Two nations divided…

UK and US separated by more than just an expanse of water.

It is often said that the US and the UK are two nations divided by a common language; and it’s a fact that is borne out by any Englishman that has ever said to an American that he was “going for a fag”. But while we happily stand shoulder-to-shoulder during armed conflicts across the world, there is more separating these two nations than some quirks of language and two thousand miles of ocean.

For all its reputation as a litigious nation awash with ambulance-chasing lawyers willing to sue their own grandmothers for a fast buck, the US approach to the crime of contributing to an employee’s death is seen only as a misdemeanor, carrying a maximum prison sentence of six months and a maximum fine of $70,000 (Source: HySafe Buzz).

Compare and contrast that with that of the UK which two years ago passed the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007 that carries with it an unlimited fine.

Against this background, the following video – 16 deaths a day – (though not demolition specific) makes for extremely uncomfortable viewing: