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Not much naming, less shaming
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commitment to name and shame dangerous firms is failing because of the watchdog's 'simply extraordinary' failure to publicise most convictions. A Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA) analysis found in 2007 HSE issued news releases after only 33 per cent of safety convictions, just 167 cases out of 502. Of the 84 convictions that involved a death, HSE only issued a news release following 45 cases, or 54 per cent of the total. David Bergman, CCA executive director, said: 'The failure of the HSE to publicise its convictions is simply extraordinary. HSE's level of convictions has declined 54 per cent since 1999 - convictions are increasingly rare. Yet the HSE fails to take the trouble to publicise even the convictions it has obtained.' He added: 'HSE repeatedly tries to justify its low level of prosecution by pointing to the time and money prosecution takes - yet the HSE seems to be wasting its money if it fails to ensure that each conviction is widely known in trade, regional and national media.' CCA has written to HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger asking him to take immediate steps to ensure that 'every conviction results in a press release unless there are very particular reasons why this should not happen.'
Briefing document (300 words) issued 25 Apr 2008
