Additional fines set to face Company Directors
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008
Launching the new guidelines, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission Judith Hackett, stressed the importance of boardroom engagement with the issue. She said ” To improve our safety record we need strong and committed leadership that focuses on the real causes of harm in the workplace”
In addition to fines under the Corporate Manslaughter legislation, individual directors are also likely to face an increased threat of disqualification following the conviction for health and safety offences generally. Recent research from Warwick University showed directors were 300 times more likely to be disqualified for financial offences than those of health and safety. The HSC has now urged the HSE inspectors to seek this penalty from courts more often when prosecuting cases. Like everything only time will tell, and it will not be long before a test case comes forth.