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Dying for a job: Avoiding the Blame for Work-Based Fatalities

With close to one fatal accident at work in the UK per day, you'd think there were severe penalties in store for any guilty firm . But, in fact, very few company directors are ever punished, leading many observers to conclude that the law is 'rigged' in favour of big business. In this 'Argument', we look at the background to the 'Corporate Killing' debate, analysing the scale of the problem and seeing what can be done to tackle one of the ugly but often 'hidden' aspects of work.

Live to Work

Work to Live

	Hold the door for me, could you?
			Yeah sure. What've you been up to then?
	Tripped down the stairs on my way out yesterday. Sprained my ankle!
			Typical of you. Last in, first out - that's your motto.
	You could show a bit more sympathy. Push that chair over for us, my leg's killing me!
			Tell you what, it's lucky you work in a Call Centre, mate, and not on the Building Site like I used to. You'd soon see some gruesome injuries there.
	Is that the worst job to be in for accidents?

Analysis of industries with the highest rate of employee fatal injury.

	Blimey! Couldn't see Call Centres anywhere on that list. You wouldn't want to be a builder who's always down the tip, would you?
			Wise words indeed!
	Trouble with figures like those is they're hard to understand. I mean, what does rate of fatalities per 100 000 employees mean?
			It means you can compare like-with-like. Say 100 people die in accidents at waste plants, and 10,000 people work in these organisations in the UK, then that's a rate of 1000 deaths per 100,000 workers, isn't it?
	Umm, s'pose so.
			OK, stay with it... Now say 10 people die in accidents at building sites, but 1,000,000 people work in construction, that's a rate of 1 per 100,000, OK?
	I'll go away and study the figures later!

More Data on Fatal Injury at Work.

	That's a pretty high number isn't it? Getting on for one fatal injury per day.
			Yeah, wonder what we do to remember the unlucky ones and their families?

Workers' Memorial Day

	Sounds like the best thing would be to do something about holding someone responsible.
			Too right! If they thought their futures were uncertain, then maybe they'd take more care of their workers.
	Can't the people to blame be prosecuted?

The Offence of Manslaughter

	So these big businesses protect themselves against getting held responsible for these accidents?
			They don't need to! The law does it for them.
	How d'you mean?

How are Companies and Directors Protected by the Law?

	You're now going to tell me that the Government's done nothing about the issue, aren't you?
			Errr, not quite. Let's say the wheels seem to be turning.

A Change for the Better?

	Not a day too soon, by the sounds of it. Any other flies in the ointment?
			You guessed it!

HSE Spending Cuts

	What, if any, is the silver lining in this huge cloud?
			Probably the international comparison between us and the rest of the world?

The international comparison

	Hang on a sec, that's hardly fair on the less well-off countries is it?
			How do you mean?
	Well, isn't the economy different in poorer EU states like Spain and Portugal?
			Yes, I suppose they have a lot of tourism from northern Europeans.
	I didn't mean that.

Do Differences in Economic Structure Affect Fatal Accident Rates?

	Any ideas where I can go to complain about my leg?
			I'd report it first before taking it any further and approaching the Health and Safety Executive!

Where Can I Get More Information?