Health and Safety is vital to the success and smooth running of any business. With more and more legislation being introduced every day it is very easy to unintentionally overlook a potential danger and risk to staff.

Unfortunately for employers, in our current society many incidents are reportable to the Health and Safety Executive, and with more and more companies offering no win no fee compensation claims, the risk of legal action being taken over accidents at work is much higher than ever before.

No matter how much you train or warn your employees, can you be certain that no time saving short cuts are being taken? It is easy for someone, with good intentions and a willingness to get the job completed, to fall into misguided practices.

An extreme example of this occurred in Worthing, where two men were killed and one seriously injured after a crane that was being dismantled collapsed. The incident occurred when the site manager in charge of Health and Safety called in sick. The company involved did not provide effective management in the site manager’s absence.

As a result two men went to the top of the 105ft crane, to disconnect and coil in the cables that control the pulley system. Meanwhile another worker was to begin loosening the bolts of the crane’s tower, despite receiving no training in the process and having no understanding of the risks involved.

Once he had unfastened the bolts on one side he signalled to another workman to slew the crane around with a remote control so he could begin to loosen those on the other side. This was done at speed, so to counteract the movement it was directed back again sharply. The crane could not withstand the counter tension and as a result it buckled and collapsed throwing the two men from the top to their deaths, whilst the employee that was working on unfastening the bolts was later found unconscious in the wreckage with broken bones.

This is an extreme example of how a simple issue of an employee calling in sick can lead to a much larger accident occurring in the workplace, and how simply such death or serious injury could then result in:

• A health and safety investigation and prosecution against the company and/or directors and managers with subsequent fines.



• A corporate manslaughter prosecution against the company with enforced media coverage and unlimited fines



• A criminal prosecution of directors and/or relevant managers for manslaughter on the grounds of gross negligence.

How can Oval help?

It is not possible, nor is it legal for an insurer to indemnify a person or organisation against the prison sentence or fine that results. However, they can offer insurance covers, including Directors & Officers and Legal Expenses, for the defence costs. If you feel that these covers may be of interest to you then please do not hesitate to contact Oval.

For more info please call Neil Hodgson on 01484 411121 or email neil.hodgson@theovalgroup.com