£2.4m in health and safety fines

Following on from the recent high fines reported in Facilities Management Legal Update (R -v- Dunlop, R -v- Balfour Beatty Rail Maintenance Ltd, and R -v- Brintons Ltd) the courts have now imposed three heavy fines for health and safety offences in one week.

Great Western Trains were fined £1.5m following the death of seven passengers in the rail accident at Southall in 1997. London Underground Limited were fined £300,000 following the death of a passenger at Eastcote Station in 1996, caused by a 50 foot blind spot which meant that the driver could not see her when she fell between the carriages. A fine of £ 600,00 fine was imposed on Friskies Petcare (UK) Ltd for breaking workplace health and safety law.An employee was electrocuted while repairing machinery in a meat silo at their Southall factory, which produces 'Felix' catfood.

The new regime of heavier fines is proof of the HSE's determination to drum home the importance of health and safety in the workplace. Courts are now encouraged to look to a company's bottom line profits when determining the level of fines for health and safety offences.

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