News and Knowledge

Records Reveal Asbestos Kills 9x More Veterans than Combat

Government records reveal that asbestos has killed nine times more military veterans than British victims of the Taliban during the Afghan campaign.   The deadly material, found in military accommodation, ships, submarines, helicopters, and tanks, is causing an average of 89 new cases of mesothelioma, a fatal cancer, each year. According to the British Occupational…

Veterans’ Hidden Wounds: The TBI Diagnostic Crisis Continues

Undiagnosed Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), particularly blast-induced TBI among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, is a severe medical condition causing immediate, long-lasting, and life-altering effects.     What is Traumatic Brain Injury? Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when an outside force harms the brain. It is a broad category covering everything from minor concussions to severe,…

London property developer fined over £88,000 after facing serious scrutiny from Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

A London property developer, Nofax Enterprises Limited, based in Maldon, Essex, has been fined £88,000 after facing serious scrutiny from Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE).   The four-storey building site, located on Dalston Lane, was intended to house nine flats and a youth club on the basement floor. The Health and Safety Executive investigated…

Brothers receive fine due to cattle safety failures

A sentence has been handed down to two brothers after they failed to protect the public from their cattle.   The outcome of an Health and Safety Investigation (HSE) concluded that Andrew and David Turnbull had failed to provide and display signage in their field in Coalsgarth Valley in North Yorkshire, highlighting an alternate route…

Interview with Paul McMullan, our newly-appointed Head of Employers’ and Public Liability

We are delighted to announce that long-standing member of the team, Paul McMullan, has recently been appointed Head of our Employers’ and Public Liability department.   We sat down with Paul and ask him a few questions about his time within the company.     When did you join Oakwood Solicitors? “I joined Oakwood Solicitors…

Bonfire Night 2024: Laws you need to be aware of

Bonfire night is typically an enjoyable event for all the family to get together as the sky is lit up with beautiful colours.   But to keep the public safe and to prevent a nuisance in the neighbourhood, there are several rules and regulations in place. Fireworks are a class of low-explosive pyrotechnic devices used…

Company fined after residents put at risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease

A company has been fined after vulnerable residents were put at risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease at a sheltered housing accommodation in Birkenhead.   The deadly bacteria was detected at Vincent Naughton Court after samples of its water systems in the communal areas and flats were taken in July and August 2018.     With…

MoD admits it ‘did not do enough’ after soldier dies during training exercise

The Ministry of Defence has been handed a sanction by the Health and Safety Executive after a reservist died during a training exercise in North Yorkshire.   Staff Sergeant John McKelvie, 51, died in hospital after the Jackal he was driving rolled down a hill and overturned during an off-roading exercise at Catterick Training Area…

Company fined £40,000 after explosion at factory

A chemical factory has been fined following an explosion at its factory in the Scottish Borders.   The blast at Rathburn Chemicals in Walkerburn on 10 January 2020 resulted in a laboratory, which was part of the factory, being demolished.     According to the Health and Safety Executive, it was likely caused by excessive…

Armed Forces Day – How we can help with Military Injuries

Armed Forces Day is here to pay tribute to the service men and women who go above and beyond to protect our country.   The annual event is held on the last Saturday of June every year, to celebrate all that troops do, as they put their lives at risk every day to ensure the…