Posted By Raymond Rapp A number of high profile recruitment firms have been given huge fines by the OFT for price fixing construction labour. The biggest individual fine was £30.4 million, which is twice the amount for the largest ever fine for a health and safety offence (Transco, Scotland) following the death of a family of four in a gas explosion. Bearing in mind the recent scandal where a construction blacklist was revealed and the maximum fine under the Data Protection Act is a meagre £5,000. I think we have got our priorities seriously confused. Law courts please take note. http://www.cnplus.co.uk/...g-cartel/5208782.article Ray

Posted By Jay Joshi The major difference is that health and safety fines do not cater for what is equivalent of "punitive damages" that other commercial/financial fines do--such as anti-competitive behaviour and corruption

Posted By Pete Chidwick Ray the good news is that one of the companies involved is owned by 'Dragon' James Caan - if that doesn't get some publicity.......... http://uk.news.yahoo.com...rs-fined-40-45dbed5.html Pete

Posted By Raymond Rapp Kieran My comment re 'Law courts please take note' was a general comment. I understand the courts are restricted with the penalties they can mete out, but in many cases they do not come close to the maximum penalty. It is no good having laws and guidance if the judges do not apply it in a meaningful and punitive way. It appears to me that as a rule h&s offences are considered as minor offences by the judiciary. The rare exception is when there is a fatality. However, most of these are one-offs and therefore the company and individuals do not get the benefit of corrective punishment. It can also be seen from other jurisdictions such as financial, business and even environmental, that the fines are significantly higher for these offences than for h&s failures. Furthermore, in recent times many large organisations and their complicit directors have not been properly penalised for safety failures. In the main this is due to a woeful common law (corporate) manslaughter law. It remains to be seen if the new CM&CH Act will fill the void, but I have my doubts. Ray

Posted By Kieran J Duignan Australia is a country where much, much, much higher H & S penalties on individuals as well as organisations are associated with tougher policing in health and safety. This may not be due to direct cause-and-effect but through systemic interactions between higher expectations, lively interest in education and training and professional institutes in safety and ergonomics thrusting to raise the bar through accreditation. In the UK (and the Republic of Ireland), canny solicitors look for discrimination grounds to progress a claim associated with safety, as the level of redress is significantly higher.