Senior Labour backbenchers and former ministers are backing a private member's bill which would see company directors held to account for negligent health and safety practices that cause injuries or fatalities.

  The support comes as backing for Jarrow MP Stephen Hepburn - who came third in this session's private members ballot - who will now champion a Health and Safety (Directors Duties) Bill, which seeks to introduce positive health and safety obligations on company directors. Campaigners - including unions TGWU and UCATT who are backing the Bill (Risks 185) - believe that such a positive duty is the only way to reduce the workplace death and accident toll (Risks 183). The unions say the bill has cross-party support including backing from former ministers Nick Brown, Frank Dobson, Ross Cranston QC and Michael Meacher as well as Tory MP Tony Baldry and Lib Dem MP Dr Jenny Tonge. Tony Woodley, TGWU general secretary, said: 'Giving directors’ health and safety responsibility will not only make prosecution easier but actually play a role in preventing the causes of death and major injury.' Alan Ritchie, UCATT general secretary, said 'this bill will bring about an overnight change of culture in workplace health and safety, not only in construction but right across all industrial sectors.' Campaigners say that the current system, based solely on fines, is failing victims.

The Bill in pdf format.