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Safety Breach Fines up 89% for Construction Companies

Construction health and safety fines have rocketed by 89 per cent after the introduction of the Health and Safety Executive's prosecution guideline, data shared exclusively with Construction News has shown.

The total value of fines imposed in the construction sector increased to £5.3m in the six months following the introduction of the guideline on 1 February 2016, compared with £2.8m for the same period in 2015, research by global law firm Clyde & Co revealed.

The largest construction fine during this period was against Balfour Beatty, which was ordered to pay £2.6m after a worker died in a fatal trench collapse on an offshore wind farm in Lancashire.

Fines can exceed £20m for the very worst cases involving corporate manslaughter, and potentially even more for the largest companies.

The biggest fine issued overall by the HSE since the guideline was introduced was £5m for Merlin Attractions Operations, following the Smiler crash at Alton Towers.

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