TUC fears the health and safety risks of leaving the E.U.

Leaving the European Union could lead to increased health and safety risks as worker protections could be eroded according to a report from the Trades Union Congress. The organisation released a report showing that 65 pieces of legislation have been implemented between 1997 and 2009 aimed at improving worker protection for employees in Essex and across Britain, and that the majority of these were initiated in Europe.

These laws have helped reduce the number of workplace deaths from 368 in 1992 to 142 in 2015, and the TUC’s general secretary warned that leaving the E.U. could cause a significant increase in the risks of injuries at work. She said that major supporters of the Brexit campaign viewed legislation that protect workers as pointless bureaucracy and were keen to eliminate them. She emphasised that the government had already indicated its willingness to see protections for workers reduced and said that millions of working people in Britain would face increased chances of being injured on the job.

Membership of the E.U. has obliged Britain to enhance its safety regulations, particularly for working with materials such as asbestos and also for many jobs in the construction industry. Asbestos is still responsible for thousands of fatalities each year, while the construction business in general is considered high risk work. The new laws have made notable improvements in the level of safety for workers facing these dangers, and these would be at risk if the country was no longer part of the E.U.

The construction industry is recognised as a high risk environment for accidents but the long-term health risks of working around hazardous substances are also significant. Asbestos and other toxic materials are dangerous, and an employee who believes that he has been exposed in an unsafe manner may wish to speak with a solicitor experienced in cases involving occupational health risks.