Bill to close legal loophole on partnerships

A Bill designed to close the legal loophole allowing partnerships to evade prosecution by dissolving, as happened in the Rosepark fire in Uddingston, has been introduced to the House of Lords by the Advocate General for Scotland Lord Wallace of Tankerness.

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Assault on health and safety will increase risk of injury

A two-pronged attack on health and safety by the Government will expose workers and members of the public to greater risk of injury, campaigners have warned.

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Workplace ill health and injury in Scotland

Recently published figures have revealed slight falls in a number of key areas of workplace ill-health and injury in Scotland.

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Lighter nights could help cut road deaths

Lighter nights all year round could help to arrest the rising number of road deaths, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). 

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Asbestos victims let down again by revised rules for insurers

Proposed new rules on how old insurance records are searched are a “missed opportunity” to ensure the industry honours its responsibility to sick and dying workers.

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New checks for doctors in patient safety boost

Doctors in the UK are to become the first in the world to have regular assessments to ensure that their training and expertise are up-to-date and that they are fit to carry out their roles, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced.

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Nursing home fined for elderly man's fatal fall

Truro Crown court has heard that an elderly man with dementia was able to wander into another resident's room at his nursing home and fall to his death from a window. Reginald Gibbings, 89, fell 3.6 metres from the room in July 2008.

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Working at height put under safety spotlight

Dozens of construction sites across Scotland have been put under the spotlight as part of an intensive inspection regime by the Health and Safety Executive.

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Health and safety study launched

People involved in health and safety at work are being invited to take part in a UK-wide study into the sources of information they use, either in their workplaces or when giving guidance to others.

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Call to improve the safety of young drivers

Urgent action is needed to improve the safety of young drivers, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The industry group says that radical measures are necessary – including a minimum one year learning period.

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Excavator driver sentenced after worker injury

A Nottinghamshire demolition company and one of its employees have appeared in court after a worker suffered severe injuries when he was hit by a falling excavator bucket on his first day on site.

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‘Sorry’ not always good enough for victims of injury

Plans to introduce legislation to protect people from legal action if they apologise for causing injury are “pointless and misguided” lawyers have said.

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Injuriesboard.ie publishes interim report for 2012

InjuriesBoard.ie has released details of its work in the first six months of 2012. Data for the period shows a gradual but consistent increase (4.1%) in claims volumes compared to the same period in 2011. The period also saw the emergence of issue-specific claims linked to Thalidomide and De Puy hip replacements.

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Death rates after surgery double that of recent estimates

National estimates of death following general surgery have been too optimistic, according to the first large-scale study to explore surgical outcomes across Europe, led by Queen Mary, University of London.

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Calls for safety guidance to be in plain English

Campaigners say a review of workplace safety must ensure that all updates to important guidelines are made in plain English.

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New initiative to cut loading bay accidents

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has recently launched a new initiative aimed at reducing the number of people injured or killed when working in loading bays.

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De-regulation kills, warns TUC

Government plans to abolish safety inspections in thousands of businesses across the UK will put the health of millions of workers at risk, the TUC has warned.

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Lawyers welcome rethink on compensation cuts

Campaigners have welcomed a decision by the Government to rethink its proposals to cut compensation payments for victims of crime.

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APIL reveals new whiplash research

An independent survey, commissioned by the not-for-profit Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), has found that almost 40% of people who have suffered a whiplash injury have never claimed compensation for it.

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Nursing home owners sentenced after death of elderly resident

Two nursing home owners have been fined after an elderly resident died following a fall from a hoist.

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