Nearly half of toys bought online from third party sellers are ‘unsafe’, report finds
Nearly half of the toys purchased from third-party sellers via online marketplaces were unsafe for children to play with, a new study has found.
The report commissioned by the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) found many of the potential gifts could choke, strangle, burn, poison and electrocute children.
Out of the 255 toys that were randomly selected, inspected and tested, 88% were illegal and 48% were unsafe for a child to play with. And now, following the report which tested items bought via Amazon, eBay, AliExpress and Wish, the BTHA is calling for changes to the law so that children can play without risk of injury or death.
Read the full article on the Sky News website.
Worker paralysed by fall at Watford Football Stadium
Peterborough Magistrates’ Court heard that on 14 June 2016, workers were constructing a new hospitality and seating stand at the stadium of Watford Football Club. The concrete floor and associated formwork collapsed causing a number of workers to fall. Most of the workers were able to cling to the structure to escape serious injury. However, Ashley Grealish fell approximately 11 metres down the mouth of a stairwell to the basement below sustaining multiple injuries including spinal damage, which caused permanent paralysis from the waist down.
For the full story, visit the HSM website.
Extreme weather: What causes flash flooding?
Parts of London and the south of England have been hit by flooding after heavy rain overnight. Two Tube lines and sections of the London Overground have been affected, with part of the M23 in Sussex also closed.
Flash flooding affects cities across the world and has become more common because of climate change. Flash floods usually happen during intense rainfall – when the amount of water is too much for drains and sewers to deal with.
It can occur very quickly and without much warning.
Roads can become unpassable – with vehicles abandoned – and homes and shops damaged by floodwater.
Floods can affect key public infrastructure including transport networks and hospitals. In July, some London hospitals had to ask patients to stay away after they lost power following heavy rain
Learn more about the flash floods on the BBC website.
IOSH responds to Prime Minister’s return to offices call
In response to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s call for people to return to offices, IOSH says that businesses around the world must make “informed risk-based decisions for themselves”.
The call was made by the PM in his speech at the Conservative Party Conference on Wednesday 6 October.
IOSH’s Head of Health and Safety Ruth Wilkinson said:
“The transmission of Covid-19 within and getting to workplaces remains a real risk and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing and controlling risk factors within the workplace. So, rather than a blanket approach being taken for a return to offices, workplaces and to activities, the decision must be an informed risk-based one.
“There is evidence to show that remote working does reduce the spread of Covid-19. However, it isn’t all good news as not everyone is well set up to work at home, not everyone’s work can be undertaken at home, it can have a negative impact on some workers’ mental health and wellbeing, and so on.
For more on the IOSH advice, visit the IOSH website.
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