Health, Safety and Environmental Regulation
We can help you to deal with the consequences of a regulatory breach, and to reduce the risk of one happening at all.

“The service received has been great, with prompt and attentive responses to requests for advice.”

Shepherd & Wedderburn client (2023)

When an organisation fails to comply with health, safety or environmental regulations, both the financial penalties and the reputational damage can be severe.

The risks are greatly reduced if you have adequate policies and procedures in place. We can help with this in a variety of ways, including assessments of your current arrangements and the particular risks that you face, advice on the impact of recent changes to the law, and tailored training for managers and staff. The experts in our team have done this for clients in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, energy, construction, transport and hospitality.

Our experience of working for various regulators, including a secondment at the Health and Safety division of the Crown Office, also enables us to offer a valuable perspective.

We can help during an investigation or prosecution: providing on-site support, liaising directly with enforcement authorities, advising on any disclosure obligations, and representing people being interviewed under caution. We can also provide advocacy at hearings, court proceedings and inquiries; and help to negotiate alternative methods of resolving disputes.

Our expertise includes:

Immediate emergency response and incident investigation
Liaising with regulators (for example, the HSE, SEPA, the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales)
On-site support during investigations, including liaising directly with enforcement authorities
Advocacy at various hearings, substantive hearings and trial diets, and negotiating resolutions without court proceedings
Representation at Fatal Accident Inquiries
Representing people being interviewed under caution
Diligence exercises for property and corporate transactions
Advising on audit and risk assessment, policies and procedures, and the impact of new legislation
Delivering tailored training on obligations and liabilities

Meet our key contacts

Kevin Clancy

Partner and Head of Commercial Disputes

Meet our full team

Kevin Clancy

Partner and Head of Commercial Disputes

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Natasha Durkin

Senior Associate

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Kirsty MacCorquodale

Senior Associate

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Related articles and insights: Health, Safety and Environmental Regulation

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Pumpkin-picking is one of many rural diversification projects that involve bringing members of the public onto your land. These inevitably bring health and safety concerns too.

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26 May 2026

The ‘hottest topic’ in workplace health and safety

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Employers are legally required to ensure that their indoor workplaces have a ‘reasonable’ temperature. But what does this mean exactly, and what actions should be taken?

18 May 2026

Expanding a rural business can increase health and safety risks

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Rural landowners whose businesses are open to the public need to take appropriate steps to ensure their customers’ health and safety.

6 May 2026

Martyn’s law: What the new Home Office guidance means for events and venues

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