News

A new Freedom of Information (FOI) request has discovered that health and safety violations cost British employers over £44 million per year. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that serious breaches have resulted in an increasing number of prosecutions between 2023 and 2025.

The figures show that between 2021 and 2025, the average annual fines to businesses averaged £44.1 million a year, with 2025 showing a slight decline to £40.9 million. In contrast, the number of serious breaches resulting in prosecution charges increased over the last three years, rising from 428 in 2023 to 446 in 2024 and 496 in 2025.

These numbers are expected to increase in 2026. Prosecution charges are brought against companies, owners and directors when an investigation is in the public interest and reveals a serious breach of regulations.

The FOI request came from Breathe HR, experts in human resource management and compliance supporting Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). It warns that as costs continue to rise for small businesses, a health and safety violation could financially cripple a company.

Construction firms accounted for 38% of prosecution charges last year, the largest sector.

Phil Coxon, Managing Director at Breathe HR, said, “Reviewing health and safety policies and risks might not be the most glamorous task on employers’ to-do lists’, but our research shows it’s not something leaders can afford to overlook." 

Good health and safety policy

His company recommends several general steps that businesses should take to remain compliant.

• Create a health and safety policy, review it regularly and store it somewhere safe and easily accessible for employees.
• Appoint one clear 'competent person' responsible for health and safety overall. Ensure there’s clear day-to-day responsibility at each site or location.
• Complete suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all workplaces, sites and activities. Review them regularly. 
• Be ready to show evidence of what you’ve done for audits, insurers or client requests. Keep accurate and contemporaneous records, including tracking incidents.
• Make sure employees know and understand the company's policy on health and safety. Display a health and safety law poster at each working location.
• Carry out regular risk assessments and put controls in place to address hazards. 
• As well as a well-thought-out first aid policy, be aware of employees' well-being. Employers have a duty of care and must do everything they reasonably can to support health and wellbeing.

Other recommendations for specific risk can be found on the Breathe HR website. https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/resources/health-and-safety-basics-a-checklist-for-smes