Risk Digest: 19th August 2016

Here’s your Risk Digest for the Week Ending 19^th August 2016.

Health and Safety

Young Worker Engulfed in Flames At Distillery:

SHP 19.8.16

The employee sustained twenty percent burns to his head, neck and hands after he was engulfed in flames when ethyl acetate – a highly flammable liquid – was being transfered from a bulk storage tank into an intermediate bulk container.

Consultation on Freight Container Regulations:

HSE 18.8.16

This Consultative Document sets out proposals from HSE to amend the Freight Containers (Safety Convention) Regulations 1984 to give effect to amendments made to the International Convention for Safe Containers 1972. In 1978 the UK ratified the Convention and by ratifying agreed to be bound by the treaty and its terms in accordance with international law.

Accentuating the Differences Between Health and Safety:

SHP 15.8.16

Since the inception of the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974, there has been a successful drive to bring a responsible attitude towards fundamental health and safety processes to both employers and employees. As a result we now look on health and safety warnings and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as normal, realistic practices that save lives. But is it entirely accurate to assume that health and safety is a marriage of equals?

Food

Blossom Cottage Recalls Morello Cherry Cordial:

Food.gov 14.8.16

Blossom Cottage is recalling a batch of its Morello Cherry Cordial 500ml bottles because fermentation has occurred in some of the bottles.

Healthy Foods that are Ruining the Environment:

Telegraph 18.8.16

While junk food is vilified for damaging the environment, healthy grains, fruit and veg often get a free pass. That is, until now.

Environment

River Blockages Cleared After Winter Flooding:

Gov.uk 18.8.16

The Environment Agency has this week started an £800,000 programme of work on the rivers Aire and Worth to remove gravel and silt deposited by the winter floods.

Source of Brook Pollution Discovered:

Natural Resources Wales 19.8.16

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has discovered the likely source of a pollution incident in mid-Wales. Oil analysis linked the fuel found in the Lledan Brook in Welshpool to a red diesel tank at a local fuelling station.

Economy

RCUK Welcomes HM Treasury Statement on Continuity of Funding Under Horizon 2020:

ESRC 13.8.16

Research Councils UK welcomes the statement made by HM Treasury on continuity of funding for UK applicants to Horizon 2020, published on 13 August.

Federal Reserve Split on Timing of Next Rate Rise:

BBC News 17.8.16

Minutes from the US central bank’s last meeting show policy-makers divided over when the next rate rise should come.

According to the minutes, some Federal Reserve members felt “economic conditions would soon warrant taking another step”, while others believed more data was needed.

Wellbeing

Five Ways to Create a More Productive Workplace:

TechWeek Europe 18.8.16

Learn how the convergence of real estate, technology and HR can support workplace redesign for better business outcomes by downloading the whitepaper.

Technology Isn’t Making You Sad, It’s How You’re Using It:

Huffington Post 15.8.16

Taken at face value, Ofcom’s recent report on the nation’s addiction to the internet might seem like the stuff of a dystopian nightmare: we spend a full day a week online, over half of us feel “hooked” to the internet.

Other News

Humans Caught The Cold Virus… From Camels:

The Independent 19.8.16

Researchers at the University Hospital of Bonn in Germany had been investigating MERS when they made the unexpected discovery.

Belgian Beer Fans Are Brewing Their Own:

UK Reuters 18.8.16

In a country where some 200 breweries produce well over 1,000 different beers, surely no one is considering brewing their own? Wrong.

Disclaimer

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We have no affiliation with third party websites and they do not represent us or our views.

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