Councillor Susan Joy should check her facts before recommending Stephan Bennett sign a disclaimer to allow him to wear shorts while the weather is hot (Letters, April 18).

He was supplied with protective clothing by his employers, Brighton and Hove City Council, to enable him to carry out his cleaning duties in safety without his skin coming into contact with any corrosive substance he might handle.

He has a responsibility under the Health And Safety At Work etc Act 1974 to himself.

He cannot choose which parts of the law to obey, he must obey all of the law. No arguments. If he doesn't like it, he should find other employment.

I have a duty of care to myself, my clients and my employer, who has supplied me with the protective clothing I need to carry out my duties.

On Thursday, a very hot day in Brighton, I climbed to the top of the tower crane by John Street police station to carry out a safety examination of the structure with other engineer surveyor colleagues.

We wore coveralls over our ordinary clothes, work gloves and safety helmets, along with a safety harness.

When I reached the operating platform, I was quite hot and sweaty, as were my colleagues. However, I didn't strip off but carried on with the examination, as did they.

Foreign companies set up their businesses in the UK not because the labour costs are cheaper but because we have the safest work record in the world.

Therefore, employers pay less industrial-injury payments than others. This is due to Lord Alf Robens fighting to make the Act law.

This Act protects workers and they should be more aware of its implications and their duties of care to themselves.

-Rod Ackers, Portslade