Bosses Must Be Taken To Court Over Deaths Of Workers
A woman whose son was killed in an explosion at work is stepping up her campaign to have bosses prosecuted over deaths.
Mark Wright, 37, died after a blast caused a fire at a scrap metal dealers last April.
Mark Wright, 37, died after a blast caused a fire at a scrap metal dealers last April.
His mother Dorothy Wright, from Largs, has called for the law to be changed to allow individual directors to face charges when a worker dies.
Mrs Wright has been gathering support for her petition which she will send to UK Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson.
She has spent days in shopping centres gathering signatures in Largs and in Chester where her son died.
Now, to reach a wider audience, she has put the petition on the internet hoping for nationwide support to put extra pressure on government ministers.
Mrs Wright said "My petition is seeking an amendment to the bill being discussed at Westminster, which as it stands is very weak to say the least."
"I am asking the bill be amended to read that employers be held legally responsible for Health and Safety and directors and senior managers be held individually criminally responsible if an employee dies through gross negligence."
"I have written to Tony Blair on three occasions since August and I got the reply that the minister for DTI will investigate and respond."
"It is now January 2006 and I have had no response."
The grieving mum is disappointed the bill being considered at Westminster stops short of placing responsibility on individuals.
The Scottish Executive has set up an expert group to consider what, if any, changes should
be made north of the border and Mrs Wright hopes they will take a tougher line than the UK Government.
She added: "The only way anything will change in these places is if bosses know they could personally face charges if a worker dies when all they are trying to do is earn a living."
Mark was a HGV driver with Deeside Metal Company in Chester. On the day he died Mrs Wright said he was the only employee in the building and was operating a machine crushing aerosol containers.
He died after he was trapped inside when a fire broke out following an explosion.
Mrs Wright and her husband Douglas have spent the last nine months travelling between Largs and Chester to support their son's widow and his children, while increasing their campaigning efforts to have the law changed.
Latest figures show that in 2004 there were 33 deaths at work in Scotland, including nine people in the Stockline/ICL Plastics explosion in Maryhill.
Mrs Wright's petition can be found at http://www.petitionthem.com/
Publication date 09/01/06
Mrs Wright has been gathering support for her petition which she will send to UK Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson.
She has spent days in shopping centres gathering signatures in Largs and in Chester where her son died.
Now, to reach a wider audience, she has put the petition on the internet hoping for nationwide support to put extra pressure on government ministers.
Mrs Wright said "My petition is seeking an amendment to the bill being discussed at Westminster, which as it stands is very weak to say the least."
"I am asking the bill be amended to read that employers be held legally responsible for Health and Safety and directors and senior managers be held individually criminally responsible if an employee dies through gross negligence."
"I have written to Tony Blair on three occasions since August and I got the reply that the minister for DTI will investigate and respond."
"It is now January 2006 and I have had no response."
The grieving mum is disappointed the bill being considered at Westminster stops short of placing responsibility on individuals.
The Scottish Executive has set up an expert group to consider what, if any, changes should
be made north of the border and Mrs Wright hopes they will take a tougher line than the UK Government.
She added: "The only way anything will change in these places is if bosses know they could personally face charges if a worker dies when all they are trying to do is earn a living."
Mark was a HGV driver with Deeside Metal Company in Chester. On the day he died Mrs Wright said he was the only employee in the building and was operating a machine crushing aerosol containers.
He died after he was trapped inside when a fire broke out following an explosion.
Mrs Wright and her husband Douglas have spent the last nine months travelling between Largs and Chester to support their son's widow and his children, while increasing their campaigning efforts to have the law changed.
Latest figures show that in 2004 there were 33 deaths at work in Scotland, including nine people in the Stockline/ICL Plastics explosion in Maryhill.
Mrs Wright's petition can be found at http://www.petitionthem.com/
Publication date 09/01/06
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