Health & safety

Karen O’Sullivan considers the suitability of protective equipment

Does Lord Young’s report represent a return to common sense? Atiyah Malik & Alistair Kinley report

David Branson explores the differences between criminal & civil liability for health & safety

Lisa Hatch weighs up the evidential value of the new style sick notes for disability discrimination claims

The Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC) issued “definitive guidelines” in relation to corporate manslaughter and health and safety offences causing death on 9 February 2010. Every court must consider these when sentencing organisations on or after 15 February 2010, irrespective of whether the relevant prosecution was commenced before this date.

Extra financial help for sufferers of mesothelioma and plural plaques
Mesothelioma sufferers are to be given an extra 40% of financial help, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced.

The Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC) recently published its definitive sentencing guideline for organisations convicted under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 and for health and safety offences which cause death.

The inquest into the death of David Gray, who died in February last year after a visiting locum GP, Dr Ubani, gave him a lethal overdose of Diamorphine, attracted national publicity. William Morris, the coroner for North and East Cambridgeshire, sat without a jury and did not mince words in his summing up last month.

Jennifer James toys with some new Christmas gift ideas

The head of the independent safeguarding authority is to clarify proposals announced last week for a vetting system for those working with children.