I attended a conference yesterday on Corporate Manslaughter, Director’s Duties and Safety Enforcement and it was a real eye opener. For so long we have watched the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act go backwards and forwards between the House of Commons and the House of Lords, it was most definitely a relief to learn the facts – and discuss the impact.
The event, held at the Hamilton House Hotel in London by the Centre for Corporate Accountability, was attended by leading figures in industry, and looked at the likely impact on private and public sector organisations and the way the new offence will be investigated and prosecuted. Also in attendance were representatives of bereaved families – giving delegates an insight into the devastating impact that health and safety failures can have.
Speakers included Lord McKenzie of Luton and the TUC’s outspoken general secretary, Brendan Barber. Mr Barber’s speech was certainly one that made my ears prick up. He mentioned last year’s 241 workplace fatalities, and also invited the audience to remember the 5,000 people killed last year because of asbestos exposure, the 1,000 killed in work-related road accidents, the many thousands killed by workplace cancers every year, as well as those who suffer heart attacks as a result of overwork or stress. He questioned why these deaths are not on the front of every national newspaper, why there aren’t more calls for action – and simply answered his own question: “I suppose it’s because we have become immune to it”.
Suspicious sounds from the audience seemed to agree. But we shouldn’t accept it ... and that is why the majority of the health and safety profession are in favour of the forthcoming Act, as I witnessed yesterday.
The enormous impact that the new legislation will have on business was discussed and the message of the day seemed to be: The prospect of limitless fines and the potential for huge damage to reputations mean that those responsible for health and safety need to get their houses in order before the Act comes into force. Something we will all be working hard in order to achieve in preparation for the 2008 legislation.
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