‘Green’ ferry emits more CO2 than old diesel ship
The carbon footprint of a long-delayed new “green” ferry will be far larger than the 31-year-old diesel ship that usually serves the route between the Scottish mainland and the island of Arran.
An emissions analysis by CalMac has calculated MV Glen Sannox will emit 10,391 equivalent tonnes of CO2 a year compared with 7,732 for MV Caledonian Isles.
The dual-fuel ferry has more car capacity but requires larger engines which also emit methane, a greenhouse gas with a far greater global warming effect than CO2.
Ferries procurement agency CMAL, which owns the ship, said the comparison was “inaccurate” as Glen Sannox is a larger vessel.
The size of Glen Sannox is a factor in its carbon footprint, but so too is the liquified natural gas (LNG) fuel which is less climate-friendly than previously claimed.
Read more on the BBC website.
Grenfell firefighters suffering long-term health disorders
New research has found that over a quarter of surveyed firefighters who attended the Grenfell Tower fire are now suffering from long-term health disorders.
The research, independently carried out by the University of Central Lancashire with assistance from the Fire Brigades Union, (FBU) analysed available data from 524 of the 628 firefighters who attended the disaster.
As published in the Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, 26% of the firefighters reported adverse health outcomes, with 301 adverse outcomes reported overall. In many cases, firefighters suffered from more than one health disorder. These include 66 cases of digestive diseases, 64 respiratory diseases, 22 neurological diseases, and 11 cancer diagnoses.
Authored by Professor Anna Stec, a world-leading expert in fire chemistry and toxicity, the study found that a majority of the 136 firefighters reporting health disorders had not worn respiratory protection at some point during their activities. They were unable to follow safety protocols due to the severity of the incident.
For more on the research visit the HSM website.
UK Athletics charged with manslaughter over death of Paralympian
UK Athletics has been charged with manslaughter over the death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei.
Hayayei died aged 36 after a metal cage fell on him while training at Newham Leisure Centre, London in July 2017.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has charged UK Athletics Limited with “corporate manslaughter and a health and safety at work act offence”.
Keith Davies, the head of sport for the 2017 World Para-athletics Championships, has also been charged with “gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety at work act offence”.
UK Athletics and Davies, 77, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 31 January.
Hayayei was training for the World Championships in London at the time of the incident.
Learn more on the BBC Sport website.
New simplified advice for installers of stone worktops
Britain’s workplace safety regulator has published a helpful guide of do’s and don’ts for people installing stone worktops.
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) guidance is designed to remind dutyholders and workers about the need to ensure that suitable procedures and controls are in place to help protect against exposure to stone dust and prevent workers breathing in respirable crystalline silica (RCS).
Stone workers are at risk of exposure to airborne particles of stone dust containing RCS when processing stone, including engineered stone, by cutting, chiselling and polishing. Over time, breathing in these silica particles can cause irreversible, life-changing and often fatal respiratory conditions such as silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
Visit the HSE website to read more.
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