Lawford Kidd's Blog

According to recent research, which was undertaken by Imperial College London and commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the number of people in the United Kingdom who are diagnosed with, or die from, skin cancer contracted as a result of sun exposure at work, is much higher than expected.

It is hoped said research will better educate busineses as to the risks of skin cancer for employers/workers working in outdoor roles, including those in construction, agriculture and leisure.

A newly-published survey which was conducted jointly by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the Construction Dust Partnership (CDP), which aimed to discover how well issues with on-site dust risks are controlled and perceived, has shown that workers feel the issue of hazardous dust must be highlighted more in their workplace.

The results of the joint survey - which questioned more than 600 workers from throughout the construction industry - show that 44 per cent of workers currently feel that the industry considers the control of construction dust of "very little" priority. By contrast, just 12.5 per cent thought it was considered "a priority health issue".

The Health and Safety Executive has launched safety campaign after new research found tradespeople, including construction workers, carpenters and painters and decorators, could come into contact with deadly asbestos on average more than 100 times a year.

The survey also revealed some common myths believed by those at risk, with one in seven (14%) believing that drinking a glass of water will help protect them from the deadly dust and one in four (27%) thinking that opening a window will help to keep them safe.

Only a third (30%) of those asked were able to identify all the correct measures for safe asbestos working, whilst more than half (57%) made at least one potentially lethal mistake in trying to identify how to stay safe.

Scotland has a long, proud industrial history: our shipyards, coal mines and steel works have shaped our nation's economy and society over the years.

Unfortunately for the people of Scotland, much of that industry has gone and left behind a legacy of asbestos-related disease. Even more unfortunate is that the most common asbestos-related disease, mesothelioma, is particularly aggressive, difficult to detect and doesn't receive anywhere near as much research funding or attention as some other types of cancer.

The dangers of asbestos were previously unknown, since effects or symptoms of asbestos-related disease often don't appear until decades after exposure to the deadly dust. As a result, Scotland is now experiencing an asbestos epidemic.

Small fibres which are made to toughen bike frames and hockey sticks have been identified as a possible cause of asbestos like cancer.  The carbon nanotubes which are used for strengthening tennis rackets and as a possible item for bullet proofing clothing have been found to cause harm in mice if the longer nanotubes become stuck in lung tissue.