Hospital safety standards shocking, say inspectors – BBC News

Posted October 17th, 2014 in budgets, health & safety, hospitals, news, quality assurance, standards, statistics by tracey

‘Safety standards in hospitals in England are “shocking”, inspectors say. The warning by the Care Quality Commission came as it released the results for the first 82 hospital inspected under a new regime. The system has been designed to be tougher and was overhauled following the Stafford Hospital scandal.’

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BBC News, 16th October 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mentally ill patient dived off roof of Boston Pilgrim Hospital – BBC News

Posted October 3rd, 2014 in fines, health & safety, hospitals, mental health, news by tracey

‘A mental health trust has been fined £20,000 after a patient dived off a hospital roof, leaving him paralysed from the chest down.’

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BBC News, 2nd October 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

PC Ian Terry death: GMP officer ‘required to resign’ – BBC News

‘A Greater Manchester Police officer has been forced to step down over the fatal shooting of an unarmed colleague during a training exercise.’

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BBC News, 17th September 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Retaliatory Eviction and Law Reform – NearlyLegal

Posted September 15th, 2014 in bills, complaints, health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by tracey

‘The government (through its Minister for Communities and Local Government, Stephen Williams) today announced its backing to Sarah Teather’s private members bill, whose aim is to prevent landlords from evicting tenants who have complained about disrepair in their home or where health and safety hazards are found to exist at the premises, using the accelerated possession procedure. Statistics provided by Shelter show that 200,000 tenants faced possession proceedings in the last 12 months in response to complaints about the condition of their home.’

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NearlyLegal, 11th September 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk/blog/

‘Ignorant’ crane boss David Saunders fined over death – BBC News

Posted September 9th, 2014 in accidents, fines, health & safety, news by sally

‘A company has been fined £150,000 after a worker was killed when a crane wheel he was dismantling “exploded like a bomb”.’

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BBC News, 9th September 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government agrees to set up Food Crime Unit following Elliott Review – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 8th, 2014 in consumer protection, food, fraud, health & safety, news, quality assurance by sally

‘A new Food Crime Unit is to be set up after the Government accepted all of the recommendations of the Elliott report on food integrity and assurance of food supply networks.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th September 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

West Herts NHS trust fined nearly £90,000 over asbestos risk – BBC News

Posted August 20th, 2014 in asbestos, employment, fines, health & safety, hospitals, news by tracey

‘An NHS trust which put staff at risk to exposure from asbestos for 11 years has been ordered to pay nearly £90,000 by a court.’

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BBC News, 20th August 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Drink-driving: Parliamentary group calls for tough new rules – The Independent

Posted August 11th, 2014 in advertising, alcohol abuse, drunk in charge, health & safety, news by sally

‘Tough new rules on drink-driving are expected to be proposed to Parliament on Monday that would bring the UK in line with Europe on the issue.’

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The Independent, 10th August 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

High Court sets out new procedure to help families of asbestos victims access employment records – Litigation Futures

‘The High Court has set out a new procedure to help the families of workers who died from asbestos-related diseases trace their employment histories.’

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Litigation Futures, 11th July 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Gleision: Mine death families call for answers – BBC News

Posted June 20th, 2014 in health & safety, homicide, inquests, miners, news by tracey

‘The families of miners who drowned when 650,000 gallons of water flooded a mine want to know why the men were working near an area where water was suspected. Charles Breslin, 62, David Powell, 50, Philip Hill, 44, and Garry Jenkins, 39, died at the Gleision colliery when a controlled explosion let in the water. The mine’s manager and owners were cleared of manslaughter on Thursday.’

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BBC News, 20th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Queen’s Speech: Good deeds ‘to be backed by law’ – BBC News

Posted June 2nd, 2014 in health & safety, negligence, news, personal injuries, volunteers by sally

‘Extra legal protection is to be given to people carrying out good deeds, volunteering or planning local events who end up being involved in liability claims, the government has announced.’

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BBC News, 2nd June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Coroner criticises MoD over Afghanistan fire deaths – BBC News

Posted May 23rd, 2014 in armed forces, fire, health & safety, inquests, news by sally

‘A coroner has criticised the MoD for a series of failures over the deaths of two soldiers in a fire as they slept in a tent at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.’

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BBC News, 22nd May 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gillian Astbury death: Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust fined over patient death – BBC News

Posted April 29th, 2014 in costs, fines, guilty pleas, health & safety, hospitals, news by sally

‘The health trust which ran Stafford Hospital has been fined £200,000 for failing a diabetic patient who died in its care.’

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BBC News, 28th April 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Spoiling the Broth – NearlyLegal

‘Blake and others v LB Waltham Forest [2014] EWHC 1027 (Admin) is a judicial review challenge to the local authority’s decision to terminate a licence held by Christian Kitchen (the 3rd Claimant) to operate its soup kitchen out of the Mission Grove Car Park, Walthamstow, London, E17.’

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NearlyLegal, 13th April 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Claimant groups: 85% of injured workers not compensated – Law Society’s Gazette

‘More than 85% of people injured or made ill at work do not recover any compensation, a new report has stated.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 16th April 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Hillsborough stadium tragedy inquests: Families await a fresh moment for truth – The Independent

Posted March 28th, 2014 in health & safety, inquests, news, sport by sally

‘The first of the new inquests into a 25-year-old tragedy begins next week, reopening old wounds but also reawakening hopes of closure and justice. Jonathan Brown explains how much is at stake.’

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The Independent, 27th March 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

E-cigarette ad banned over health claims – The Guardian

Posted March 12th, 2014 in advertising, health & safety, news, ombudsmen, smoking by tracey

‘An advert for an e-cigarette brand has been banned after the advertising watchdog ruled that claims including that it was “the healthier smoking alternative” could not be substantiated.’

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The Guardian, 12th March 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

London Fire Brigade secures first confiscation order against landlord – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 11th, 2014 in confiscation, fines, fire services, health & safety, landlord & tenant, news by tracey

‘The London Fire Brigade has obtained a confiscation order for the first time, against a landlord who was also fined for breaches of fire safety laws.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th March 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Network Rail apologises to families over level crossing deaths – BBC News

Posted March 7th, 2014 in accidents, health & safety, news, railways by tracey

‘Network Rail has offered a “full and unreserved apology” to families bereaved by level crossing accidents. Chief executive Mark Carne apologised for “failings” in managing public safety and for “failing to deal sensitively” with affected families. Since 2010 the risk at level crossings had been reduced by a quarter, it said. The apology came as MPs published a report heavily critical of the way the rail infrastructure company had handled tragedies in the past.’

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BBC News, 7th March 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Teacher paid £230,000 compensation after slipping in ketchup – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 4th, 2014 in compensation, health & safety, news, personal injuries, teachers by sally

‘The claim is one of £1 million worth of compensation payments made to injured teachers by Essex County Council.’

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Daily Telegraph, 4th March 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk