Tort

Question 1

A woman works for a cleaning company that provides services on various third-party premises. The employer has provided comprehensive training, safety equipment, and detailed written instructions on safe working practices. However, the employer rarely supervises the woman directly, relying instead on periodic spot-checks. On one occasion, while cleaning a client’s premises, the woman slips on a wet floor that was left unmarked by the client’s own staff. The employer had previously inspected the client’s premises and deemed them generally safe, but had not specifically checked the client’s internal procedures for marking wet floors. The woman suffers a serious injury and claims against her employer, alleging breach of duty regarding the safety of third-party premises.

Answer 1

No, because the employer had conducted a general inspection and reasonably concluded the premises were safe.

The employer’s duty is to take reasonable steps to ensure third-party premises are safe. Conducting a general inspection and reasonably concluding safety is sufficient to discharge this duty.