quick health check

These statements give a snapshot of typical scenarios where the Blake Lapthorn's Health and Safety team is frequently involved. Check your organisation's culture against them and give us a call.

"Our workplace is safe for our employees..."

Health and safety is not just a duty owed by an employer to its employees at its place of work. For example:

are your workplace and working practices safe for anyone who visits?

are your employees safe when they visit other workplaces?

are you sure that your operations away from your premises will not cause risk or danger to others?

do you know whether other people or organisations involved in your business have working practices which are safe for their employees, your workers and members of the public?

"Ours isn't the sort of business which traditionally has health and safety issues..."

Just asking your employees to work with display screens, requiring them to lift anything, having a stressful environment, or providing facilities or services to the public will give you issues.

"We've never had an accident..."

You can break the law just by failing to take preventative measures, or even by failing to consider whether they are needed.

"Anyway, it's only the company that's in the line of fire..."

There is a trend in investigations to target and prosecute individual directors and senior managers. The consequences could include disqualification as a director.

"The insurers will cover it..."

Claims cause increased premiums, wasted management time in handling the claims and decrease in staff morale, even if you have cover. And, insurers won't pay your fines.

"I'll deal with the investigators myself..."

Can you answer the following questions:

Must the business co-operate? If it doesn't, can that be used as evidence against the business in court?

Who should be interviewed on behalf of the business?

What can the investigators seize?

"I'll do it tomorrow..."

By using improvement and prohibition notices, the enforcing authorities can make you do it today, creating potential for catastrophic loss of production.

For more information, please contact John Mitchell, head of Blake Lapthorn's Health and Safety group on 023 8085 7231 or email john.mitchell@bllaw.co.uk.