Recent legislative changes have left UK companies who overlook H&S law more vulnerable than ever to potentially crippling fines. For managers, this exposure provides the ideal environment to influence safety culture at the highest level, where purse strings are often held very tightly, and get board room buy-in for essential operator and supervisor training.
Over a three-part series of blog posts, we’ll present three key benefits to transform boardroom views of lift truck training, from a purely functional ‘out cost’ to a sound strategic investment.
In the first, we explore accountability under the latest sentencing guidelines…
1.Staff must understand their responsibilities for safety now more than ever
The latest sentencing guidelines have seen fines and prosecutions for breaches of Health and Safety law reach record highs.
With more clear cut guidelines taking into account a company’s turnover, actual and potential harm caused and culpability for the incident, fines have increased substantially, up 43% compared to the same period in the previous year.
Fines in the millions are becoming a far more regular occurrence, with large companies at risk of penalties exceeding £20m for a serious breach of the rules. These financial penalties are uncapped and can be devastating to businesses – and that’s before factoring in any associated legal fees and court costs.
But it’s not just fines on the rise. HSE prosecutions of high-level directors saw 50% increase on the previous year in 2016 with 46 taken to court. With a very successful prosecution rate (73%), the HSE is sending a clear message to those overlooking their responsibilities that negligence won’t be tolerated and comes at a very high cost for individuals and companies alike.
It’s clear that now, more than ever, we need to protect ourselves, our staff and our businesses by making sure those responsible for our lift truck operations have a sound understanding of what’s required to work safely and legally. Quality accredited training will ensure everyone has the essential information they need.
Don’t miss our next blog post, where we’ll reveal the substantial financial gains to be made by companies investing in MHE training.
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