Blog Archives

October 2010

Charges dropped in first Corporate Manslaughter Trial

The SHP (Safety & Health Practitioner) has stated that the charges against the director have been dropped in the first corporate manslaughter trial. This has raised concerns as Sally Roff, partner and head of the safety, health and environment group at law firm Beachcroft LLP, believes that the Corporate Manslaughter Act has been tainted by the latest delay in court proceedings.

The long-awaited trial of Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings Ltd under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 has been adjourned again until 24 January 2011. Sally Roff also stated that "The Corporate Manslaughter Act has become tarnished with delay, both by the time it took to come to the statute books and now in its implementation."

This is a shame as most of us had such high hopes of this particular act providing a better mechanism of taking those responsible to 'task' over their negligence. We can now only await the outcome, but one has to feel for those families that have been affected; surely they would like to have some sort of closure sooner rather than later?

-- Click to read the full article

Source: SHP

October 15, 2010 | Permalink | Comment

Cameron backs new H&S Laws Reforms

The Prime Minister, Mr Cameron hailed Lord Young's report on Health & Safety as a "turning point" and has backed proposed reforms to safety laws. However, the unions said it was a missed opportunity to prevent death and injury at work and was based on "myths". The government has accepted all of the recommendations in Lord Young's report Common Sense, Common Safety.

These include:

  • A simplified procedure for personal injury claims and controls on the "volume and type" of advertising of such services
  • A "common sense" approach to educational trips, with a single consent form covering all activities a child might undertake
  • Consultants who carry out workplace safety assessments to be professionally qualified and registered on an online database

All very interesting but does it go far enough into the real issues of Health & Safety within construction and asbestos management?

-- Click to read the full article

Source: BBC News

October 15, 2010 | Permalink | Comment

Newsletter - October 2010

The October 2010 edition of the Ai Solutions Newsletter is now available: October Newsletter.

October 5, 2010 | Permalink | Comment