Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Citation
  
2008 c 20

Commencement
  
16 January 2009

Royal assent
  
16 October 2008

Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008

Long title
  
An Act to revise the mode of trial and maximum penalties applicable to certain offences relating to health and safety.

Introduced by
  
Keith Hill, Lord Grocott

The Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008 (c 20) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Contents

According to the explanatory notes to the Act, the precursors of this Act were:

  • A joint review of the maximum penalties for health and safety offences carried out between February and September 1999 by the Home Office, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and the Health and Safety Executive;
  • The report Reducing administrative burdens: effective inspection and enforcement by Philip Hampton;
  • The report Regulating Justice: Making Sanctions Effective by Richard B Macrory.
  • Section 1 - Health and safety offences: mode of trial and maximum penalty

    Section 1(1) substituted new sections 33(2) and (3) for the existing sections 33(1A) to (4) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

    Section 1(2), with Schedule 1, inserted Schedule 3A of that Act.

    Section 1(3) substituted new paragraphs 31(2) and (3) for the existing paragraphs 31(1A) to (5) of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 (S.I. 1978/1039 (N.I. 9))

    Section 1(4), with Schedule 2, inserted Schedule 3A of that Order.

    Section 2 - Consequential amendments and repeals

    Section 2(1) provides that Schedules 3 and 4 have effect.

    Section 3 - Short title, commencement and extent

    Section 3(2) provides that the Act came into force at the end of the period of three months that began on the date on which it was passed. The word "months" means calendar months. The day (that is to say, 16 October 2008) on which the Act was passed (that is to say, received royal assent) is included in the period of three months. This means that the Act came into force on 16 January 2009.

    Section 3(3) provides that the Act does not apply to offences committed before that date.

    References

    Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008 Wikipedia