First conviction for Corporate Manslaughter should focus attention on compliance training, say E-Learning provider EssentialSkillz
Although training is no guarantee that accidents will be prevented, it certainly helps mitigate the risk to both the employee and the business.
Cotswold Geotechnical was fined £385,000 at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday 17th February 2011 over the death of a geologist in a trial pit collapse on one of its sites in September 2008. This is the first ever conviction under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 and represents a milestone in British legal history.
With a potentially unlimited fine, a conviction usually carries a suggested minimum of £500,000. It is thought that the size of the company prosecuted is the reason for the relatively lenient fine imposed.
So, what does this mean for all of the other companies across the UK? It means that the we all need to look very closely at our procedures, methods and risk assessments. It also means that we should ensure that our Health and Safety training records are correct and up to date. In the unfortunate event of an accident or incident, one of the first things on the agenda will be to look at your risk assessments and your Health and Safety training records. A lack of training records will give the impression of a business with a poor Health and Safety culture and the finger will be pointed straight at the top of the organisation.
The simplest way to ensure ongoing compliance is with an online Health and Safety training system. This enables companies to roll out training and keep an audit trail of risk reduction and compliance training. These records are invaluable when there is a need to evidence a history of training and can be powerful tools when faced with litigation. Online training also ensures that the workforce have access to training, which makes their lives safer in the workplace and can help reduce the chances of tragedies like this happening.