WhyNOT? A Wisdom Shot: BONUS. Alan explains that work health and safety law penalties are deterrants. Often, executives and officers are not intentional criminals, and yet criminal law applies to breaches of workplace health and safety obligations. Alan elaborates, "It's extremely rare that an employer has wanted an employee to be injured or consciously thought about causing injury, but the penalties serve as deterrants and are thought to improve workplace practices across industry." For more on this topic, listen to: S05 E08: Smooth criminal: The sociology of industrial crime.