The cost of getting it wrong

Employers have a responsibility under Health and Safety legislation, as well as a moral responsibility to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and those affected by their work. But what about the financial costs if the company gets it wrong?

Provisional figures for 2013/14 show that the average fine imposed by the courts for Health and Safety breaches across all industries was £18,944, in construction industries it was £8,348. However breaches tend to come in twos or threes, so the average figure for cases brought is much closer to £30,000.

Add to this costs imposed by the court and the company's own defence team costs, which can run into many thousands, then you potentially have a very expensive outcome for the company. Another thing to remember is that the HSE have a 94% success rate for prosecutions.

Maybe the money the company spends now on health and safety isn’t so bad after all, and that’s not to mention the bad publicity, the potential for jail time for directors, the loss of contracts, the low staff morale, and the list goes on...