Press release

New health and safety rules carry draconian penalties, warns local solicitor

09 March 2009
Robert Hill, partner at Wycombe law firm Reynolds Parry Jones, has highlighted an important new piece of legislation that will affect every business, but that has largely missed the media spotlight thanks to the current preoccupation with the economy.

He stated “I refer to the Health & Safety (Offences) Act 2008, which came into effect last January.”

“There are two aspects that I would call ‘headline news’. First, the Act increases upper limits on fines for most health and safety offences in the Magistrate’s Court from £5,000 to £20,000. Second, it introduces the possibility of up to two years’ imprisonment for employees who commit or contribute to the most serious health and safety offences, while lesser infringements can be punished by up to 12 months in prison. This can affect anyone in a business, from the Board to the shop floor, and marks a new departure that makes prison a potential sanction for offences that used to be punishable by a fine.”

Mr Hill believes that one result of these new more stringent penalties will be that organisations like the Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will carry out deeper investigations into serious breaches of health and safety rules. “People and businesses under investigation can expect greater intrusion into their affairs,” he said. “This makes it even more important that all businesses and employees fully understand their responsibilities and abide by the rules.

“Anyone looking for advice on how the Act will affect their business and employees is very welcome to contact us at on 01494 525941 to discuss the issues with one of our business law specialists” he continued. “We’d be delighted to help you get to grips with this very important piece of legislation that every business simply has to address.