Debunking health and safety myths

Lincolnshire hospital fined more than £100000 after elderly patient suffered major burns after fall’ (ITV News, 2022), ‘Hospital worker injured when building work and poor path forces her onto uneven ground’ (Thompsons Solicitors, 2012) and ‘NHS faces £200000 damages claim from injured employee’ (Stephensons, 2011). These are just three headlines detailing incidents in medical facilities.

Without delving into each, it is clear that health and safety law is now central to commercial success. However, this was not always so, and myths have become entrenched in operations, leaving some unable to tell fact from fiction. However, as soon as an incident occurs, management quickly sees the myth-based traps that they have just walked into.

In seeking to counter some of these myths, five senior lawyers from Eversheds Sutherland gave their views on why they should be debunked.

Many firms see the attraction of using contractors. However, for Phil Crosbie, the ability to pass on liability is not one of them, observing that, for decades, there have been prosecutions of those who have failed to properly manage contractors.