Scottish Death Bill Overhauled

The Scottish Certification of Death Bill has today been reformed. 

Commenting on the overhaul of the publication, Dr George Fernie, Chair of the British Medical Association's (BMA) Forensic Medicine Committee and member of the Scottish Council, said: 

"The BMA welcomes this planned overhaul of the existing death certification systems which have become outdated. The Government's proposals provide a foundation on which to develop a modernised service but it is essential that this has sufficient resource to ensure the new system has effective medical support.

 The new processes detailed in the Bill support measures to improve clinical governance and will act as a means to improve the quality and accuracy of certification as well as enhancing the scrutiny of death certification. The BMA will be seeking reassurances that the scrutiny processes for cremations are not lowered and that the system All of which should provide greater reassurances for the public when dealing with the deatis funded to the equivalent levels provided for the services in England."

Dorset Team Target Motor Trade

Officers from the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities in Dorset will be carrying out a programme of inspections to businesses associated with the motor vehicle trade through November. The inspections will include motor vehicle repairers, body sprayers/repairers, tyre and exhaust fitting premises and vehicle showrooms. The main focus of this work, part of this year’s WorkWell Dorset work stream, will be to reduce the incidents of ill health from the use of hazardous substances such as isocyanate paints, which are one of the biggest causes of occupational asthma in the UK. Almost 50 sprayers are diagnosed every year, resulting in a lifetime cost between £94,000 to £138,000. Other topics areas, where inspectors will provide advice on practical solutions while seeking business compliance, include reducing accidents and injuries associated with petrol draining, segregation of the public from work areas, musculoskeletal injuries sustained from lifting and carrying, training of young workers, preventing injuries from slips, trips and falls, and seeking to improve worker involvement on health and safety.

Fencing Firm Prosecuted

A Manchester fencing manufacturer has admitted putting its employees in danger by allowing them to use unguarded machinery. Fencing Supplies Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after the company allowed guards to be disabled on nine fence cutting machines at its factory in Trafford Park. A HSE inspector visited the site in July 2009, and served nine Prohibition Notices banning the use of the machines and an Improvement Notice requiring changes to working practices. Trafford Magistrates' Court heard that the guards on five machines had been deliberately bypassed. This meant that workers could gain access to them, while they were still operating, to carry out maintenance work and remove waste materials. Mike Lisle, the Investigating Inspector at HSE, said: "The machines should have automatically shut down before anyone was able to get close to the dangerous parts of the machinery. But as a result of the guards being defeated, the machines continued to operate with workers at risk of coming into contact with moving parts and suffering serious injury." The business pleaded guilty to breaching regulations. The company was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay £2,774 towards the cost of the prosecution on 9 October.



(BMcN)