The Association of Local Authority Risk Managers (ALARM) has warned that public and private sector bosses could find themselves in court facing life imprisonment or unlimited fines under proposed changes to the law governing corporate manslaughter.
The current law has been found almost impossible to prove, despite the multiple deaths caused by rail crashes, fires and ferry disasters.
In fact, since 1994, only three cases have been successfully prosecuted.
Under fresh proposals contained in a Government Consultation Paper, new offences of Reckless Killing, Killing by Gross Carelessness and Corporate Killing with different levels of culpability could change the corporate landscape, says ALARM.
Risk management experts Adrian Bloor and Arthur Morris will explore the implications of these new moves at this year's ALARM conference at the Manchester UMIST Conference centre from 1 - 3 July.
Bloor, of Risk Management Partners, said: "More than 250 people died as a result of the Clapham, King's Cross and Herald of Free Enterprise disasters and no successful manslaughter prosecutions have been brought against any of these bodies. That has generated considerable public concern.
"The Labour Party has been examining changes to the present laws for some time and the government is now facing pressure from a number of action groups to introduce the proposed changes.
"Although both private and public sector organisations should sit up and take notice, I believe it will be the public sector, those responsible for delivering front line services like local authorities, who could well find themselves in the dock," he said.
