UK Health and Safety Executive cost recovery scheme delayed

3 April 2012


The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) did not implement its new cost recovery scheme at the start of April as planned.

HSE programme director Gordon MacDonald said, “The Government has agreed that it is right that those who break the law should pay their fair share of the costs to put things right - and not the public purse. It intends to proceed with the FFI scheme as recommended to ministers by HSE’s Board in December 2011 in response to the formal consultation that took place last Summer “Discussions are still taking place on the technical details of the scheme, which we expect to conclude soon. Therefore, FFI will not be introduced in April but at the next available opportunity, which is likely to be October 2012.” The scheme, ‘Fee for Intervention’ will see costs for HSE operations covered by companies that break health and safety laws. Compliant companies will not be charged. Detailed guidance will be published on the HSE website. A HSE spokesman said the organisation would “take advantage of the extra time to work further with businesses to improve their understanding of the scheme and how it will affect them.”