The new legislation aimed at bringing companies to justice in instances where gross management failings have caused a fatality at work has been applauded by the ECA.

However, the Association has drawn attention to the fact that the law has no scope outside of the UK.

David Pollock, ECA director, said: “We welcome the draft Bill’s application to organisations and not individuals. The proposed corporate manslaughter bill looks like a significant improvement on current law. Unfortunately, the Bill does not deal with the international nature of employment. This is a growing issue for the service industry, with many foreign-based contractors now working in the UK.”

He went on to urge the government to ‘start the ball rolling’ in the European Union to ensure that foreign-based companies are properly held to account in the event of a fatality.

“The proposed offence of corporate manslaughter should be related to a major or continual failure to assess and control risks rather than a temporary gap in the management system,” added Pollock. “It needs also to apply clearly to organisations with atypical employment arrangements, such as employment and labour agencies.”

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor