Thank you very much to PMV of Windermere for writing to us, and allowing us to reproduce an extract from his 
 letter as follows:- 

 "I am writing to thank you for the fantastic service that you've provided for my holiday insurance. Firstly, Carla
 advised us of the best option for winter sports cover and this was arranged with no fuss and at a reasonable 
 premium. I expected no less, having dealt with your company before - what I didn't expect was to have an accident 
 and to make a claim!  
 I called the claims number while parked in a hospital corridor in the French Alps, waiting for a scan. From the 
 very first contact everything was taken care of with fantastic efficiency. the repatriation was  unbelievable- 
 I was transported in a horizontal position by private ambulance to an aircraft on which I was the only passenger 
 except for a dedicated nurse, flown to the airport neatest my home, then brought to my door in another private 
 ambulance. The whole trip took only five hours. I would wholeheartedly recommend this insurance to anyone."

 We have since learned that our client is on the road to recovery from what could have been a very serious back 
 injury. Pat, we all send you our very best wishes for a full and speedy recuperation and thank you for your kind 
 words, and for sharing your experience with us.

On 16th January this year the Health & Safety (Offences) Act came into force, meaning that all employees, including  company directors and managers who ignore health & safety rules may be sentenced to prison, whether or not an incident has proved fatal.

A Magistrate's Court can now impose fines of up to £20,000 (raised from £5,000 previously) and the possibility of a prison sentence of up to 12 months. If the accused is convicted in a County Court, imprisonment can be for up to two years, plus a fine. If an accident is deemed to be caused by management failings such as lack of supervision, poorly maintained vehicles or equipment, or employees being  forced to work long hours, this legislation can be invoked to convict the person responsible.

The cost of failing to comply with the law is vastly more costly than ensuring that proper health & safety procedures are implemented in the first place, so if you have any doubts at all about health & safety issues in your business, do contact us right away and we will arrange a free initial consultancy.