{"id":30943,"date":"2026-01-15T17:14:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T16:14:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bacciardipartners.it\/?p=30943"},"modified":"2026-01-15T17:14:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T16:14:54","slug":"fatal-accident-on-a-subcontracted-construction-site-the-nominal-director-remains-criminally-liable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bacciardipartners.it\/en\/fatal-accident-on-a-subcontracted-construction-site-the-nominal-director-remains-criminally-liable\/","title":{"rendered":"Fatal accident on a subcontracted construction site: the \u201cnominal\u201d director remains criminally liable"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Enzo Bacciardi<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and Michele Sacchi<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0 Employment Law Department<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"A recent ruling of the Italian Supreme Court (Criminal Section IV, 20 November 2025, No. 39520) delivers a very clear message to company directors and those managing construction sites: criminal liability<\/strong> for a fatal workplace accident cannot be avoided through de facto delegations, subcontracting arrangements, or purely \u201cnominal\u201d roles.<\/p>\n

The case concerned the death of a worker who fell from a height of more than 12 meters while working on a roof. Part of the works had been subcontracted, and several parties were operating on site. The managing director of the employer company argued that her role was merely formal and that the actual management had been entrusted to others\u2014a defence frequently raised in practice. It did not succeed.<\/p>\n

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<\/h2>\n

The key principle: the office creates a duty of care<\/h2>\n

The Court reaffirmed a fundamental concept: appointment as managing director (and, consequently, as employer) automatically creates a position of guarantee<\/strong> under Article 40(2) of the Italian Criminal Code. This applies regardless of who, in practice, manages the construction site.<\/p>\n

The presence of a \u201cde facto manager\u201d does not replace the employer; it adds<\/strong> to them. In other words, it increases the number of liable parties rather than excluding those already in place.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Subcontracting: organisationally useful, criminally irrelevant<\/h2>\n

Another crucial point for companies concerns subcontracting. Subcontracting does not release the main contractor from its health and safety obligations. Even where subcontractors have their own preventive duties, the contractor remains responsible for:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    verifying in concrete terms that safety measures are in place;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    checking that such measures are adequate in relation to the risks;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    intervening where measures are missing or inadequate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Relying \u201con paper\u201d on the subcontractor\u2019s activities is not sufficient.<\/p>\n

    <\/h3>\n

    No delegation, no exemption<\/h2>\n

    The employer\u2019s liability may be excluded only where there is a valid and effective delegation of functions<\/strong>, meaning one that fully complies with the strict requirements set out in Article 16 of Legislative Decree No. 81\/2008 (written form, specificity, acceptance by the delegate, and the attribution of adequate powers and resources). In the absence of such a properly structured delegation\u2014as in the case at issue\u2014liability remains full.<\/p>\n

    <\/h3>\n

    Practical guidance for directors and HR<\/h2>\n

    This decision highlights several operational rules:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Subcontracting is not a shield; active supervision is required.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    2. \n

      \u201cDe facto\u201d delegations are ineffective and offer no protection unless they comply with the law.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    3. \n

      Safety must be verified on site, not only in documentation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    4. \n

      Accepting a corporate office always entails criminal liability<\/strong>, not merely formal responsibility.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      And, in the event of a fatal accident, the consequences are criminal in nature<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n\n
      <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      By Enzo Bacciardi\u00a0and Michele Sacchi\u00a0–\u00a0 Employment Law Department   A recent ruling of the Italian Supreme Court (Criminal Section IV, 20 November 2025, No. 39520) delivers a very clear message to company directors and those managing construction sites: criminal liability for a fatal workplace accident cannot be avoided through de facto delegations, subcontracting arrangements, or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":30948,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[217],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFatal accident on a construction site: the director is criminally liable<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A recent ruling of the Italian Supreme Court delivers a clear message to company directors and those managing construction sites: criminal...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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