Good bosses have 'nothing to fear' from new health and safety laws
Construction
16th October 2008
New laws which could see business owners who breach health and safety rules put in jail will come into affect soon.
Introduced in parliament by former minister Keith Hill, the health and safety (offences) bill will increase the penalties handed out to those who breach regulations and could impact on a business' liability insurance.
The junior work and pensions minister Lord McKenzie of Luton said good bosses and diligent managers have nothing to fear from the legislation which will target "unscrupulous businesses".
President of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Ray Hurst said he believed the current system of fines does not sufficiently reflect the gravity of offences.
"We'd like to see some of the money raised from the increased fines given back to the HSE to help cover the cost of the investigations they do," he added.
The IoSH was founded in 1945 and is Europe's leading body for health and safety professionals.
