December 29, 2004—The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its fifth annual Health and Safety Offences and Penalties Report. As well as naming all those companies convicted in HSE prosecution cases over the past year, this new-look report comments on research looking at why businesses comply with health and safety legislation.
The findings show 90% of the 1700 respondents strongly agreed that health and safety is important for staff productivity and morale, and 82% felt they must comply with health and safety regulations to protect their reputation, but only 45% would be more likely to act on the regulator’s advice because of its enforcement powers.
Last year HSE made 206,000 regulatory contacts, investigated nearly 28,000 incidents and complaints, issued 11,295 improvement and prohibition notices, and brought 982 prosecution cases.
The Web-based report makes it easier to see HSE’s enforcement action in a wider context, showing that prosecutions have increased by 6% from the last year. A new feature is examples of HSE working with employers to help control risks, and video clips in which people recount their personal experiences of health and safety incidents.
The report looks in particular at agriculture, construction, fairgrounds, and an NHS trust. It links to case studies showing the business benefits of sound health and safety management.
