Lawford Kidd's Blog

A woman has received compensation amounting to around £145,000 after she was seriously injured when a car hit the moped she was driving, reports the Birmingham Mail.

The incident happened in Birmingham in July 2011. Sarah Forbes was on her moped when she was hit by a car that had pulled out of a side road. She sustained serious injuries, including a crushed sciatic nerve and dislocated hip, which required surgery to fix.

Ms Forbes spent a total of 20 days in hospital, and then was reliant on care from her family for a while. She has been left with restricted mobility and frequently relies on a zimmer frame or wheelchair to help her get around.  In addition, she had to give her up her job because the pain she suffered in her legs was so severe.

Road safety charity Brake has urged the UK Government to reintroduce casualty reduction targets.

The call follows the publication by the Department for Transport of its Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain Annual Report for 2014, which shows that 1,775 people died on the roads (a 4% increase on the year before). A further 22,807 were seriously injured (a 5% annual increase).

Casualties of all severities rose to 194,477 in Great Britain in 2014, an increase of 6% from 2013, interrupting what was a steady downward trend since 1997.

East Ayrshire Council (EAC) has taken the unprecedented step of becoming the first Local Authority to pledge its support to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health's (IOSH) No Time to Lose Campaign

The anti work-related cancer campaign, the purpose of which is to increase awareness of the exposure to cancer-causing substances in the workplace and also to encourage employers / organisations to take action to prevent such, has already attracted in excess of fifty pledges and considerably more endorsements.

October is upon us, and the Raynaud’s Disease Association have made this month Raynaud’s Awareness Month.

What is Raynaud’s Disease?

Raynaud’s disease, also known as Raynaud’s phenomenon, Raynaud’s syndrome or simply Raynaud’s, is when either cold or stress affects the blood flow to your extremities. The condition can also affect your ears, nose and lips. Its name comes from French doctor Maurice Raynaud, who discovered the disease.

A recent survey has revealed that the main causes of major injuries to workers in the UK food industry are slips and trips, manual handling and falls from height.

According to the study by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s Food and Drink Group (IOSH), there were 125 major injuries and 584 over-three-day injuries across 30 companies in 2013/14.

Around half of the major injuries were as a result of slips, trips or falls on the same level, while one in five major injuries were also as a consequence of either manual handling or falls from height.