The implementation of new laws regarding murder and manslaughter in the workplace has not been prepared for by over 50 per cent of UK businesses, personneltoday.com reports.
Research from Croner has revealed that 51.4 per cent of employers are unprepared for the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, while 47.9 per cent do not believe it is relevant to their business.
The act is expected to be implemented later this year and will make it easier to prosecute companies and charge them with large fines for work-related deaths and injuries.
Croner field operations manager Stuart Mutch commented: "The complexity of current law has allowed companies with severe safety management failures to escape prosecution in manslaughter cases.
"In light of the new proposals, organisations that are not meeting current health and safety standards need to start reviewing structures and policies now, rather than later."
Companies can currently only be prosecuted for charges of manslaughter if there are identifiable management failures, but the new proposals aim to extend the prosecutions to include a work-related death or injury.
The predicted date for the introduction of the act is July 21st 2007.
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