Health and safety

Health and safety has very much hit the headlines over the past few years, with claims that it has attracted too much emphasis and as a result is proving costly to manage.  However businesses risk far greater costs and penalties by adopting a hands-off approach to safety regulation and it is vital that good health and safety standards are established in the workplace to ensure disastrous consequences are avoided. 

Our team has represented a number of large national and international businesses in a wide range of health and safety cases and we pride ourselves on having experience and knowledge over and above that usually found in regional practice. The team is ranked in the top tier of the Legal 500 independent client guide.

Malcolm Savory is highly regarded for his vast experience and undoubted technical excellence in all aspects of health and safety law.  Having qualified in 1976, he has advised and represented a number of major East Anglian businesses for many years as well as prosecuting for the HSE. He is a member of the Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association.

Laura Thomas has prosecuted and defended a number of influential health and safety cases including high profile prosecutions of Transco and Nishimatsu.  She also has the unique experience of having worked for the HSE which undoubtedly benefits clients as well as meaning that she has particular expertise in this field.  She is invited to give presentations to many different sectors on health and safety regulation and has significantly contributed to leading texts on the topic.  She has further written articles for a number of publications on topical health and safety issues and in fact is involved in training HSE Inspectors!  She too is a member of the Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association. 

Richard Hayes frequently advises on health and safety investigations attending interviews and defending prosecutions.

Health and safety cases for the team include:

• representing the principal contractor in the investigation into the Gerrards Cross rail tunnel collapse;
• representing a company and its Director who faced gross negligence manslaughter and health and safety charges
•  representing a major recognised food producer in relation to two serious incidents investigated by HSE;
• representing a national construction company charged with offences under the Health and Safety Work Act following the electrocution of a worker in London;
• representing a multi-national food producer recently sentenced for three major health and  safety offences in the Crown Court;
• successfully representing a director of a national food producer who was interviewed for gross negligence manslaughter but no further action was taken.

Employed barrister, Laura Thomas, has recently been involved in The Telegraph Business Club video 'Putting Health & Safety First' to watch, please click below.