This page of ASG Services warehouse safety website is designed to highlight the general area that is the “Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide act 2007”.

Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 an offence will be committed where failings by an organisations senior management are a substantial element in any gross breach of its duty of care owed to the organisation’s employees or members of the public, which results in death.  The maximum penalty is an unlimited fine and a court can additionally make a publicity order requiring the organisation to publish details of its conviction and fine.

There are no new duties or obligations under the Act, nor is the new offence part of safety law.  It is, however, specifically linked to existing health and safety requirements.  Companies need to keep their health and safety management systems under review, in particular, the way in which their activities are managed or organised by senior management.

The offence is concerned with corporate liability and does not apply to directors or other individuals who have a senior role in the company or organisation.  This is still covered by existing safety offences and gross negligence manslaughter that apply directly to individuals.

The Act came into force on the 6th April 2008 and will only apply to deaths that occur from that date.

Companies should follow a 4 point agenda as detailed in the IOD document “Leading Health and Safety at work”.  The 4 points are the same as any quality management system and are:

1. Plan
2. Deliver
3. Monitor
4. Review

To assist in planning your company’s policy contact us, ASG Services have partnered leading organisations who can advice and conduct the relevant evaluations required for this initial stage.

Delivering the plan is where ASG Services warehouse safety division provides real benefit and added value.  We provide, manage and install, communication tools, visual aids, safety products and segregation products to form all or part of your warehouse safety package.  We do this for all types of warehouse and distribution facilities across the UK.

In monitoring and reviewing your implementation, those organisations used in the planning phase can be utilised again, and can either provide guidance and even provide the structure required for this important stage.  The review should always highlight new potential issues to be evaluated and addressed.