Legal Guidance and Research / Experts / Katherine Metcalfe

Katherine Metcalfe

Katherine is a litigator specialising in advice on health and safety, fire safety and environmental matters. Katherine works across the infrastructure, energy and real estate sectors. She is at the forefront of the firm's thought leadership on building and fire safety, advising clients on regulatory change occasioned by the Hackitt review of building regulations and fire safety. Having spent two years heading up the in-house legal team at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Katherine is uniquely placed to guide clients through the complexities of fire safety regulation across the UK. More broadly, Katherine has a wealth of experience in health and safety, environmental and fire safety law. For well over a decade, Katherine has provided pragmatic and down-to-earth advice to the firm's clients, including key players and household names, not only on immediate incident response, internal investigation, and investigations by regulators, but also on how to avoid an incident occurring in the first place. She frequently appears in courts and tribunals defending organisations charged with regulatory offences, representing their interests at Fatal Accident Inquiries and appealing enforcement action. She is a regular speaker at health and safety and fire safety events and provides training and advice on preventative measures.

Practice Area

Panel

  • Contributing Author

Qualified Year

  • 2006 (Scotland), 2010 (England and Wales)

Experience

  • Pinsent Masons (2017 - Present)
  • Scottish Fire and Rescue Services, Legal Services Manager (2016 - 2017)
  • Pinsent Masons (2004 - 2016)

Membership

  • Law Society of England and Wales
  • Law Society of Scotland
  • Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association

Qualifications

  • QLTT (2010)
  • LPC (2003)
  • LLB (Hons) (2002)
  • England and Wales (2010)
  • Scotland (2006)

Education

  • CLT (2010)
  • University of Edinburgh (2003)
  • University of Edinburgh (2002)

2 Contributions by Katherine Metcalfe

Fire safety compliance, enforcement, offences and penalties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, FSA 2021, BSA 2022, FSR 2022 and Residential Evacuation Plans 2025—England and Wales
PRACTICE NOTES
Fire safety compliance, enforcement, offences and penalties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, FSA 2021, BSA 2022, FSR 2022 and Residential Evacuation Plans 2025—England and Wales
This Practice Note sets out the principal fire safety duties and offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, SI 2005/1541 (the Regulatory Reform Order 2005), the Fire Safety Act 2021 (FSA 2021) and the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022). It also covers provisions contained in the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (FSR 2022), SI 2022/547. For information on fire safety offences and enforcement in Scotland, see Practice Note: Fire safety law and offences in Scotland. For workplace fire safety, see Practice Notes: Fire safety in the workplace—regulatory requirements and How to manage fire safety in the workplace. For information on fire safety in commercial and mixed use buildings, see the Practice Note: Fire safety in commercial and mixed-use buildings. Obligations under the Regulatory Reform Order 2005 The Regulatory Reform Order 2005, SI 2005/1541, primarily governs fire safety within non-domestic premises. However, it equally captures shared parts in buildings that house two or more sets of domestic premises in England and Wales. The Regulatory Reform Order 2005 extends to the building’s structure and external walls, all common parts, and ‘all doors between the domestic premises and common parts’ of any buildings that contain two or more sets of...
Corporate Crime
Scottish fire safety regime for non-domestic premises: duties, enforcement powers, notices, appeals and offences, and post-Grenfell developments
PRACTICE NOTES
Scottish fire safety regime for non-domestic premises: duties, enforcement powers, notices, appeals and offences, and post-Grenfell developments
Fire and building safety sit within devolved competence. In Scotland, the framework for non-domestic premises is principally set out in Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (F(S)A 2005) together with the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006, SSI 2006/456, which regulate the safe operation of non-domestic premises. Non-domestic premises include: all workplaces and commercial premises all premises to which the public have access all types of houses in multiple occupation The common parts of non-domestic premises do not fall within Scottish fire safety legislation. This is a notable distinction from England, where the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the equivalent regime, extends to the common parts of residential buildings. Building regulations set fire safety standards for new construction. However, building regulations requirements relating to fire safety lie beyond the ambit of this Practice Note. Fire safety in Scotland following the Grenfell Tower fire Neither the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022), which received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022 and will introduce a radical new building safety regime for England and Wales, nor the Fire Safety Act 2021, designed to provide greater clarity on responsibility for fire safety in multi-occupied residential dwellings, have...
Corporate Crime
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