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Keep safe not sorry
Page 9
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Mention the words "health and safety" and most employers will assume they're about to be asked to waste precious time and money, especially in these cash-strapped times. It almost seems that the Health and Safety Executive shares that view—the Centre for Corporate Accountability recorded a 41% fall in inspection contacts over the past five years; and in 2 0 0 0 / 01 more than 8o% of serious injuries to workers and 70% of dangerous incidents were NOT investigated by the H SE.
So is health and safety in the workplace really becoming a lower priority? Certainly not, says the HS E, which is out to flex its muscles by boosting the number of reported accidents it investigates. It has already achieved a 40% increase in fine levels; now it's pushing for tougher penalties to he handed out by magistrates courts.
Figures show the transport industry alone attracted fines ofL350,000 for breaches of workplace rules last year But, as any HSE inspector will tell you, prosecuting a firm for a workplace death isn't "a result"—it would far rather not have to deal with injuries and fatalities at all.