£385,000 for a life

First UK Corporate Manslaughter conviction

I am confident that no organisation wanted to be the first conviction under the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

I am sure that no one thought there approach to health and safety standards was bad enough for it affect them.  Never that bad that someone might die as a consequence.

Unfortunately for one man, Mr. Wright, that was not the case.  Mr. Wright died as a consequence of a breach of company health and safety standards. 

The Company was found guilty of the charge relating to the death of Mr. Wright.  The court heard that the company had a ‘cavalier attitude’ to health and safety.  The company’s health and safety policy stated that procedures should have been in place to ensure the working environment was safe, these were never followed.  

The penalty under the new legislation is an unlimited fine.  In this case, the company were fined £385,000.

There are no second chances in safety. 

Get it right and you reap the dividends.  Get it wrong and as is this case a person dies. 

No employee deserves to die through work. 

What’s your approach to health and safety? 

A death and £385,000 says prevention has got to be better.

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