Answer to Question #209254 in Electrical Engineering for Vhb

Question

In task 3 you were asked to identify legislations and EU directives relating to environmental management. Explain the consequences of management not abiding by legislations and regulations when carrying out their roles and responsibilities.       

Answer 1

The first and most apparent effect is that the organization may be penalized for noncompliance. Fines for the most serious safety violations now frequently go into the hundreds of thousands of pounds. Non-compliance with legislation is an expensive exercise, especially when you have to pay not only your own legal fees but also those of the prosecution.

Individuals can be imprisoned for violating health and safety laws, with penalties ranging from six months in Magistrates' Courts to two years in Crown Courts. Even those who avoid incarceration will have to live with the stigma of a criminal conviction, which may limit their ability to work in certain industries or travel overseas.

Any organization that fails to comply with regulations risks losing its reputation and, as a result, losing consumers. Companies are increasingly scrutinizing potential business partners' safety records, and questions for data on any safety convictions have become common on bidding questionnaires. A criminal conviction may do more harm to an organization's reputation than the initial cash investment.

Would you think twice about applying for a job with a business that had been prosecuted under health and safety laws, or that had been found to have breached employment or human rights law? You would probably not want to work for a firm that had a bad track record in these areas, therefore your experience and knowledge would be lost to the organization.