There are all kinds of reasons why organisations choose to invest in Health, Safety and the Environment. Some are purely altruistic whilst others are only concerned with how the organisation can benefit itself.

One motivation that is common to every UK organisation is the need to comply with the requirements of the law. Whether you view the law as a help in caring for the welfare of your workforce and your environment or if you view it as unwelcome red tape, you have to comply or face the consequences.

One of the difficulties faced by most organisations is in understanding the law and interpreting its requirements as they apply to their own specific circumstances.

This is where the help and advice that EDP can bring is invaluable. Because we specialise in the areas of health, safety and environment, we make it our business to be up to date with all the latest requirements of the law. We also understand how the authorities are inclined to interpret and apply the rules.

As part of our service, we alert our customers to upcoming legal changes through our email newsletter, but we are only able to offer broad brush advice through this medium. Most organisations still need professional input to guide them through the most effective route to compliance.

It is for this reason that when we start working with an organisation, we like to undertake a Compliance Review. This is, in effect, a mini audit that identifies any areas where the organisation is failing to comply with their legal duties. We then recommend what needs to be done to "fill the gaps".

We are all aware of media stories in which organisations, with their advisors, go to extremes in trying to ensure they are complying fully with the law. These have led to no end of silly myths developing around health and safety.

At EDP we believe in adopting a common sense approach to health and safety that is fully in keeping with the view of the Health and Safety Executive and which helps our customers to stay on the right side of the law, without unnecessary bureaucracy.


Significant Penalties for Non-compliance

There is constant pressure on businesses to improve the safety of workers and others who are affected by their activities. Likewise, care for the environment has become a vital concern for everyone.

This push for continuous improvement is well illustrated by the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act after more than a decade of discussion.

The penalties for any organisation found guilty under the act are intended to be an effective deterrent. They include hefty fines – that are seldom expected to be below £500,000 – Remedial Orders and possibly Publicity Orders, whereby an organisation is obliged to make a public statement of their failure to safeguard their employees.

These penalties could be extremely damaging to any organisation and demonstrate why legal compliance must be high on the agenda of every company in the UK.