractors

Date:

1 January 1997

The liability of an employer for the acts or omissions of a contractor it engages is the central issue in R v Associated Octel Co Ltd. Both the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords have considered this important case, and both have ruled that an employer cannot delegate the duty imposed by s.3(1) of the HSW Act.