• I am a health & safety lawyer advising private and public sector clients across the health, local government and housing sectors. I have wide-ranging experience across many areas of health and safety law, including asbestos, legionella, gas and electrical safety, RIDDOR reporting and fire safety. I advise clients on how best to resolve non-compliance issues as quickly and cost-effectively as possible (with an eye on reputation management) and, where appropriate, in cooperation with the relevant enforcement body such as the Health & Safety Executive or local Fire Authority.

    My experience spans both contentious prosecution and defence work for the most serious breaches of health and safety legislation, as well as non-contentious, advisory work. I take a sensible and proportionate approach to risk management. I regularly provide commercial advice to clients on their contractual and statutory health and safety responsibilities within complex, multi-party agreements. This can be especially complex for clients with significant property portfolios who regularly encounter circumstances where there are multiple parties with responsibilities at the same site. I am experienced in conducting due diligence work on health and safety matters for corporate transactions, which demands a commercial and rational assessment of the risk of any non-compliance identified.

    • Advised a local authority on its successful prosecution for breaches of health and safety offences following the death of a 10-year-old boy in a retail outlet. The prosecution arose following an incident in 2017 when a queue barrier (weighing about 110kg) toppled over in store fatally injuring a boy. This included undertaking and supporting on the evidence gathering (over 90 witnesses and a number of experts); a large scale disclosure exercise and also a number of complex jurisdictional challenges around authority to prosecute.  We also advised on the inquest and 10-week trial which culminated in guilty verdicts (with combined fines in the region of £1 million, plus costs).
    • Provided legal advice and support to a local authority in respect of an investigation and prosecution by HSE following the death of a service user from Legionnaire’s disease at a care home.
    • Advising a property and facilities management client in respect of  a serious issue identified at one of its health centres where legionella has been found in the water system. Advising in relation to internal investigation and instruction of technical experts; supporting with the communications strategy and the necessary decant of tenants for major improvement works.
    • Advising in respect of legal requirements and potential liabilities regarding properties not in compliance across a variety of statutory compliance areas including damp and mould, gas safety, water safety, electrical safety, lifts and fire safety.  This includes support with on-going risk management strategy to protect tenants, occupiers and residents whilst compliance is achieved. 
    • Advising in relation to the application of the new Building Safety Act 2022.
    • Advising on the health and safety aspects of due diligence work for corporate transactions, which demands a commercial and rational assessment of the risk of any non-compliance identified.
    • Advising multiple Trusts in relation to their legal health and safety obligations and potential risk of prosecution for health and safety offences and/or corporate manslaughter arising from the structural weaknesses identified in the roof and walls of hospital buildings (which are constructed with RAAC panels).  We have supported Trust Boards to navigate the difficult balance of carrying out the necessary remedial works, whilst ensuring that clinical services remain available for patients. 
    • Advising an NHS Trust in respect of asbestos issues identified across several sites.  Balancing the criminal legal requirement to inform those affected against the commercial need to protect our client’s position in respect of any potential future civil claims. We are supporting the Trust with its strategy to consider removal of the asbestos in line with its wider plans for the Trust estate.
    • Advising in relation to the new proposed Protect Duty law.  This duty, aimed at publicly accessible locations, is intended to improve protective security and preparedness in the event of a terrorist attack and is a response primarily to the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.
    • Advising a Housing Association following the death of an employee of one of its subsidiaries.
    • Advising an NHS Trust on the legal requirements for fire safety particularly in relation to compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 after the Trust became aware that the integrity of its hospital building was deficient in terms of fire safety. 
    • Advising a non-departmental public body in respect of its role under the CDM Regulations 2015 – specifically in relation to the ‘Designer’ role in cases where statutory functions are being exercised and/or statutory decisions are being made.
    • Advising a national charity for disabled people in respect of a health and safety investigation and potential prosecution following the death of a disabled service user at a residential care home, including support for the interview under caution and on-going management of reputational issues.
    • Advising a national children’s charity in respect of the best way in which to deal commercially with intervention by the Health and Safety Executive and the resulting enforcement action.
    • Advising a number of Mental Health Trusts in relation to in-patient attempted suicides and incidents of patients absconding, including attending interviews under caution and advising in respect of on-going HSE investigations.  Areas of investigation have involved specific issues around window restrictors and violence/aggression towards staff.

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