Reasonably practicable

Regulation 12(3) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (and other regulations): ‘all floors, steps, stairs, passages, and gangways shall, so far as is reasonably practicable, be kept free from any obstruction and from any substance likely to cause a person to slip’. This is the lowest of the duties (compare with properly maintained and all practicable steps). The occupier can weigh the cost against the risk and the expected efficacy of the measures. Reasonable practicability is considered stricter than negligence and it is for the employer to prove that compliance was impracticable.