Speeding & Parking fines

[Palfrem]

Speeding & Parking fines vs a fine for a fatality at work

Next time you get fined £60 for a speeding outrage - bear this in mind

Construction firm fined £1 for fall-from-height fatality | shp

Sometimes words fail me.

 

[Mr E]

"The judge said the fines had to take into account the companies' current financial means. The court had been told that any significant fine imposed on the Glenmill Group would cause it to go out of business."

I agree, it does seem particularly inappropriate, but the scaffolding company was fined £25k. Both companies also paid costs.

Neither of the companies concerned had a poor safety record, and both co-operated fully with the authorities. In the scheme of things all a massive fine does is put a company out of business which achieves nothing.

There do seem to be lots of "unbalance" in the justice system - consider the sentences given to those who have killed whilst driving, becasue they never seem fair either.

 

[Bellow]

Howorth Scaffolding was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £13,793 in costs.
Hardly £1, is it?

Of course, the Glenmill employees could have been made to pay with their livelihoods. What kind of justice would that have been?

 

[NormanC]

When you fine a company the only people likely to be harmed are the employees. Wouldn't it be better, in these sort of circumstances, to fine the directors?

 

[Palfrem]

Fining the Directors is what the Corporate Manslaughter Act was all about - it has yet to be used though.

 

[crockers]

Thought that they needed employers / employees liability insurances.

 

[johnsco]

Employer's third-party liability insurance compensates those who suffer loss caused by negligence on the part on the company or its agents.
It is not there to excuse the wrongs of those who have been negligent.
They may be punished separately by criminal prosecution.

A bit like a road traffic accident.
Your insurance pays out to anyone who suffers loss as a result of your negligence.
Quite separately from that, you may be prosecuted and fined if you are found to have been driving without due care and attention.

It's funny how some laws get used such a lot - Even when no one suffers injury or loss.
Other laws, like the corporate manslaughter act, appear to get very few outings !!

 

[Benzowner]

What you need to bear in mind is that the fine was imposed purley for bad scaffolding. The unfortunate death of the employer would be covered by employers liability insurance, which can be up to £10m and all companies must have.