The solicitor and family of Daniel Dennis, the 17 year old from South Wales who died in his first week at work when he fell through a skylight after being sent onto a roof with no prior safety training, today welcomed Royal Assent being given to the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act.

Daniel's father Peter said: "We hope that as a result of this new law employers will understand that they are not above the law and that other tragic accidents will be prevented."

Mick Antoniw, a partner at Thompsons Solicitors in Cardiff who represents the Dennis family said: "After a ten year battle at long last the families of the victims of corporate manslaughter, and the trade unions, have succeeded in achieving a law which will play a key part in improving health and safety and reducing deaths at work.

"The next part of the campaign is for legal duties to be imposed on directors of companies with responsibility for health and safety."