Health & Safety fines – update from recent case law and consideration of the impact of the new sentencing guidelines

The new sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences came into force on 1 February 2016.  In advance, two £1 million fines were handed down to Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Limited and National Grid Gas for separate offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSAWA).  James Vernon and Richard Morgan summarises the facts in each case and considers what difference, if any, the new sentencing guidelines would have had on these fines.

To read the full article, please click on the link below.