Criminal liability of employer due to occupational accidents

The necessity of taking new and effective measures in order to reduce the occupational accidents and occupational diseases that have increased in this period, has led the way to the implementation of occupational health and safety regulations. In workplaces, occupational accidents resulting in deaths or injuries are usually caused by the employer's failure to properly fulfill his / her occupational health and safety obligations giving rise consequently to loss of life of or injury to the worker, as well as to the legal, administrative and criminal liability of the employer. The fact that occupational accidents, arising from the negligence of the employer who is obliged to take occupational health and safety measures and resulting in death or injury, brings reckless homicide and/or battery into question. In this study, these crimes are examined separately in terms of the elements of the crime.