Pages On: Industrial Deafness and Disease

Car worker awarded compensation following exposure to chemical fumes

Posted: 26 April 2016

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

A 59-year-old car worker has been awarded compensation following the inhalation of chemical fumes whilst at work.  The worker, who has remained unnamed, was working on a production line at a car factory in Solihull when he noticed a strange smell. He started to feel light-headed and passed out on the concrete floor. The worker felt tightness across his chest and experienced breathlessness. First aid workers initially administered oxygen, but when it was clear that his condition was not improving. He was rushed to a local hospital where doctors diagnosed that…

Legionnaires’ outbreak in Edinburgh cost NHS £750,000

Posted: 24 July 2013

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Personal Injury, Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

After Edinburgh saw an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that killed four people last year, a report has unveiled the overall cost to the NHS — £750,000. Despite the fact that the root cause of the viral spread has not yet been pinpointed, the death of these four individuals prompted an NHS payout to cover further hospital admissions and advanced staffing. Further additions to the bill included medication, lab costs and public information. The outbreak was restricted mainly to the south-west of Edinburgh, with the report pinpointing a source around the…

Study reveals impact of air pollution on weak hearts

Posted: 13 July 2013

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Personal Injury

An international study has revealed the impact of air pollution on weak hearts — causing major damage, and in some cases, death. The British Heart Foundation, who funded the Lancet work, argues that the UK has to make serious changes in order to clean up the air. The levels of air pollution in many of the UK’s cities are above safe levels set by the European Union. This is not only a problem in the UK, but worldwide Despite major gains in lowering pollution throughout the European Union, some major metropolitan cities…

Man inhales engine fumes on Edinburgh ship

Posted: 30 June 2013

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease

A man is currently receiving medical attention in hospital after inhaling “dangerous” fumes on a boat in Leith, Edinburgh. The man had been on board the Hirta at Ocean Drive, when an engine leak occurred on the fishing inspection ship. Hirta is one of the fisheries patrol vessels that operates out of Leith. The engineer had to be taken to hospital after inhaling the gas, which he came into contact with when cleaning on board the ship. It is believed that he was mixing chemicals in the engine room to clean the…

Toxic chemical leak at Edinburgh fitness club

Posted: 20 June 2013

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

Virgin Active have been fined a total of £20,000 after a lethal mix of chemicals was released into the Edinburgh fitness club in 2010. Numerous staff from the fitness club had to be taken to hospital after the chemicals leaked into the pool plant room at the Omni Centre.  Even though this room was not accessible to the public, four members of staff had to be taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. A chemical called Polyaluminium Chloride was mistakenly mixed with a swimming pool disinfectant, sodium hypochlorite, which then caused a…

Campaigners criticise asbestos compensation scheme

Posted: 30 May 2013

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma

With around 4,000 people a year dying from asbestos-related diseases, this silent killer is now the UK’s leading cause of work-related deaths. Mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, was recently addressed in the Queen’s Speech as a scheme has been proposed to help sufferers. This new scheme has been presented to assist victims who are unable to trace an insurer, or employer, that is liable to pay compensation.  However, campaigners argue that thousands of victims of other asbestos-related illnesses, such as pleural thickening and asbestosis, will miss out on the benefits of this new…

Helping apprentices tackle a hidden killer

Posted: 19 February 2013

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease

Apprentice tradespeople across Clydebank are set to benefit from a new HSE e-learning package to help them better understand the risks from asbestos. Approximately 4,000 people across Great Britain die each year due to asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos can be found in many buildings built or refurbished before 2000, and the group of workers now most at risk is the 1.8 million tradespeople who routinely disturb the fabric of buildings during their work. HSE Principal Inspector Archie Mitchell said: “Many young tradespeople believe that, because asbestos is no longer used in…

Proposed exemptions send wrong message on workplace health and safety

Posted: 7 November 2012

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

A professional body has criticised proposals to exempt self-employed workers from health and safety laws and to scale down the number of workplace accidents that employers should report. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has submitted evidence to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), urging the regulator to retain current requirements on the self-employed and improve the reporting system for work-related accidents. IOSH fears the exemption of certain workers from health and safety regulations will cause confusion. The chartered membership body has advocated more government support for business…

New figures published for workplace ill-health and injury

Posted: 1 November 2012

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

Recently published figures have shown slight falls in a number of key areas of workplace ill-health and injury.The provisional statistics published by the Health and Safety Executive show that in Britain between April 2011 and March 2012: 22,433 major injuries such as amputations, fractures, and burns to employees were reported — a rate of 89.90 injuries per 100,000 workers — compared with 24,944 in 2010/11. The average for the past five years is 27,170.88,731 other injuries serious enough to keep people off work for four or more days were reported…

GPs incorrectly diagnosing work-related asthma

Posted: 29 October 2012

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Medical Negligence

Recent research from the University of Birmingham has found that GPs are often failing to correctly diagnose work related asthma in patients. One in ten cases of adult asthma are caused by work related factors, but the research found that GPs are not correctly identifying this in around 75% of patients.According to the research, around 3000 people a year develop asthma because of exposure to materials at work. Where this is diagnosed early, patients have a good chance of a complete recovery. However, two thirds of patients will never make…

Vibration White Finger Claims

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

If you have been injured in the last three years, and it wasn’t your fault, you may be able to claim compensation. The amount you are able to claim depends on the type and severity of your injury. Personal Injury Claims Aberdeen can help you get the compensation you are entitled to. Our compensation guide outlines the levels of compensation for some of the most common types of injury. Vibration White Finger Compensation Vibration white finger is an unfortunately common complaint which arises as a result of exposure to vibration.…

Lung Disease

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma

If you have been injured in the last three years, and it wasn’t your fault, you may be able to claim compensation. The amount you are able to claim depends on the type and severity of your injury. Personal Injury Claims Aberdeen can help you get the compensation you are entitled to. Our compensation guide outlines the levels of compensation for some of the most common types of injury. Lung Disease Compensation Claims Lung disease is frequently related to workplace injuries. These can take many years to come to light,…