Name and shame yourself
The pressure increases to improve upon safety compliance, with this week’s news from the Ministry of Justice that courts are now empowered to hand out publicity orders to firms and public bodies convicted of gross corporate health and safety failures causing a death in the workplace. Companies can already be hit with an unlimited fine, as well as forced to make improvements.
Companies convicted of corporate manslaughter could be forced to take out adverts or place a statement on its web site publicising a conviction. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Acts came into force in 2008. In England and Wales and Northern Ireland, the new offence is called corporate manslaughter, and in Scotland it is called corporate homicide.
“Corporations can already be convicted of corporate manslaughter, making them face up to the consequences of health and safety failures,” said justice minister Maria Eagle. “Fines hit irresponsible companies in their wallet, but public image is also extremely important. Forcing corporations and organisations to publicise their conviction will be a powerful deterrent, making them think of the reputation as well as financial risk of not taking their health and safety responsibilities seriously.”
The new publicity orders are thought to be the first of their kind to be introduced in the UK. They could compel companies to inform shareholders, customers and in the case of local authorities, hospital trusts and police forces, local people of the conviction, giving details of the case, the fine imposed and the any remedial work they have been ordered to do.
CLM has simplified the management of compliance with the safety of both gas and electricity by combining its testing services, through its national network of engineers. CLM developed a range of gas services in 2008 offering the same quality as its award-winning and long-established electrical compliance contracting. This year CLM Compliance achieved the ISO 9001:2000 extension to scope for the quality management of its gas safety test services.
