DIRECTOR TO FACE MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE
The Crown Prosecution Service has announced that director George Collier is due to be charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

The charge relates to the death of Meg Burgess on 26 July 2008 in Prestatyn, Wales. Miss Burgess, aged three, was killed when a wall designed by Mr Collier and constructed by his company, Parcol Developments Limited, collapsed on to a public footpath in Ffordd Penrhwyfla.

Mr Collier has been summonsed to appear at Prestatyn Magistrates' Court on 3 October 2011.
Parcol Developments Limited is to be charged under section 3 of the HSWA.

Rosemary Ainslie, reviewing lawyer for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: "I did consider whether Parcol Developments should also be charged with corporate manslaughter. There is sufficient evidence to prosecute the company for this offence, but it would not be in the public interest to do so. The company had only two directors and Mr Collier was the only one directly involved in this incident. The charge against him is sufficiently serious to address the alleged offending".

PRESSURE SAFETY SYSTEM FROM DESIGNER TO USER
The HSE has issued a basic guide to requirements under the Pressure Equipment Regulations 1999 and the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000.
Examples of pressure systems and equipment include:

• boilers and steam heating systems;
• pressurised process plant and piping;
• compressed air systems;
• pressure cookers, autoclaves and retorts;
• heat exchangers and refrigeration plant;
• valves, steam traps and filters;
• pipe work and hoses; and
• pressure gauges and level indicators
  

The HSE's guidance for manufacturers, suppliers and users is at: www.hse.gov.uk/pressure-systems/index.htm?ebul=hsegen&cr=9/18-jul-11

PEAK MESOTHELIOMA MORTALITY
A research report from the HSE suggests that peak mortality from mesothelioma in males is likely to be 2016 and females one decade later.

The researchers say the projection for female peak mortality is considerably uncertain, but with a substantially lower annual number of deaths. The research is based on updated statistical models which the report says provide a reasonable basis for making relatively short-term projections of mesothelioma mortality in Britain. However, longer-term predictions comprise additional uncertainty not captured within the prediction intervals for the annual mortality rates. Taking this into account, 2,100 deaths in 2016 represents the current best estimate of the upper limit for the male projections. The number of male cases is predicted to drop to under 200 cases in 2050.

RR876 - ‘Mesothelioma mortality in Great Britain: The revised risk and two-stage clonal expansion models' can be obtained from: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr876.htm

SERIOUS BACK INJURIES ON FIRST DAY ON SITE
A self-employed roofer has not returned to work since he suffered serious back injuries falling through a roof, Derby Magistrates Court was told on 3 August 2011.

Michael Hawkins fell approximately six metres through a fragile roof at a large industrial building on 16 June 2009. He had been subcontracted by Mechanical Solutions Ltd, of Mansfield, which had been employed by the building's owners to help cover the asbestos cement roof with steel cladding.

The HSE told the court that the company had failed to ensure the work was properly planned, appropriately supervised or carried out in a safe manner. It also failed to identify how fragile the roof was.
Mechanical Solutions Ltd pleaded guilty and was fined £10,000 under regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and ordered to pay full costs of £5,366.

CONSTRUCTION CANCER WARNING
The Society of Occupational Medicine has warned that construction workers need to cover up in the sun, following research published in the journal ‘Occupational Medicine'.

Researchers from the University of Manchester found that some construction workers were up to nine times more likely to get skin cancer than other workers from a similar social group and background. They have a higher risk due to long periods working outside in direct sunlight and ultraviolet rays reflected from nearby surfaces such as concrete.

A separate study published in the same journal highlights the importance of employer-led sun safety interventions in the construction industry. After appropriate training workers were more likely to adopt measures such as applying sun screen, drinking plenty of water, wearing long sleeved loose fitting tops and regularly checking their skin for changes.

Source: www.som.org.uk/Builders-get-new-dress-code.1074.0.html

SILICA CONSTRUCTION EXPOSURE
An HSE pilot study assesses the potential for inadvertent exposure of the public to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) from construction activities.

The study assessed the respirable dust (RD) from, demolition, block cutting, road building, general construction activities and city centre air from 13 visits to seven sites. In total, 48 samples from the construction activities and 11 city centre air samples, for comparison, were collected.

The results obtained for RD and RCS were generally very low. Only 10 per cent of results (from two sites) for RCS were above 0.01 mg.m-3, which is 10 per cent of the current Workplace Exposure Limit for RCS. The majority of visits showed evidence of some transport of RCS across the site and potentially into public areas.

Copies of RR878 - ‘Levels of respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica at construction sites' can be obtained from: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr878.htm

LIGHTING IN WORKPLACES STANDARD
BS EN 12464 is the Standard that specifies lighting requirements for indoor workplaces to help ensure the visual comfort and performance of people with normal visual capacity. Everyday visual tasks are considered, including the use of Display Screen Equipment.

A new Part 1 of BS EN 12464 specifies requirements for lighting solutions for most indoor workplaces in terms of the quantity and quality of illumination. It also includes recommendations for good lighting practice.

BS EN 12464-1:2011: ‘Light and lighting: Lighting of work places. ‘Indoor work places' can be obtained via: http://shop.bsigroup.com/bsen12464-1

WELL-MANAGED LANDFILL SITES NO RISK TO PUBLIC HEALTH
Health Protection Agency (HPA) experts have considered studies looking at emissions from sites and research on health effects posed by modern landfill sites and concluded there is little cause for concern for those living nearby.

The HPA's Committee on Toxicity concludes there were no significant health concerns in relation to any findings in relation to the results of levels of chemicals found at the boundaries of a number of landfill sites.
Health risk advice regarding landfills was previously published by Defra in 2004. The new evidence reviewed by the HPA does not change the conclusions of that research.

The HPA concludes that a well managed site does not pose a significant risk to human health.

The report calls for more research into:

• the potential impacts on health of emissions from closed landfill sites;
• improving exposure assessments around landfill sites; and
• the impact of odours from landfill on the health of those living nearby.
  

The report can be viewed at www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/Radiation/DocumentsOfTheHPA

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