Dallas McMillan's Glasgow Lawyers' Blog

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Calls for greater progress in reducing road deaths

Transport safety campaigners are calling on the European Union to accelerate progress in reducing the number of people killed in cars every year in the EU, as new research shows 12,345 car occupants were fatally injured in 2012.

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Scottish road casualty figures reach record low

Statistics recently published by Transport Scotland have revealed that road casualties in Scotland have fallen to their lowest level on record.

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Council adopts directive on safety of offshore oil and gas operations

The Council of the European Union has adopted a directive on the safety of offshore oil and gas operations. The new regulatory framework aims at reducing the occurrence of major accidents related to offshore oil and gas operations and to limit their consequences.

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Gross negligence manslaughter charge

The Crown Prosecution Service in England has announced that gross negligence manslaughter charges are to be brought following the death of a cricket ground worker.

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Fine for company after workers flee whisky fire

A major scotch whisky manufacturer has been fined after two workers had to flee a warehouse fire.

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Compensation awarded for clinical trial death

The family of a man who died while taking part in a clinical trial has been awarded an undisclosed amount in compensation, reports Orange News.

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Legal loopholes put workers at risk of injury

Injuries inflicted with needles and other sharp instruments in the healthcare sector could be avoided if regulatory loopholes were closed, campaigners have claimed.

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Safer vehicles through international harmonisation

The European Commission has reached agreement with international partners on new internationally harmonised rules on Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) and Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS) for commercial vehicles.

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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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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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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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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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Consultation launched on NHS compensation claims

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on plans to reform the system of NHS compensation claims by introducing a no-fault compensation scheme in Scotland.

The change would mean patients who have suffered loss, injury or damage as a result of healthcare treatment could be compensated without having to resort to court action.

The proposed new system would still require proof that harm was caused by treatment but would remove the need to prove negligence.

Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said:

"We know that the vast majority of the care delivered in our NHS is of the highest quality, but it is important that people who have suffered as a result of clinical mistakes should have some form of redress.

"It's in no-one's best interests to have that redress delayed because a compensation claim can take years to go through the courts and nor is it in anyone's interests to have precious NHS resources spent on expensive legal fees.

“That is why we are considering the introduction of a no-fault compensation system. It is important that we seek wider views in order to help in our understanding of what the practical implications would be and to ensure that those affected receive appropriate redress without the need to go through a lengthy court process.”

No-fault systems are already in place in countries such as Sweden, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark and Norway, and parts of the United States.

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Companies prosecuted after asbestos exposure

A Cheltenham contractor and a retailer have been prosecuted after a construction worker was exposed to asbestos during a refurbishment project.

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Scottish safety camera figures

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in Scotland has welcomed a reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured at safety camera sites following camera enforcement, but is concerned that some drivers are still not heeding the safety messages at 40-, 50- and 60mph locations.

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Britain’s dockers at risk

Britain's dock workers could be left without the specialist safety protection they need if plans to water-down safety regulations go ahead.

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) says proposals by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to axe safety rules specific to dockyards could have “tragic consequences”.

“Five times more dock workers die than the national average for workplace deaths so the last thing the port industry needs is weaker safety measures,” said APIL president Karl Tonks.

Under the plans, regulations which are specific to docks, such as those ensuring ladders are in place as a means of escape if workers fall into the water, will be scrapped and replaced with guidance.

“Guidance isn't compulsory, and an industry as dangerous as this needs robust rules to protect its workers,” said Karl.

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Roofing boss fined after worker seriously injured in fall

An Aberdeenshire roofing boss has been fined after one of his workers was seriously injured when he fell five metres from the edge of a flat roof.

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