Overview

Our health and safety lawyers understand that our clients need a focused and effective response to health and safety law issues and regulatory and manslaughter investigations, often in urgent circumstances. We combine key sector insight and legal expertise, working closely with our energy, construction, transport, real estate and environment teams to deliver the right solutions to our clients.

We assist clients investigated by the police, safety regulators (including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and Maritime and Coastal Agency (MCA)), local authorities and fire and rescue service authorities.

We have the depth of experience and the resources required to provide immediate assistance following an incident. With increasing financial exposure for organisations convicted of health and safety breaches, having the right advice from the outset can be critical.

Our health and safety lawyers have proven expertise in UK and EU safety frameworks, advising on investigations; improvement and prohibition notices; prosecutions including corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter; and related civil claims.

Our health and safety lawyers represent clients at inquests and inquiries to protect their interests, often in high profile cases requiring a sensitive approach.

Our clients include leading listed and international companies operating in the UK, land and property owners, energy providers and high-hazard and COMAH industries.

The health and safety team forms part of our wider group advising on business crime matters, including our fraud and white collar crime, environment and tax specialists.

Areas of focus

Our health and safety law expertise includes the following:

  • Regulatory action and investigations.
  • Incident and emergency response.
  • Inquests and inquiries.
  • Compliance, policy and governance.
Experience

Health and Safety Cases

Defending a power station developer following a serious construction incident.

Advising a processing plant in an investigation by the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

Responding to an urgent request for independent employee advice and representation at interviews following a multiple fatality. This included representation of an employee arrested for gross negligence manslaughter.

Advising a major transport company after an employee had been arrested for gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a customer.

Advising a train operator on the response to ORR investigation following fatality of a sub-contractor.

Advising a construction client on the response following a serious injury to a sub-contractor on the Crossrail project.

Defending a fertiliser company following a fatal incident at one of its sites.

Advising a high tech/research company during an investigation and prosecution following an explosion in its research facility.

Advising a food distribution company prosecuted for a failure to comply with an improvement notice.

Advising a major chemicals company on a range of investigations and prosecutions following incidents involving a failure of a permit to work scheme, storage of materials and employee compliance issues.

Inquests and Inquiries

Acting for the train operating companies at the inquests which followed the derailments at Potters Bar and Grayrigg.

Representation of a contractor that provides custody services to the police at a number of inquests, following deaths in police custody. These have involved a large number of witnesses and have been between three and twenty days in duration.

The Redfern Inquiry was a government sponsored inquiry into the analysis of human tissue taken from individuals who had worked in the nuclear industry. We provided detailed written submissions and representation at the inquiry hearings for the government body that was engaged in this research.

Meet the team
Ann Metherall

Ann Metherall Partner

  • Head of Dispute Resolution
  • Head of Health and Safety
  • Transport
Chris Jackson

Chris Jackson Partner

  • Infrastructure
  • Procurement and State Aid
  • Transport
Guy Bastable Corporate Image

Guy Bastable Partner

  • Corporate Crime & Regulatory Investigations
  • Dispute Resolution & Crisis Management
  • Internal Investigations & Corporate/Director Liability
 

What others say...

A first-class team with strength and depth in all areas. Immense experience, combined with hard work and excellent judgment make them a difficult team to beat.

Legal 500 2024

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