There must be similar competing organisations making an effort (and spending otherwise potential profits) to do the job properly. They must be thinking I might as well cut corners, risk peoples lives and bank all that extra money because there is no real deterrent. Clearly it no longer pays to obey the law.

Although prison option exists for many such offences, it is blunt tool. Furthermore it costs the tax payer money (£5000 per day) to keep someone inside. I think that more could be done as Steve suggested in naming and shaming employers and in banning directors.

Ray, I agree. I've also noticed the Environmental agency don't see to have a problem making penalies fit the crimes.

Fines are going up. In recent cases the courts are now more or less sticking to the guidance that if a person is killed as result of a H&S breach the standard fine should be at least £100 000. Not so long ago( less than 10 years) a local council employee was killed at work , the council pleaded guilty but the magistrates felt that fine that they could impose was not high enough and the case was referred tot the Crown Court for sentencing. The judge imposed a paltry £20 000, the same as the magistrate could impose; it was almost as if he felt that a H&S case was beneath him and the court. That said these sums are tiny compared to the penalties imposes in financial irregularity cases. Note that these are administrative fines without the involvement of the courts. In effect what happens is that the regulator meets up with the company in trouble and they say “We know you have been naughty but to prove this in court would cost us millions (taking into account the armies of lawyers you would deploy) so we will agree to an administrative penalty instead.”