The Institute of Occupational Health and Safety has released a guide to help employers deal with the aftermath of fatal accidents at work.

The guide, Learning the Lessons: How to Respond to Deaths at Work and Other Serious Incidents, examines serious accidents, dangerous occurrences and health hazard exposure.

Since the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force in April employers are more likely to be prosecuted if a member of staff dies while at work.

The guide, which has input from English and Scottish police forces and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), covers how organisations can carry out internal investigations, preparing and planning, the initial response after a serious accident and internal investigations.

Ian Waldram, who chaired the working party that produced the guide, said: "This is an area that, thankfully, most in-house health and safety practitioners don't have to deal with often, if ever. But we think it's good to have some pre-planned investigation arrangements in case the worst happens and someone is killed or seriously hurt at work."