About This Sector
Law firms understand liability better than any other sector, yet many operate with health and safety arrangements that would not withstand the scrutiny they apply to their clients' compliance. Partners carry personal liability for health and safety failures. Under Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, where an offence is committed with the consent or connivance of any director, manager, or similar officer, that individual can be prosecuted personally. Arinite provides Chartered health and safety consultants who deliver the standard of compliance that law firms demand for their clients but often neglect for themselves.
Sector-Specific Regulations
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 applies to all law firm employers. Section 37 creates personal liability for partners and officers. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require risk assessments. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 require DSE assessments, particularly relevant given the document-intensive nature of legal work. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires fire risk assessments. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 apply to office conditions.
Common Compliance Failures We Find
These are the health and safety failures Arinite's consultants find most frequently in this sector:
No formal health and safety management system despite partner personal liability under Section 37.
DSE assessments not conducted for fee earners who spend the majority of their working day at screens.
No stress risk assessment despite the legal profession having among the highest rates of work-related stress.
No competent person appointed. Most law firms have no formal health and safety appointment.
Fire risk assessments not updated following office moves, refurbishments, or changes in headcount.
No documented health and safety policy or a policy that has not been reviewed in years.
Our Services for This Sector
Arinite's legal sector health and safety services include comprehensive risk assessments covering all office and client-facing activities, DSE assessments for fee earners and support staff, stress risk assessments for high-pressure legal environments, fire risk assessments for law firm premises, competent person appointment under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, health and safety policy creation with specific reference to partner liability, health and safety audits tailored to legal practice risk profiles, international health and safety compliance for firms with overseas offices, and health and safety software for managing compliance across multi-office partnerships.
Book a Free Legal Gap Analysis Call
Book a free gap analysis call with one of our Chartered health and safety consultants. In 30 minutes, we will assess your current legal health and safety arrangements and identify the compliance gaps that matter most.
