Latimer v AEC [1953] AC 643 House of Lords

The claimant worked in the defendant's factory and slipped up on the factory floor. The factory had become flooded due to adverse weather conditions. The defendant's had put up warning signs mopped up and placed sawdust in the most used places to make it as safe as possible. The trial judge held that there had been a breach of duty as the defendants should have closed the factory if it was unnsafe. However, no argument had been advanced on this.


Held:

There was no breach of duty. There was no duty to close the factory. The defendant only had to take reasonable precautions to minimise the risk which they had done. There was no need to go to great expense to eliminate any possible risk and thus no obligation to close the factory.

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