Beefed up punishments for so-called "corporate manslaughter" would not be aimed at individual directors, Government ministers said on Wednesday.

Just a day after Justice Minister Amy Adams signalled plans to insert provisions in health and safety law to address the concerns of those who lost loved ones to the actions of corporates, it is now apparent it will only involve tougher penalties.

The term "corporate manslaughter" would not be used in the new law, if it went ahead.

Adams said it would be aimed at corporates, not their board members.

"I've made it clear my expectation is that it's liability for the corporation not for individual directors," she said.

And she would not argue for health and safety requirements on business to flow through to directors.

It was not appropriate to make the move within the Crimes Act's homicide framework, "but clearly corporations do need to have avenues to be held accountable when people die. The appropriate place for that is in the health and safety legislation".

The offence was recommended by the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety in 2013, which recommended the current criminal manslaughter offence be extended to corporations,

Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse, who is in charge of the health and safety reforms currently before Parliament, said there was already sanctions in the law, including punishments of up to $600,000 and five years in jail for those who failed to take practical steps.

But he was prepared to see if sanctions could be beefed up. He would consider whether there should be a specific offence of causing death.

Prime Minister John Key said moves to make directors liable under a "corporate manslaughter" regime had not been successful in the United Kingdom.

Tougher measures against corporates have been under consideration since the Pike River mine tragedy, and Labour leader Andrew Little has been a strong supporter.

On Tuesday, Woodhouse had said: "There's already a strong sanctions regime, but I'm certainly open to having a look at the suggestion around corporate manslaughter."