The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has had its powers expanded so it can come down hard on those hauliers tempted to cut safety corners.
The Health and Safety Offences Act 2008 came into effect on 16 January, and operators caught flouting legislation can now face a potential fine of £20,000, rather than the previous £5,000. Under the new act, imprisonment is also an option
for health and safety offences.
An HSE spokeswoman says: "These new sentencing powers will enable the courts to deal much more effectively with those operators that don't take health and safety seriously, that cut corners and flout the law."
Jo Tanner, director of communications at the Freight Transport Association (FTA), says for some operators that have sailed close to the wind with safety measures, the risk of such a high penalty will be an incentive to shape up.
Two haulage firms have just missed out on increased penalties. Waste management group F & R Cawley was ordered to pay fines for breaches in safety regulations on 7 January at Luton Magistrates' Court.
While Fox Group (Moving and Storage) was fined £3,515 and ordered to pay £2,000 costs by Skegness Magistrates' Court on 14 January for staff not being efficiently trained, resulting in a
worker getting crushed between a 17-tonne vehicle and a brick wall. The accident was not fatal.
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