Lawford Kidd's Blog

An amended Government plan to deregulate areas of health and safety remains “unnecessary, unhelpful and unwise”, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has said.

Clause 1 of the Government’s Deregulation Bill will amend the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to exempt certain self-employed from general health and safety duties.

IOSH and a wide-range of other stakeholders have said the clause could lead to confusion, lower standards and increase the risk of injury and illness at work.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has suggested that tougher sentences should be imposed upon those who breach health and safety laws across the UK.

IOSH's belief is that harsher sentences, which would reflect both culpability and disapproval within society, may improve health and safety standards and remedy defects, but may also deter future offending.

In the coming weeks, the focus will very much be on assessing and controlling the risks of fires and explosions in the workplace thanks to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health's (IOSH).

The organisation has arranged an event – namely, Fire and Explosion - Controlling Dangerous Substances' - aimed at helping health professionals, particularly in the chemical process industry, minimise the risks of fires and explosions.

Motorists have been warned of reckless driving in dangerous winter weather following a multi-car pile up on the A92.

16 cars were involved in a pile up in merely half of mile of road, with reckless driving in the low winter sun being cited as the main reason for the accident which saw four people require hospital treatment.

Following the collision of two cars, 14 cars failed to stop in time, resulting in bumper-to-bumper collisions.

New compensation rules are now in place that will enable asbestos-related cancer sufferers to receive up to £54,000.

Under new rules for the Government’s Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme, compensation will rise to match 100% of average civil claims, up from the current 80% – which could mean an increase of up to £54,000 a person.

Diffuse mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of internal organs, such as the lungs, and almost always arises from exposure to asbestos. It takes a long time to develop - typically 15 to 40 years – but life expectancy from diagnosis is only between eight and nine months on average.