Health & Safety

Farming is a dangerous business with numerous opportunities for accidents. Farming businesses employing staff, receiving deliveries, engaging contractors or allowing any other person onto the farm must constantly consider the risks that are present and minimise the chances of an accident. There is legislation and guidance at both EU and UK level, which impose all manner of duties on the business and administrative bodies waiting to enforce those provisions when something goes wrong.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities are now beginning to target agriculture as a new area for ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation. Over the last couple of years we have seen a marked increase in prosecutions and requests for training on health and safety issues.

At Clarke Willmott LLP, we have a dedicated section of our agriculture team comprising lawyers who have the very latest expertise in health and safety law and who also have an extensive understanding of the agriculture industry, to appreciate the particular issues facing farming businesses.

Several lawyers have gained higher rights of audience, so that in addition to representing clients in the magistrate's court, at public enquiries and other hearings, they are able personally to defend prosecutions by regulatory bodies and the Crown Prosecution Service in the Crown Court.

Our services include:

• Advising on the legality of current procedures
• Providing audit and review programmes to ensure correct procedures in place
• Providing advice and representation during investigations by HSE and local authorities
• Representing clients during all stages of court proceedings
• Attending inquests

For further information, please visit the Health & Safety section of the website. To see examples of recent projects, please see How We've Helped Our Clients.

Contact: Tim Hayden, Jamie Foster