Health and safety

Counsel: For the appellant: Richard Matthews, Paul Greany For the respondent: Christopher Purchas QC, John Cooper Solicitors: For the appellant: Health and Safety Executive For the respondent: Steffan Groch

The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission has written to the Cabinet Office to seek the imposition of heavier fines for health and safety offences. He has also asked for better training to be given to judges and magistrates to enable levels of fines to reflect the gravity of offences so that they will act as deterrents. The average fine for offences involving deaths at work is less than £50,000 and the average fine for all offences is £12,500.