Health & Safety: Notable case

Workplace Fatality: H&S Charges Successfully Defended (2011)

In August 2007, a site foreman working on the refurbishment of St Catherine's House in central London died when he fell down a lift shaft.  In 2010, the Principal Contractor and a Sub-Contractor were each charged by the Health & Safety Executive with an offence of breaching the duty under section 3, Health & Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974.

Adrian Darbishire (instructed by Pinsent Masons) acted for the Principal Contractor, the first defendant.  After a trial at the Old Bailey lasting six weeks, on 14 June 2011 both companies were unanimously acquitted by the jury.

 

 

 

Notable cases:

London Luton Airport Operations Ltd (2013)
Death outside terminal
Mark Ellison QC

Workplace Fatality: H&S Charges Successfully Defended (2011)
Death of site foreman.  Principal and Sub-Contractor unanimously acquitted.
Adrian Darbishire QC

R v Walker & Others (2005)
Manslaughter and Health and Safety charges arising from the Hatfield train crash
Anthony Glass QC

R v Network Rail & others
The Hatfield Rail Crash
Anthony Glass QC | Sean Larkin QC | Adrian Darbishire QC | Selva Ramasamy

HSE v Environmental Tyres
Fatal accident at work
Selva Ramasamy

Armstrong & Newby-Grant
Court Martial for manslaughter

Articles:

Corporate Manslaughter
An introduction to the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 24.3.2009
Download (PDF) >

For more information on regulatory matters, please contact the clerks on 020 7933 8855 or barristers@qebhw.co.uk