Health & Safety Interventions To Cost Companies Over £1000 Per Day

In a move that will really bring home the cost of poor health and safety practice, the HSE has confirmed that it will recover intervention costs at a rate of £124 per hour from businesses found to be in material breach of health and safety law.

Under the ‘fee for intervention’ scheme, which will apply from April 6th 2012, costs would be recovered if, during an inspection or investigation, a material breach – a failure to adhere to health and safety law identified by an inspector as requiring formal action – is discovered. This would cover firms issued with improvement or enforcement notices.  Fees would apply up to the point where HSE’s intervention in supporting businesses in putting matters right has concluded. No costs would apply for purely technical breaches and compliant duty holders would pay nothing.

HSE inspectors can issue improvement notices relating to a large number of transgressions. Amongst the most significant to the woodworking and joinery sector are those issued to firms that have not fitted brakes to relevant machinery or changed over to LCPT, and those that have failed to control the levels of wood dust in their workplace. Last year there were 71 improvement notices issued to woodworking duty holders for failing to have their LEV system examined.

Despite the £124 per hour fee meeting treasury guidelines for cost recovery, there are understandable concerns over whether the billed rates reflect the costs to HSE of an intervention. There have also been questions raised over whether the ‘fee for intervention’ scheme will cause an increase in the frequency of inspections. HSE has announced that it will be publishing visit statistics which it hopes will allay fears that the scheme will be used as a ‘cash cow’.

HSE already recovers costs in a range of industries and has considerable experience of making these schemes work. The new scheme will apply to all work activities regulated by HSE in Great Britain (other than where HSE already recovers cost for major hazard installations under an existing regime).

A dry run of the scheme is currently taking place, with the full penalties due to apply from April 6th next year.

Joinery manufacturers who want our help in ensuring that they are compliant with current legislation, are reminded that they can get their Health and Safety audited through the BWF's Total Support Services. The service is open to members and non-members alike, with reduced rates for BWF members.