Personal injury News

Safety at work requires responsibility in the boardroom

A union-backed campaign for tougher laws to prevent workplace death and injury and to hold company directors to account for negligent health and safety practices is now underway, with the first reading in parliament of the Health and Safety (Directors' Duties) Bill on 12 January.

The private member's bill is being championed by Stephen Hepburn, Labour MP for Jarrow, and supported by the TGWU, UCATT and the TUC, as well as a growing number of groups representing families whose loved ones have been killed or injured in workplace accidents (Risks 186). Introducing the Bill to the Commons, Stephen Hepburn said: 'There currently exists a state of 'legalised ignorance' for directors when it comes to health and safety.

This is unacceptable. Directors are people of tremendous power and with that power ought to come a responsibility to safeguard the health of their workforce and the public.' The new law would place a general health and safety duty on all company directors. Large companies would also have to appoint a director at board level to be responsible for health and safety. Under the law company directors could face custodial sentences where serious health and safety breaches or negligence resulted in death.

Source: http://www.hazards.org