15.07.2010

Mock trial invitation

The UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in the East Midlands is inviting contractors to attend a mock trial next week. The aim is to help them understand how important good health and safety is, by seeing first hand what can happen when things go wrong and a worker is injured.

The criminal trial will take place at Northampton’s 17th century Sessions House Court, both the company and the director of a fictional company are to be prosecuted by the HSE, with the verdict decided on the day.

As in real case, the Magistrates will judge it on the facts and arguments presented to them by prosecution and defence lawyers. The event will close with a discussion of the verdict and its implications, and there will be the opportunity to question the legal team.

Health and safety awareness officer Sharon Geeson said:
“As a director or senior manager, your job is to make sure that things go right for your business and your workers aren’t put at unnecessary risk. With the best will, things can still go wrong. This mock trial aims to explain what can happen when a worker is hurt and the HSE decides to prosecute.”

The event is being organised by the East Midlands Working Well Together campaign group, which aims to improve health and safety in the construction industry, particularly in small businesses.

Anyone wishing to attend the event can email [email protected] or call 01604 738333. Tickets cost £25 per person which includes tea/coffee and a buffet lunch.

Vertikal Comment

While we still believe that the UK is too focussed on blame and prosecution rather than quickly learning the lessons of an accident and communicating it, there is of course a strong and important role for penalising those who do not take safety seriously.

This seems like an excellent idea and hopefully is real enough to force the contractors attending to think “there but by the grace of god go I” and return to their companies to put a stop to the corner cutting that all too many of them still participate in. Particularly when it comes to working at height or renting cranes.