Jul 4, 2012

Fees For Intervention

HSE set start date for £124 per hour Intervention costs.



After a postponement in April 2012 The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today confirmed that its cost recovery scheme, Fee for Intervention (FFI), will start on 1 October 2012 subject to Parliamentary approval. 

 

New, detailed guidance (link below article) has been published on HSE's website setting out how the scheme will work in practice. Developed in consultation with representatives from industry, it explains how FFI works and includes examples illustrating how it would be applied.

FFI recovers costs from those who break health and safety laws for the time and effort HSE spends helping to put matters right such as, investigating and taking enforcement action.

In summary the system will work on the basis that a material breach has occurred and the HSE Inspector needs to take some action either a simple letter, Improvement/Prohibition notices or prosecution.

 

What is Material Breach? 

A material breach is, when in the opinion of the HSE inspector, there has been a contravention of health and safety law that is serious enough to require them to notify the person in material breach of that opinion in writing.

HSE and the government believe it is right that businesses and organisations that break health and safety laws should pay for HSE’s time in putting matters right, investigating and taking enforcement action. Without FFI, this is paid for from the public purse.

The proposed Fee for Intervention hourly rate for 2012/13 is £124. 

FFI will also encourage businesses and organisations to comply in the first place or put matters right quickly when they don't. It will also discourage those who undercut their competitors by not complying with the law and putting people at risk

HSE guidance article:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/fee-for-intervention/index.htm