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11/01/2011
Other UK News In Brief
UK And China Join Forces Over Low Carbon Growth
Low carbon growth was put firmly at the heart of UK- China relations during an inward visit by Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang when both countries agreed formally to work together on this crucial agenda. The agreement follows the visit by the Prime Minister and Chris Huhne to China last year in what was the largest ever political and business delegation to visit the country. The Memorandum of Understanding will take forward the agreement reached during last year’s UK-China Summit to develop a new partnerships scheme for promoting low-carbon growth at provincial and city level in China. The UK China Low Carbon Co-operation (LCC) will strengthen the exchange of practical policy knowhow and expertise between the UK and China’s Low Carbon Pilot Provinces and Municipalities on three principal themes: Low-carbon planning; Use of market mechanisms; Low carbon standards, low-carbon labelling and procurement to bring about low carbon consumption. The UK-China LCC will focus initially on co-operation between the UK and the following low carbon pilots in China: Chongqing, Guangdong and Hubei, which have a combined population of 180 million people. Both countries will work towards establishing a UK-China Low Carbon Co-operation Committee and Action Plan in Spring 2011.
Firm Fined After Worker Hit By Three-Tonne Steel Tank
A steel manufacturing company has been fined after a process tank weighing three tonnes fell on an employee at one of its sites. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Wefco (Gainsborough) Ltd of Britannia Works, Spring Gardens, Gainsborough, for failing to ensure the safety of 29 year old employee Edward Baxter. Mr Baxter of Hempdyke Road, Scunthorpe, sustained multiple fractures to his pelvis, spine and ribs, a fractured leg and ankle and head injuries as a result of the incident on 4 March 2008. A process tank was being lifted with an overhead crane, chains and a temporary lifting bracket welded onto the tank. The lifting bracket came off the tank, which then fell onto Mr Baxter. Wefco (Gainsborough) Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000 at Lincoln Crown Court today.
Common Painkillers Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Problems
Commonly used painkillers for treating inflammation can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, according to bmj.com today. The drugs include traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) as well as new generation anti-inflammatory drugs, known as COX-2 inhibitors. The researchers say that doctors and patients need to be aware that prescription of any anti-inflammatory drug needs to take cardiovascular risk into account. NSAIDs have been the cornerstone of managing pain in patients with osteoarthritis and other painful conditions. In 2004, the COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib was withdrawn from the market after a trial found that the drug increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. Since then, there has been much debate about the cardiovascular safety of COX-2 inhibitors and traditional NSAIDs, which several studies have not been able to resolve. So researchers in Switzerland performed a comprehensive analysis of all randomised controlled trials comparing any NSAID with other NSAIDs or placebo. They included 31 trials and 116,429 patients taking seven different drugs (naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, celecoxib, etoricoxib, rofecoxib, lumiracoxib) or placebo to provide a more reliable estimate of the cardiovascular risks of these drugs than previous studies. Overall, the number of harmful outcomes that could be compared for placebo versus treatment was low. In 29 trials there was a total of 554 heart attacks; in 26 trials there were 377 strokes, and in 28 trials there were 676 deaths. So the absolute risk of cardiovascular problems among people taking painkillers was low, but the researchers did find that, relative to placebo, the drugs carried important risks. For instance, compared with placebo, rofecoxib and lumiracoxib were associated with twice the risk of heart attack, while ibuprofen was associated with more than three times the risk of stroke. Etoricoxib and diclofenac were associated with the highest (around four times) risk of cardiovascular death. Naproxen appeared least harmful in terms of cardiovascular safety among the seven analysed preparations. Although the number of cardiovascular events in the trials was low.
(BMcN/GK)
Low carbon growth was put firmly at the heart of UK- China relations during an inward visit by Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang when both countries agreed formally to work together on this crucial agenda. The agreement follows the visit by the Prime Minister and Chris Huhne to China last year in what was the largest ever political and business delegation to visit the country. The Memorandum of Understanding will take forward the agreement reached during last year’s UK-China Summit to develop a new partnerships scheme for promoting low-carbon growth at provincial and city level in China. The UK China Low Carbon Co-operation (LCC) will strengthen the exchange of practical policy knowhow and expertise between the UK and China’s Low Carbon Pilot Provinces and Municipalities on three principal themes: Low-carbon planning; Use of market mechanisms; Low carbon standards, low-carbon labelling and procurement to bring about low carbon consumption. The UK-China LCC will focus initially on co-operation between the UK and the following low carbon pilots in China: Chongqing, Guangdong and Hubei, which have a combined population of 180 million people. Both countries will work towards establishing a UK-China Low Carbon Co-operation Committee and Action Plan in Spring 2011.
Firm Fined After Worker Hit By Three-Tonne Steel Tank
A steel manufacturing company has been fined after a process tank weighing three tonnes fell on an employee at one of its sites. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Wefco (Gainsborough) Ltd of Britannia Works, Spring Gardens, Gainsborough, for failing to ensure the safety of 29 year old employee Edward Baxter. Mr Baxter of Hempdyke Road, Scunthorpe, sustained multiple fractures to his pelvis, spine and ribs, a fractured leg and ankle and head injuries as a result of the incident on 4 March 2008. A process tank was being lifted with an overhead crane, chains and a temporary lifting bracket welded onto the tank. The lifting bracket came off the tank, which then fell onto Mr Baxter. Wefco (Gainsborough) Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000 at Lincoln Crown Court today.
Common Painkillers Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Problems
Commonly used painkillers for treating inflammation can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, according to bmj.com today. The drugs include traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) as well as new generation anti-inflammatory drugs, known as COX-2 inhibitors. The researchers say that doctors and patients need to be aware that prescription of any anti-inflammatory drug needs to take cardiovascular risk into account. NSAIDs have been the cornerstone of managing pain in patients with osteoarthritis and other painful conditions. In 2004, the COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib was withdrawn from the market after a trial found that the drug increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. Since then, there has been much debate about the cardiovascular safety of COX-2 inhibitors and traditional NSAIDs, which several studies have not been able to resolve. So researchers in Switzerland performed a comprehensive analysis of all randomised controlled trials comparing any NSAID with other NSAIDs or placebo. They included 31 trials and 116,429 patients taking seven different drugs (naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, celecoxib, etoricoxib, rofecoxib, lumiracoxib) or placebo to provide a more reliable estimate of the cardiovascular risks of these drugs than previous studies. Overall, the number of harmful outcomes that could be compared for placebo versus treatment was low. In 29 trials there was a total of 554 heart attacks; in 26 trials there were 377 strokes, and in 28 trials there were 676 deaths. So the absolute risk of cardiovascular problems among people taking painkillers was low, but the researchers did find that, relative to placebo, the drugs carried important risks. For instance, compared with placebo, rofecoxib and lumiracoxib were associated with twice the risk of heart attack, while ibuprofen was associated with more than three times the risk of stroke. Etoricoxib and diclofenac were associated with the highest (around four times) risk of cardiovascular death. Naproxen appeared least harmful in terms of cardiovascular safety among the seven analysed preparations. Although the number of cardiovascular events in the trials was low.
(BMcN/GK)
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