H and Safety for Directors

Posted: Wednesday 26th, March 2008

Company directors and senior managers with responsibility for health and safety should take steps to becoming suitably qualified.

A survey of 130 companies revealed that 42% were unable to show their nominated board member with responsibility for health and safety had any formally recognised qualifications such as IOSH or NEBOSH qualifications.

Recent guidance concerning directors' responsibilities for health and safety, along with new corporate manslaughter legislation coming into effect in April, means such qualifications will be seen as increasingly important:

Some company directors and senior managers may well be failing to take health and safety seriously. Cost issues, lack of time, or quite simply health and safety being seen as a low priority could all be contributing factors to such behaviour. Time and money may be short for many companies, but in fact, good health and safety management can avoid substantial costs and save money and time in the long run.

Organisations convicted of the new corporate manslaughter legislation could face fines of 10% of their annual turnover, together with potentially damaging 'publicity orders':

Guidance from the Institute of Directors and the Health and Safety Commission states that all staff, including board members and directors, should be trained and competent to fulfill legal responsibilities for health and safety.

The introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, coupled with the IOD/HSC guidelines for directors, should help raise the profile of health and safety in the boardroom.