Airport prosecuted after pensioner fell from ambulift
The owner of Edinburgh Airport has been fined £80,000 after a pensioner fell from an ambulift on his return from holiday.
Following the fall, James Young was admitted to hospital, but died more than a week later from his injuries.
The 81-year-old had just landed at the airport after holidaying on the Greek island of Rhodes with his wife Anne, when the incident happened on 28 November 2023.
Mr Young and his wife, who has mobility issues, had been waiting for one of the airport’s ambulifts to assist them disembarking the aircraft shortly after 4pm. The couple had been two of six people requiring the assistance of the ambulift following the flight.
Read more on the HSM website.
Site supervisor fined after exposing school pupils to asbestos
A construction site supervisor has been fined after he exposed primary school pupils and staff to asbestos during renovation work.
Adrian Barraclough was working as a site supervisor during the refurbishment of kitchen facilities at Holy Family Catholic Primary School in Bristol.
During the works on 13 May 2023, the 54-year-old cut through asbestos insulating board using a circular saw. His actions resulted in asbestos fibres spreading throughout the school hall, which was subsequently used for two days by pupils and staff.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Barraclough failed to follow his asbestos awareness training, including clear instructions not to disturb the wall. Following an asbestos survey, the wall was due to be checked by a licensed asbestos contractor prior to removal to clarify if asbestos was present.
For more on the incident visit the HSE website.
Bodycams make customers ‘less aggressive’ claim staff
A fuel and forecourt provider has hailed the rollout of body-worn cameras for staff, with almost three quarters (73%) saying customers are less aggressive now they are in use.
Certas Energy, an independent fuel and lubricants distributor with a national network of forecourts in the UK, has introduced body cameras at 40 of its company-owned, manned Gulf forecourts, after a staff survey1 highlighted concerns around antisocial behaviour on site.
More than half (55%) of respondents strongly agreed that a daily portion of their time is spent dealing with abusive behaviour, with the same (55%) amount saying they encounter one or more instances of physical or verbal threats per week.
Since the introduction of body cameras, employees unanimously agreed that they felt more reassured wearing the devices, agreeing that there is a definite need for body worn cameras for staff.
Learn more on the HSE website.
Keep staff safe in the heatwave, urges TUC
With Britain facing the first widespread heatwave this summer, the TUC is calling on employers to make sure their staff are protected from the sun and heat.
And the union body is calling on government to improve protections for workers by bringing in a maximum working temperature.
Health warning
Working in hot weather can lead to dehydration, muscle cramps, rashes, fainting, and – in the most extreme cases – loss of consciousness.
Alongside risks from heat, sun exposure makes outdoor workers three times more likely to develop skin cancer.
Read the full advice on the HSM website.
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