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Suspended jail term for ignoring asbestos safety

The director of a Bromley firm has given a suspended jail sentence after removing asbestos without a licence and deceiving the householders by providing a doctored air test saying the room was safe to re-enter.

Southwark Crown Court was told that the firm was hired to take out all the asbestos insulation from the boiler room of a home in Camden. The director did the work over eleven days but as well as being unlicensed to remove asbestos, he failed to effectively clean and decontaminate the area. He left visible fibres that were a danger to the householders and to the plumbers, who were due to start work in the boiler room.

After he was finished, an analyst who went to take an air test provided him with a certificate clearly showing the site had failed. However, the director provided a doctored report to the owners indicating it had passed the test and was safe for them to re-enter, which they did.

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Military deaths abroad to be investigated in Scotland

The Ministry of Justice has announced that, as part of its reforms of the coroners system, the law has been updated to allow the deaths of service personnel abroad to be investigated in Scotland for the first time.

Until now inquests into such deaths have been heard in England and Wales, meaning bereaved service families based in Scotland have often had to travel long distances to attend the inquest.

This change comes into force on 24th September 2012, when the first Chief Coroner of England and Wales, Judge Peter Thornton QC, will have the power to recommend to the Lord Advocate that an investigation should be transferred to Scotland.

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Experts call for helmets to be worn

A string of quad bike fatalities in Great Britain has prompted experts to call for more riders to wear safety helmets.

Members of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) Rural Industries Group issued a stark warning to those working with quad bikes who are reluctant to wear head protection.

Alan Plom, from the IOSH Rural Industries Group, said: “The majority of those killed riding all terrain vehicles were not wearing a helmet at the time. Riders should always wear suitable head protection, it could mean the difference between life and death – it’s that simple.”

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Firms fined for asbestos failings

Two Lincoln companies have been fined after workers were exposed to asbestos during the refurbishment of a Northamptonshire hospital ward.

One of the companies was hired by the other to carry out an asbestos survey before work began on the hospital. The survey identified an asbestos coating on the underside of the ceilings, but missed over 200 sq metres of asbestos insulation board above.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court was told that when two workers were told to knock holes in the ceilings in December 2009, they were not told it contained asbestos and they disturbed both layers.

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Poor head restraints increase the risk of whiplash injuries

Hundreds of thousands of whiplash injuries could be prevented each year with better head restraints and seats in UK cars, according to Axa Insurance.

The company carried out research, in conjunction with motor research organisation Thatcham, into the cars on the UK's roads and estimates that only 34% have head restraints and seats that would be categorised as "good" when it comes to reducing the risk of the driver being the victim of whiplash injuries.

In the UK, 1600 claims for whiplash are made per day - 570,000 per year - costing the insurance industry £2bn per year in payouts. If 65% of these could be avoided through better head restraints and seats this could mean a reduction of 370,500 claims costing around £1.3bn.

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