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Health and safety, corporate manslaughter and inquests

Expert health and safety advice across multiple sectors, helping you navigate your way through corporate manslaughter and regulatory investigations and prosecutions, coroner’s inquests and compliance.

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Overview Services Our team Our work What others say Insights

Our health and safety advice encompasses a wide range of solutions designed to address your unique challenges.

From emergency incident response to investigations and prosecutions, we ensure comprehensive support and guidance. We understand the importance of a focused and effective response when dealing with complex health and safety and corporate manslaughter issues.

Our team delivers robust legal solutions for businesses facing urgent regulatory issues and complex investigations. We combine deep sector insight with legal expertise, collaborating closely with our energy, construction, transport, real estate, and environment teams to provide the right solutions for you.

Our expertise spans corporate manslaughter and health and safety (including fire safety, building safety, food safety and consumer protection) investigations and prosecutions, appealing improvement/prohibition/enforcement notices, representation at coroner’s inquests, internal investigations and compliance advice.

We have extensive experience in supporting clients including listed companies, transport operators and infrastructure managers, landowners, leisure companies, energy providers and utility companies, vehicle designers and manufacturers and companies operating in hazardous industries.

Our clients are under investigation by agencies including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), fire and rescue services and local authorities.

Our health and safety team are an integral part of our wider corporate crime and investigations group.

Services

Incident and emergency response

Providing immediate legal advice and representation following incidents, including disasters and multi-fatalities.

Regulatory action and investigations

Assisting clients under investigation by regulators including the Health and Safety Executive, Office of Rail and Road, Office for Nuclear Regulation, Air Accident Investigation Branch, Rail Accident Investigation Branch and Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter

Defending businesses and directors facing corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter charges.

Coroner’s inquests and public inquiries

Representing clients at inquests and public inquiries, often in high profile or sensitive cases.

Compliance and governance

Advising on health and safety compliance (including fire safety, building safety, food safety and consumer protection), developing policies, and assisting with governance frameworks.

Our team

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Examples of our work

UK rail

Responding to all major UK rail accidents since privatisation, including Southall, Ladbroke Grove, Potters Bar, and Ufton Nervet, supporting on investigations, regulatory compliance and post-incident reviews.

Core participant in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Responding to the largest ever Metropolitan Police Service investigation into allegations of corporate manslaughter and health and safety breaches arising out of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Processing plant

Advising on an investigation by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) into safety breaches related to the handling and storage of hazardous materials, ensuring compliance and mitigating penalties.

Power station developer

Providing support following a serious construction incident, including handling regulatory investigations, incident response, and advising on health and safety compliance.

Utility company

Responding to the police and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigations into a fatal explosion on site, including providing emergency response and crisis management.

Global steel producer

Representing the company in a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) arising from an explosion at one of its steelworks; following the successful defence of police allegations of corporate manslaughter.

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What others say

“The team is formed of ‘highly talented lawyers’ and is well-placed to act on fatal and catastrophic matters under public scrutiny, spanning sectors from the energy and transport industries to the leisure sector.”

Legal 500 UK 2025

“Burges Salmon houses a specialist team of practitioners who are highly expert at providing advice on the full range of civil and criminal health and safety matters … acts for an extensive roster of clients from a range of sectors including retail, rail and transport.”

Chambers UK 2025

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Insights

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