Hundreds "Named and Shamed" for Health and Safety Breaches

Hundreds of companies, organisations and individuals have been named and shamed for committing health and safety breaches. The HSE publication "Health and safety offences and penalties" lists 1,600 offences that were committed during 1999 / 2000. As well as big name companies, the list includes a number of universities, local authorities, hospitals and small firms that have been found guilty of health and safety breaches.

In 1999/2000 the HSE prosecuted 1,133 cases, up nine per cent on the previous year. Only 72 of the charges resulted in verdicts of not guilty or not proven (a verdict available in Scotland). The HSE website ponders a database of the cases which is searchable by region, industry type, size of fine and type of work. For example, the database lists no fewer than 813 breaches of health and safety law in the construction industry over the last two years.

The publishing of the list comes as part of the HSE's "Revitalising Health and Safety" initiative launched in June this year. As part of the initiative the HSE outlined a 44 point plan to reduce the rate of fatal and major injuries by the year 2010. The prosecution database can be accessed on the HSE website.
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