UK Citizens Filing Asbestos Talc Claims In U.S. Courts
Residents of the United Kingdom have been among the growing number of personal injury plaintiffs filing lawsuits in U.S. courts, attributing their diagnoses of mesothelioma cancer to asbestos-contaminated talc.
That should come as no surprise. With the world’s highest per capita incidence rate of mesothelioma, the UK is contributing to the changing face of asbestos litigation in America.
While mesothelioma traced to occupational asbestos exposure among men is dropping, nonoccupational exposure leading to mesothelioma among women is rising.
Asbestos-contaminated talc, sometimes found in health and beauty products...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - January 3, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Fran Mannino Tags: Asbestos Exposure Legal Mesothelioma Source Type: news
Handle with care: mistakes and near-misses at UK Covid labs
A coronavirus-infected ferret bite is among many mishaps investigated during the pandemicA week before the UK ’s first coronavirus lockdown, a lab worker at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in Newport was screening nose and throat swabs from an intensive care patient. The paperwork carried no clinical details and the swabs were not double-bagged to indicate high risk. As such, the work was done on an open bench. But the swabs were more dangerous than thought. It later emerged that they came from a patient who was fighting for their life with Covid.The incident in March 2020 was among the first of dozens of mishaps, ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - July 5, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Ian Sample Science editor Tags: Coronavirus Science Health Hospitals Infectious diseases Medical research Source Type: news
United Kingdom Proposes 40-Year Asbestos Removal Deadline
The United Kingdom’s Work and Pensions Committee has proposed a 40-year timeline to complete the regulated removal of all long-standing legacy asbestos from public and commercial buildings, potentially setting a new standard for other nations to follow.
Its proposal was recently delivered to the House of Commons with a recommendation that the government and Health and Safety Executive incorporate the findings into their approach to asbestos management.
The U.K. already is one of more than 60 nations in the world to have banned asbestos, but none have passed this type of regulation for legacy asbestos, which has bee...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - April 28, 2022 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Fran Mannino Tags: Asbestos Exposure Source Type: news
Blog: Let ’ s remember those who have died because of their work
Today, on International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD), UNISON and the whole trade union movement will lead the way in showing respect for all those who have sadly lost their lives while working.
During a minute’s silence at 11am, we will also think of their families and friends, so deeply affected by their tragic loss.
Most work-related accidents and diseases can be avoided, but only if employers make health and safety a top priority. Statistics suggest that, on average, 135 workers die each year in the UK from work related accidents, and a further 13,000 from preventable occupational lung diseases and cancers.
But at U...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - April 28, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General secretary's blog News Covid-19 international workers' memorial day Ukraine Source Type: news
UNISON welcomes asbestos report
UNSON has broadly welcomed today’s report from the work and pensions committee, which calls for a deadline for the removal of asbestos in all public buildings.
With cancers related to asbestos – including mesothelioma – remaining one of the biggest causes of work-related deaths in the UK, the committee highlighted the risk of disturbing the material and exposing workers to it when retrofitting buildings in response to net zero plans around energy efficiency.
It also reported on a woeful lack of inspection and enforcement activity by the Health and Safety Executive.
The committee made a number of recommendations...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - April 21, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News asbestos health and safety Source Type: news
UNISON seeks ‘ clarity ’ on removal of COVID-19 from risk assessments
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea has written to the chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), expressing the union’s fears over the imminent removal of COVID-19 as a requirement in risk assessments.
Ms McAnea has asked HSE chief executive Sarah Albon for “clarity” on what the union believes to be “a potentially dangerous move” that could undermine existing health and safety legislation in England.
As part of the government’s Living with COVID-19 plan, from 1 April, it will remove the health and safety requirement for every employer to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their risk assessmen...
Source: UNISON Health care news - March 22, 2022 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News Covid-19 general secretary health and safety Source Type: news
Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees, DHSC and Health and Safety Executive (updated 31st January 2022)
Advice for pregnant employees on risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
31 January 2022Updated with the information that it is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering.
20 January 2022Updated to reflect current guidance on work arrangements and face coverings. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - February 1, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees, DHSC and Health and Safety Executive (updated 14th January 2022)
Advice for pregnant employees on risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
14 January 2022Updated to provide additional guidance to pregnant employees and employers of women who are 26 weeks pregnant and beyond, and details on JCVI advice that pregnant women are more at risk of severe COVID-19 disease.
14 December 2021Updated to reflect the government announcement to move to Plan B. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - January 17, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
UNISON calls on employers to review COVID-19 protections
UNISON is calling on employers to review their COVID-19 risk assessments and put all reasonable measures in place to reduce the risk of exposure to those who cannot work from home, given the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant.
The latest data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed that 645,000 workers reported suffering from a work-related illness caused or made worse by the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, including high levels of stress, anxiety and depression.
UNISON members are key workers on the front line, in hospitals, care homes and schools, but also refuse workers and members...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - December 20, 2021 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News Covid-19 health and safety Source Type: news
Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees, DHSC and Health and Safety Executive (updated 14th December 2021)
Advice for pregnant employees on risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
14 December 2021Updated to reflect the government announcement to move to Plan B.
2 December 2021Updated to reflect changes around face covering guidance. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - December 15, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees, DHSC and Health and Safety Executive (updated 2nd December 2021)
Advice for pregnant employees on risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
2 December 2021Updated to reflect changes around face covering guidance.
2 November 2021Updated to reflect changes surrounding shielding requirements and to provide more information on vaccines. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - December 2, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
From OSH regulation to safety results: using behavioral insights and a "supply chain" approach to improve outcomes - the experience of the Health and Safety Executive - Blanc F, Ottimofiore G, Myers K.
This paper considers briefly theoretical foundations of the links between regulation, "regulatory delivery" and compliance, and then a case study of construction safety regulation in Britain, and comparative data on occupational safety inspections and outc... (Source: SafetyLit)
Source: SafetyLit - November 3, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Economics of Injury and Safety, PTSD, Injury Outcomes Source Type: news
Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees, DHSC and Health and Safety Executive (updated 2nd November 2021)
Advice for pregnant employees on risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
2 November 2021Updated to reflect changes surrounding shielding requirements and to provide more information on vaccines.
20 July 2021Updated to reflect the lifting of restrictions as part of the step 4 of the roadmap. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - November 2, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
H & S survey reveals members feel less safe now than a year ago
Last month, UNISON surveyed its health and safety representatives to understand more about the issues members are facing in their workplaces.
Nearly half of respondents said that their employer had not improved ventilation and air circulation in their workplace, with 36% saying that they feel less safe in the workplace now, than they did 12 months ago.
Just under a quarter of respondents reported that their COVID-19 risk assessments had not been reviewed in the last six months and one in four reported that their employers had not carried out individual risk assessments for more vulnerable workers.
Almost three-quarters of ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - October 25, 2021 Category: Food Science Authors: Simon Jackson Tags: Article News Covid-19 health and safety Source Type: news
Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees, DHSC and Health and Safety Executive (updated 20th July 2021)
Advice for pregnant employees on risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
20 July 2021 Updated to reflect the lifting of restrictions as part of the step 4 of the roadmap. 21 June 2021 Updated to remove reference to pregnant woman being considered ' clinically extremely vulnerable ' . (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - July 20, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
