ENFORCEMENT ACTION FALLS IN 2020/21

The latest figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show a fall in the number of prosecutions and notices issued for breaches of health and safety regulations in 2020/21.

In the latest year, 185 cases prosecuted by the HSE (or referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for prosecution in Scotland) resulted in a conviction for at least one offence. This compares with 325 cases in the previous year.

While there has been a downward trend in prosecutions in recent years, the latest figures show a marked reduction and it is likely that this is, at least in part, a result of disruption to the court system during the Coronavirus pandemic.

While the total number of prosecutions has fallen and similarly the total amount awarded in fines (from £34.9m to £26.9m in 2020/21) has also fallen, the average fine per case has risen from £107,000 to £145,000.

The total number of enforcement notices issued by the HSE has also fallen from 6,920 in 2019/20 to 2,929 in the latest year. Again these figures are likely to have been affected by COVID-19.

The latest enforcement statistics can be downloaded from the HSE’s website at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/enforcement.htm

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