Bill calls for safety duties on directors
A Labour MP is pressing for a new law to place legally binding,
explicit safety duties on company directors. Aberdeen North MP
Frank Doran presented his Health and Safety (Company Director
Liability) Bill in a House of Commons debate on 19 January.
Commenting on the existing voluntary code, produced by the
Institute of Directors, he told MPs: 'Despite the enthusiastic
reception of the code by business organisations, the majority of
companies have not implemented its recommendations.' He added: 'The
voluntary approach is not working, so more encouragement is needed
to persuade employers to take health and safety much more
seriously. Further research commissioned by the HSE shows how
important legal regulation is in comparison with the voluntary
approach.' The MP said his Bill 'will place a positive duty on all
company directors to take all reasonable steps to ensure health and
safety in all aspects of the company's activities - effectively to
put them in the same position as all other employers and to remove
a glaring anomaly in our health and safety laws. The evidence
clearly shows that this will save the lives and livelihoods of
people across the UK.' The Bill is scheduled to receive a second
reading on Friday 23 April. The TUC, trade unions, personal injury
lawyers, health and safety campaigners and victims' advocates have
all called for explicit legal safety duties on company
directors.
