Health & Safety - May 2011

Welcome to the May edition of our health and safety newsletter.

This month we look at the Supreme Court ruling in the landmark industrial deafness case, HSE’s guidance on immunity for the fire service from prosecution when carrying out heroic acts and a £400,000 fine handed down to two companies following a fatality in 2007.

You may also be interested in our upcoming Health and Safety Club seminar on Thursday 19 May 2011 at the British Film Institute, London.

Please click here for more information, the full agenda and to register your interest:

Featured articles

Weightmans secure victory in landmark industrial deafness case in the Supreme Court

On 13 April 2011 the Supreme Court handed down their long awaited decision in the case of Baker v Quantum Clothing Group.

Terms of Reference for review of health and safety outlined

The DWP has published the terms of reference for the review of health and safety to be led by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt.

Another Crown Censure for the MOD

Following our report of a Crown Censure against the MOD in the April newsletter, the MOD has received another one for breaches of health and safety law.

Construction figures expected to reveal rise in deaths

HSE fatality figures to be released in June are expected to show that construction deaths have risen throughout the recession.

Heroic acts by police officers and firefighters

The Crown Prosecution Service has issued new guidance outlining in what circumstances it will seek to enforce section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 against individual emergency personnel.

HSE create asbestos gallery

Following ongoing instances of inadvertent exposure to unidentified asbestos, the HSE has produced a gallery of 27 photographs of asbestos illustrating its common uses in order to aid identification of the potentially deadly substance.

Companies fined £400,000 for fatal fall

Two companies have been fined a total of £400,000 by the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland following the death of a stonemason’s labourer when he fell from a loading tower scaffold.

This update does not attempt to provide a full analysis of those matters with which it deals and is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice and should not be treated as a substitute for legal advice.

Weightmans LLP accepts no responsibility for any loss that may arise from reliance on the information in this update. The copyright for this update is owned by Weightmans LLP 2011.