New gadget may stop you losing your deputy head

COMPANIES ARE RUSHING to cash in on corporate manslaughter.

In yet another case of 'political correctness gone mad', the government is going to punish bosses who condemn their workers to an early grave.

But, have these health and safety fanatics got a hidden agenda?

From April next year, if you send a miner, track maintenance man or a social worker to their deaths, you could face more than the usual slap on the wrist from the judiciary.

Deputy heads could roll.

So when the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act comes into effect next April, personal safety and security vendors could enjoy a boom as thousands of employers are forced to consider their employees’ safety.

Laudable as it is to protect staff, The INQUIRER detects a possible fly in the ointment.

Take for example, the security gadget offered by Romtrac, the Romad, which uses proprietary mobile GPS and location-based technology.

If, say, a rowdy bus passenger turns violent, you can speed dial emergency contacts – and bring guards from Group 4 Security skidding to your rescue. (Hey, no laughing, this is a serious briefing).

You can even record the sound of your abuser, should you wish to provide evidence for the courts.

But, as ever with the health and safety crowd, there seems to be a hidden agenda.

"It's a great way of protecting people," says Romtrac director Michael Carrington, "and it's a great way of keeping tabs on your workforce. You’ll know when your staff are at work."

Are these health and safety measures just another way of snooping on staff and removing our personal liberties?

If Hitler had invaded Poland for health and safety reasons, no-one would have dared say anything. µ

L'Inq

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