Kennedys' health and safety team has extensive experience of work related criminal investigations giving practical advice, often in the immediate aftermath of a workplace accident or incident.
Ranked in the top tier of the 2010 Legal 500 the team is widely acknowledged as one of the leaders of the field. The Legal 500 describes their expertise as "first class, advice is sound and reassuring, and back-up is readily available". The team has a nationwide client base with satellite teams in Birmingham and Maidstone.
Our defence lawyers are highly experienced in dealing with the enforcing authorities such as the police and HSE from the day of an incident, through an investigation, and where charges are brought, through the court process.
We advise businesses and individuals on health and safety across a variety of industry sectors including construction, railways, healthcare, local authorities, quarries, highways, waste, manufacturing, food standards and environmental. We defend and advise our clients facing investigations and proceedings for corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, HSE prosecutions, coroner's inquests and public inquiries. We also provide health and safety policy and management advice, as well as training for our clients on various aspects of workplace health and safety law.
Our team of health and safety defence lawyers are used to dealing with all those in the corporate structure from the worker on the ground to the board director. In recent times the team has represented upwards of 500 individuals in police/HSE interviews (including 200 interviews under caution) for manslaughter, workplace health and safety, construction health and safety and other work related offences.
Our lawyers regularly lecture and write articles on workplace health and safety issues and corporate manslaughter. Three partners of the specialist team are identified as leading players in the field.