Skip to main content

Industrial Accidents

Volume 494: debated on Monday 15 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions since 1999 court proceedings as a consequence of a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive relating to a work-related death were not concluded within (a) five and (b) three years following the incident. (278658)

The Health and Safety Executive have taken and concluded 836 prosecutions as a result of 665 work-related deaths that occurred between 1 April 1999 and 31 March 2008.

635 prosecutions were concluded within three years of the incident date of the work-related death.

176 prosecutions were not concluded within three years of the incident date of the work-related death.

25 prosecutions were not concluded within five years of the incident date of the work-related death.

A further 78 prosecutions following work-related deaths were taken and concluded in the period from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2008, but these prosecution records do not identify the dates of the fatal incidents concerned. The time taken to complete these prosecutions can therefore not be readily determined.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work-related deaths since 1999 have resulted in prosecutions by the Health and Safety Executive. (278659)

The Health and Safety Executive have taken prosecutions as a result of 665 work-related deaths that occurred between 1 April 1999 and 31 March 2008.

The above number of deaths, which have resulted in a prosecution, is likely to increase because investigation and enforcement activity on some more recent deaths has not yet concluded.

A further 78 prosecutions following work related deaths were taken and concluded in the period from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2008, but these prosecution records do not identify the dates of the fatal incidents concerned. Some of these may therefore have occurred before the 1 April 1999.