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Bicycle Manufacturer Raleigh Guilty Of Fork Lift Death
Bicycle manufacturer Raleigh have pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the health and safety of one of their employees, after an accident in which one of their employees was killed at work.
The 59 year old employee died at Raleigh’s Eastwood site in 2007 after he crashed a fork lift truck causing him to be flung out of the truck, where he was then crushed by girders and rubble knocked down by the impact – causing him to suffer multiple injuries, including a fractured spine and a torn aorta valve in his heart. The worker was alive at the scene when medical staff attended, and was airlifted to Queens Medical Centre hospital where he later died from his injuries.
The employee had been an experienced driver of fork lift trucks and, although there were no witnesses to the actual accident, it is understood that he was driving the truck with the forks raised, which is against company health and safety policy, and as a result hit the top of a low doorway. However, evidence submitted in Court showed that there had been 2 other previous incidents involving fork lift trucks and a health and safety expert who examined the scene concluded that there had been a foreseeable risk of the accident happening. The depot manager admitted that he had failed to anticipate the accident; however he also accused the local authority inspectors and an independent expert of failing to spot the danger.
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New Road Accident Doctor Charity
The BBC News website has recently had a report about a new charity that is to be launched in North Wales for doctors to attend the scene of road and other serious accidents. The charity, which will be known as The North Wales Emergency Doctor Service, has been set up with the intention to provide specialist support for paramedics at the scene of road and other serious accidents. This new idea follows results of research that has revealed that expert help for paramedics at the scene of the accident can lead to a better outcome for many people involved in accidents and can help save lives.
Initially, four doctors throughout the region have volunteered for the scheme, and they will work in their free time and in less busy periods for hospitals. Each of the doctors will be equipped with £15,000 worth of equipment in their cars and they will be notified at the same time as the ambulance service so that they arrive on the scene as soon as possible. It is hoped that by raising funds more doctors will sign up to the scheme and if it proves successful it is hoped that similar schemes will be set up all around the UK.
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It is believed that there are now over 2 million people driving on Britain’s roads without any insurance cover and Police figures have revealed that the number is increasing at an alarming rate every year. Figures show that in the whole of 2007 14,520 cars were seized in London, however the most recent figures show that last year 14,133 were seized between April and September alone.
Driving without insurance is a particular problem with young drivers aged between 17 and 21, with 1 in 5 driving without insurance. It is believed that this is mainly due to the cost of insurance for young people being too high and many believe that it should be made cheaper to try and encourage more people into getting insurance. This is the view of one driver, Mr. Gary Street, who was hit by a young uninsured driver on his way to work. Mr. Street suffered neck and back injuries in the accident which kept him off work for a month and the accident also affected him financially as he had to claim on his own insurance costing him £900 for his policy excess and his premiums have also increased as a result of losing his no claims bonus.
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200 Women Sue Liverpool Womens Hospital
This week, it has come to light that more than 200 patients treated at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital are suing one of the consultants there for negligent treatment.
The BBC states (source) that all the women went to the hospital for treatment for incontinence and have come out with symptoms significantly worse that they had before the operation. Some had minor urinary incontinence and left the hospital suffering with double incontinence affecting both their bladder and their bowels.
Incontinence is a common problem in the UK, particularly found in women following childbirth, but the fact that it is common does not lessen the serious effects that it can have on people’s lives. This is a humiliating condition which, when severe, can dictate what the sufferer is able to do. Many patients must forward-think their day to ensure that they are never too far from a toilet and some people can almost feel housebound by the condition.
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A woman died in a London health club when a lift that she was exiting suddenly fell and stopped between 2 floors, dragging her between the wall and the side of the lift. The woman was freed by the fire crew and rushed to hospital however she later died from her injuries.
The BBC reports that Mrs Katarzyna Woja was killed in the accident which happened in 2003 and the trial was due to begin on 09/03/10 at Southwark Crown Court. However, the company responsible for the maintenance of the lift, Thyssenkrupp Elavator UK, have now pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that people not in their employment were not exposed to safety risks, failing to maintain the lift properly in accordance with their obligations and failing to adequately investigate the cause of previous failures; offences which fall under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
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Medication Errors in the Treatment of Children
A report prepared by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has revealed an alarming number of medical errors occurring in the treatment of children and babies in our hospitals.
In a one year period, the researchers found that over 60,000 children were exposed to clinical mistakes, the majority of which were cases where the patient was administrated with an incorrect dose of medication or where no medication was provided at all. Medication errors are particularly worrying as they can have very grave effects for the patient. The research by the NPSA found that 33 children and 39 babies under one year died following provision of an incorrect dose of medication.
The NPSA have urged drug companies to begin to manufacture medications in child doses as well as adult doses in the hope that fewer administrational errors can be made. When dealing with such a small body mass, a slight increase in medication can cause disastrous consequences. It is therefore extremely important that prescribed doses are checked and checked again.
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First Official UK Workers Memorial Day for Victims of Accident’s At Work
On 28th April 2010 people all over the country gathered at events, rallies and services to mark the UK’s first officially recognized Workers Memorial Day which is held in memory and recognition of all the people who have been killed or suffered injuries in accidents at work.
Every year hundreds of thousands of people all over the world are killed or injured in accidents at work due to poor health and safety standards in the work place and the negligence of employers. Support for Workers Memorial Day has grown in recent years and is already recognized and supported by many other countries throughout the world. This year is the first in which the UK will officially recognize Workers Memorial Day and it is hoped that official recognition will increase awareness further and lead to greater improvements in health and safety standards in the workplace. A member of safety group Hazards Campaign stated that “every year more people are killed at work than in war. Most do not die of mystery ailments or in tragic accidents. They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn’t a priority”.
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Maradona Bitten in Face By Dog
Football legend and current Argentina world cup coach Diego Maradona has undergone surgery after being attacked by a dog. The dog, believed to be Maradona’s own pet, bit him on the face leaving him requiring 10 stitches.
The number of dog bites in the UK is increasing every year with NHS figures showing that there were over 3,500 attacks by dogs in 2008 ranging from minor bites and scratches to serious wounds and in some cases even death. Many attacks are now being attributed to non-illegal breeds and family pets and the RSPCA has stated that the Dangerous Dogs Act now needs to be changed to try and curb the increase in attacks which has actually tripled since the act came into force in 1991.
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An increasing number of women are choosing home birth, the perception being that it is safer, cleaner and a better birthing experience. In some circumstances this can be true and after careful consideration by a doctor or a midwife this service can be offered through the NHS. However, some women are turning away from the perceived failures of the NHS and putting their trust into independent midwives.
Whilst some women are getting the experience they hoped for, others are not. In one recent high profile case, the independent midwife who delivered J K Rowling’s two children recorded a high foetal heart rate of 190 beats per minute, over 30 beats over the accepted safe rate, and yet failed to act upon this result. Instead, she continued with labour as normal and only checked the heart rate again after another hour had passed. Eventually, having recorded a dangerously high foetal heart rate on 5 occasions and realising the baby was in the wrong position, an ambulance was called for and the independent midwife then left the mother to wait for the arrival of the paramedics alone.
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Claiming For Asbestosis – The Case of Fairchild
It is a sad fact that in previous years many people have worked in unsafe environments in buildings where they have been exposed to Asbestos. An unfortunate side effect of this is that they may succumb to the illness Mesothelioma – a lung tumour caused by exposure to asbestos. The question is can they claim and if so how?
The situation in the case of Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services was exactly the same as the situation above and all the individuals claiming had contracted Mesothelioma through working for several different employers over a period of years.
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