Our highly experienced health and safety lawyers regularly advise businesses, directors and senior managers on the full range of issues which arise from the increasingly complex and demanding environment created by the health and safety legislation and those who regulate it.
We understand the legal and the regulatory and enforcement framework, and pride ourselves on making sure we understand your business, its legal needs and its priorities, whether it is pro-active non-contentious compliance advice which is required, or reactive defensive support and representation.
How we can help
We have extensive experience dealing with and understanding the regulators including the Police, the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities, or those less frequently encountered, such as the Fire Authority, Care Quality Commission or Maritime and Coastguard Agency. We also act for individuals who may find themselves the subject of a serious health and safety (or gross negligence manslaughter) investigation or prosecution.
Aside from routine health and safety issues, our health and safety lawyers have regularly dealt with:
- asbestos
- control of major accident hazards (COMAH)
- control of substances hazardous to health
- explosive atmospheres
- falls from height
- fire safety
- legionella
- lifting operations and lifting equipment
- reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations (RIDDOR)
Pro-active
Every business and its directors are subject to statutory duties to ensure that workers and others who may be impacted by their business activities are protected from risks to health, safety and welfare (including stress and mental health). Therefore, investment in health and safety in a measured and educated way on a preventative basis pays dividends for all businesses.
We can help and support you with:
- advice on health and safety legislation/guidance
- advice on powers of the regulators
- advice on criminal liability of organisations and individuals
- advice on safety management systems
- corporate due diligence and “fit for sale” assessments
- general compliance advice
- advice on the impact of products on health and safety
- governance reviews and gap analysis
- health and safety compliance reviews and assessments
- putting you in touch with the right non-lawyer expert consultants and terms of appointment
- specialist areas subject to distinct duties, such as COMAH
- training – including board and management training
Reactive services
Failures to discharge statutory duties can result in business interrupting statutory enforcement notices, long running and intrusive criminal investigations, criminal prosecution, and significant fines (or for individuals’ custodial sentences), together with potential for loss of management time and productivity, impact on morale, adverse media attention and reputational damage. In addition, such failures can give rise to the public scrutiny of an inquest or, on occasion, a public inquiry.
We can help and support you with:
- a 24 hour a day response service putting you directly in touch with our specialist lawyers
- advice on and appeals against statutory notices (improvement and prohibition notices)
- emergency advice and crisis management in the immediate aftermath of a serious incident
- external investigations by the regulators, including the police
- inquests and public inquiries
- instruction of specialist experts and barristers
- internal investigations under legal privilege (including whistleblower complaints)
- interviews under caution
- prosecutions of health and safety or manslaughter/corporate manslaughter offences by the regulators or the CPS
Our Band 1 ranked (Legal 500 and Chambers) lawyers provide reassuring 24/7 legal support for you when you need it most.
