UK’s muddy saltmarshes vital to tackle climate change, report finds
The UK’s saltmarshes are vital “sinks” that lock away climate-warming greenhouse gases in layers of mud, according to a new report from WWF.
Much of the UK’s saltmarshes have been lost to agriculture but the charity says they are unsung heroes in nature’s fight against climate change.
It is now calling for these muddy, tidal habitats to be added to the official UK inventory, external of how much carbon is emitted and how much is removed from our atmosphere every year.
This formal recognition could, it hopes, provide more of an incentive to restore and protect more of these sites.
Read more on the BBC website.
Report reveals diabetes crisis among commercial drivers
A new report, launched ahead of Diabetes Week on the 9-15 June, exposes a major, under-recognised health and safety crisis facing the UK’s commercial road transport industry: the unchecked rise of type 2 diabetes among professional drivers.
Hiding in Plain Sight: The UK Diabetes Crisis – A Call to Action to the Road Transport Sector, developed by the Diabetes Safety Organisation in partnership with the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety and Driving for Better Business, reveals that thousands of commercial drivers may be unknowingly living with type 2 diabetes — a condition that significantly impairs concentration, reaction times, and long-term wellbeing.
With more than 300,000 licensed HGV drivers in the UK and the transport sector facing record levels of absenteeism, early retirement and workforce shortages, the report warns that failure to act risks undermining both public safety and national logistics resilience.
For more on the report visit the HSM website.
Fine for flour mill after workers severs finger
A Northamptonshire-based flour company has been fined £300,000 after a maintenance worker severed one of his fingers in machinery.
The incident happened at ADM Milling Limited at its site on Earlstrees Industrial Estate in Corby on 28 June 2023.
David Wood, who was 59 at the time, had been carrying out maintenance work on a packer closing station. However, the 800-kilogram machine became unbalanced and tipped backwards, trapping his left hand. This resulted in the little finger on the hand being severed.
The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which found the company had failed to safely manage the risks of people performing maintenance at its factory.
Learn more about the incident on the HSE website.
BSIF appeals for real-life PPE stories
The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) is calling on workers across the UK to share their real-life experiences of how Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has saved them from serious injury, or even death, while on the job.
PPE plays a crucial role in protecting workers from life-altering injuries and fatalities. It safeguards the body’s most vulnerable areas, including the head, eyes, face, hearing, lungs, hands, and feet, acting as a critical line of defence when hazards cannot be fully eliminated.
To raise awareness about the critical importance of PPE, BSIF has launched the PPE Saves campaign. They invite workers, employers, and safety professionals to share their personal stories of how PPE has protected them or their colleagues in the workplace.
Visit the HSM website to learn more.
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