Company directors are leaving themselves open to prosecution and imprisonment by ignoring guidelines on the health and safety of their employees, an employment law specialist has warned.
Tony Hall, the managing director of West Yorkshire-based LPMS said: "Too many companies put the lives and careers of their employees at risk when simple and cost-effective solutions are readily available, provided by highly qualified consultants."
LPMS (Legal Personnel and Management Services) has revealed that fatalities among Britain's workers jumped by 34% in 2000/2001.
The health, safety and employment consultancy said the number of deaths rose by 75 to 295.
The sector with the most deaths was construction, where 106 people died (up from 81).
Hall said: "The government and the courts will be `taking no prisoners' when the punishments are handed out to offenders."
