Companies found guilty of corporate manslaughter should be sentenced to far-reaching improvement orders, substantial fines and suspension of board members, says the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

In its recent response to the Sentencing Advisory Council consultation on the sentencing for corporate manslaughter and homicide, IOSH has suggested wide-ranging remedial orders, including: compulsory training or retraining of directors and senior managers in occupational safety and health; introducing behavioural safety programme; the use of third-party audits and access to competent health and safety advice; and, if necessary, the suspension of all or part of a board or governing body of a convicted organisation.

Ray Hurst, president of IOSH, says: "Poor practices and behaviour patterns may have developed over several years and long-term commitment is required to bring about a reversal in this.

"Some fairly radical measures may be needed, for example, where there have been extreme cases of collective senior management failure, the courts may consider it’s in the best interest of public and employee health and safety for all or part of the Board to be suspended."

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