These examples taken from the British press demonstrate why complying with health and safety legislation is important, and as to why some of these assessments are a legal requirement.
COSHH
Failure to provide the correct PPE to a worker which resulted in a plumbers' PPE being dissolved by acid results in a fine of £5,000 plus £2,965 costs. (Trafford)
Falling objects
A 15-metre steel girder fell and narrowly missed a worker resulted in an £8,000 fine plus £7,529 costs. The company ignored their legal requirements under the lifting operations to properly plan and conduct the procedure. (Newcastle)
Asbestos
Retail giant fined £36,000 for allowing workers to be exposed to asbestos. (Liverpool)
Legionella
Leisure company fined £120,000 after pleading guilty for failure to control bacteria in its water systems that resulted in the death of a guest who contracted Legionnaires' disease. (Dundee)
Fall from height
‘Fundamentally unsafe’ work at height and failure to risk assess the procedures results in a fine of £20,000 plus £4,765 costs and £5,000 compensation to the injured worker. (Skegness)
Confined space
A Buckinghamshire construction company fined £5,000 after a worker died when a trench he was working in collapsed. The worker died, and the fine was reduced due to the financial position of the company. (Aylesbury)