Where a principal contractor assumes control of the system of work for an independent contractor's employees following safety concerns, its duty of care extends to devising and supervising a safe system of work, including taking into account the possibility of inadvertence and carelessness by workers performing repetitive tasks. However, a worker's failure to take an obvious precaution (checking bay components before placing planks) may constitute contributory negligence even where the work is repetitive, if the task is not so complex as to explain the omission and the risk of serious injury is apparent. A separate failure (not attaching a harness lanyard) may be excusable where the equipment was not industry practice and its use was difficult.
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