Your challenges
Whatever the size or nature of your business or organisation, ensuring that you meet the requirements of health and safety legislation can be challenging. Increases in the penalties for some health and safety offences and the new statutory offence of corporate manslaughter mean that the consequences of non-compliance are now more serious than ever.
Achieving your ambitions
If you become involved in a criminal investigation you need an expert team to help you through the process. Our specialist team of health and safety lawyers can provide you with practical advice and support. We are experienced in all stages of health and safety investigations and prosecutions, from representing clients at PACE interviews to providing in-house advocacy at court. If there has been an accident or incident, we can also support you through the parallel processes such as coroners’ inquests and claims for damages.
Our team is able to assist with preventative work such as risk management and the drafting of compliance manuals.
The strength you need
The team has over 25 years’ experience of defending and advising clients facing investigations and prosecutions by the police, HSE and other regulatory bodies.
Our clients have included major and smaller businesses, institutions such as universities and NHS trusts, farming partnerships and individuals.
Our recent cases include:
- Advising many substantial businesses including a major regional construction company on their health and safety policies and practices
- Defending a food producing company following engineering and production line accidents (including a fatality)
- Acting for employers prosecuted under health and safety legislation arising from a fall from height including successful plea bargaining
- Advising a major film production company regarding an investigation by the police and the HSE following the occurrence of a fatal accident during filming
Lawyers you can trust
Legal 500 regards Mills & Reeve as a first tier firm for health and safety. The practice is described as “responsive, practical and client focussed and gives good, clear, robust advice on investigations arising from noise complaints to fatal accidents. Policy advice is greatly valued by corporate clients.”