Council fined £100k after vulnerable employee hit by reversing dust cart – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 8th, 2018 in contracting out, fines, health & safety, local government, news, waste by sally

‘A London borough has been fined £100,000 after a vulnerable employee was crushed by a reversing dust cart, suffering significant injury. Waste company Veolia ES (UK) was meanwhile fined £250,000 for its role in the incident, which took place on 9 May 2016.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th February 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Fire Safety – Who Pays? – Nearly Legal

Posted February 5th, 2018 in costs, fire, health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news, repairs by sally

‘Since the extent of the issues with the cladding to blocks of flats became clear after Grenfell, and it became clear that private blocks as well as social were affected, we have been waiting for the beginning of the legal fall out over who was to pay for rectifying the problems. For leaseholders in those blocks, this was always going to be a very serious issue.’

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Nearly Legal, 4th February 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Anomalies in sentencing for fire safety breaches create uncertainty – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 2nd, 2018 in fire, health & safety, news, sentencing by sally

‘Fines for breaches of fire safety regulations are not explicitly covered by health and safety sentencing guidelines – leading to anomalies in the way in which companies are prosecuted and the ultimate fine.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st February 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

MPs begin inquiry into effectiveness of working at height rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 24th, 2018 in consultations, health & safety, industrial injuries, news, sentencing by sally

‘Construction firms and trade bodies have been urged to contribute to a new inquiry into best practice and solutions for tackling serious injury and fatalities for working at height.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 23rd January 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Government introduces new product safety office – BBC News

Posted January 22nd, 2018 in consumer protection, fire, health & safety, news, select committees by sally

‘The government is creating a new Office for Product Safety and Standards to help manage large-scale product recalls and identify risks to consumers.’

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BBC News, 21st January 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Liverpool prison has ‘worst conditions inspectors have seen’ – The Guardian

Posted January 19th, 2018 in health & safety, news, prisons, reports by sally

‘Prison chiefs have been summoned next week to explain to MPs their “abject failure” over living conditions in Liverpool prison, which have been described by inspectors as the worst they can recall.’

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The Guardian, 19th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Coroner’s concern over ‘fixie’ bikes after Italian aristocrat killed falling under truck on cycle without brakes – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 18th, 2018 in accidents, bicycles, health & safety, inquests, news by sally

‘A coroner has raised concerns about fixed-gear bikes with no front brakes, as she heard how an Italian aristocrat died after falling under the wheels of a truck.’

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Daily Telegraph, 17th January 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Acid attacks: Major UK retailers ban acid sales to under-18s – Daily Telegraph

‘Under-18s will not be able to buy products containing harmful levels of acid or corrosive substances at a number of retailers, following the launch of a voluntary Government plan.’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th January 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Grenfell Tower fire: Police ask for £38m to fund investigation – BBC News

Posted January 5th, 2018 in budgets, fire, health & safety, inquiries, news, police by sally

‘The Metropolitan Police has asked the Home Office to pay £38m for its Grenfell Tower fire investigation.’

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BBC News, 4th January 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Laser pen offenders face five years in jail and unlimited fines under new laws – The Independent

Posted December 21st, 2017 in aircraft, bills, fines, health & safety, news, road traffic, sentencing, ships, transport by sally

‘People who shine lasers at air, ground and sea vehicles could be jailed for up to five years under new laws. Offenders also face unlimited fines as part of Department for Transport (DfT) measures to boost safety.’

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The Independent, 20th December 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Smoking ban cannot be enforced in jails, UK supreme court rules – The Guardian

Posted December 20th, 2017 in Crown, health & safety, news, prisons, smoking, Supreme Court by sally

‘A prisoner suffering from poor health has lost his attempt to enforce the smoking ban in English and Welsh jails after the supreme court ruled that crown premises are effectively exempt from the enforcement of health regulations.’

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The Guardian, 19th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Liverpool jail: The worst conditions ever seen, says report – BBC News

Posted December 19th, 2017 in drug abuse, health & safety, news, prisons, reports by sally

‘Inmates at Liverpool prison are being kept in the worst living conditions inspectors have ever seen, according to a report seen by BBC News.’

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BBC News, 18th December 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

London borough fined £100,000 after social workers assaulted – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 6th, 2017 in fines, health & safety, local government, London, news, social services, violence by sally

‘A local authority has been fined £100,000 after two of its social workers were assaulted on a home visit by the mother of a vulnerable child they were visiting.’

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Local Government Lawyer, December 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Grenfell Tower fire: Inquiry ‘needs a diverse panel’ – BBC News

Posted December 1st, 2017 in diversity, fire, health & safety, inquiries, news by sally

‘The Grenfell Tower fire inquiry could become a whitewash unless there is a diverse panel to oversee proceedings, survivors and bereaved families say. They say chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick should sit with people from a range of backgrounds who understand the issues facing those affected by the blaze, in which 71 people died on 14 June.’

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BBC News, 1st December 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Draft Drone Bill to hand police powers to tackle unsafe and criminal use – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 28th, 2017 in aircraft, bills, health & safety, news, police, privacy by sally

‘A draft Drone Bill, to be published in spring 2018, will hand the police new powers to prevent the unsafe or criminal use of drones, the Government has announced.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th November 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Drone users will be forced to sit safety tests as number of near misses with planes increases by 60 per cent – Daily Telegraph

‘Drone users will be forced to sit safety tests under a government clampdown after near misses with planes have increased by 60 per cent in a year.’

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Daily Telegraph, 26th November 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Recycling company apologises after trial over shredder death – The Guardian

Posted November 16th, 2017 in accidents, costs, fines, health & safety, news, suspended sentences by sally

‘A recycling company has apologised after an agency worker was dragged into an industrial waste shredder and killed.’

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The Guardian, 15th November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Closing the Gaps – the failure of the law on health & safety at home – Nearly Legal

Posted November 15th, 2017 in bills, health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, reports by sally

‘Three months ago we wrote about a research project and report on housing and health and safety law being carried out for Shelter by legal academics from the Universities of Kent and Bristol. Now the report has been completed.’

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Nearly Legal, 14th November 2017

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

Grenfell Tower fire: Britain’s housing laws ‘inadequate’ and ‘outdated’, finds Shelter report – The Independent

Posted November 14th, 2017 in fire, health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, news, regulations, reports by sally

‘Britain’s “inadequate” and “outdated” housing laws are failing to prioritise tenant safety, a damning report commissioned by Shelter has found.’

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The Independent, 14th November 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Close dangerous fire safety loophole, London Fire Brigade says in wake of Grenfell disaster – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 13th, 2017 in building law, fire, fire services, health & safety, London, news by sally

‘A fire safety loophole means “dangerous decisions” are being made about building design that could lead to more serious blazes, the London Fire Brigade has warned.’

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Daily Telegraph, 13th November 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk