USE fines shoot up by 40%
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• Fines for companies involved in work-related accidents have risen by nearly 40% over the past year, but penalties at magistrates courts still need toughening, says Health & Safety Commission chairman Bill Callaghan.
He is calling for bigger fines after it emerged that the apparent increase was mainly the result of greater fees imposed at Crown Court level. The maximum fine in a magistrates court is restricted to 220,000.
"In general, fines for health and safety offences have been
too low in the past," says Callaghan.
The average fine for health and safety cases across the UK increased by 39%. from £8,790 in 2000/01 to £12,194 in 2001/02. In construction-where the death rate is six times higher than the national average-fines climbed by 62%. Breaches of workplace transport rules attracted fines of X350,000 last year.
In ajoint project, the HSE and Vehicle Inspectorate checked more than 6.000 vehicles and issued 262 prohibitions.