The Education Secretary has said that the closure of schools in England due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic would be as “short as possible.” Gavin Williamson defended the recently announced delay to the start of the new school term, saying that the government was “battling this hidden enemy” and that schools were being provided...
Study shows pandemic’s impact on mental health
A new research study has found that key indicators of poor mental health and wellbeing – such as loneliness, suicidality and not coping well with stress – have worsened among UK adults since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The four-nation longitudinal study, led by the Mental Health Foundation and its university partners, has...
Müller group fined after worker’s fingers amputated
Major yoghurt and dessert manufacturer, Müller, has been fined £66,000 after an agency worker had to have their fingers amputated following a “preventable incident.” The Müller UK & Ireland Group, based in Minsterley, Shrewsbury, appeared at Walsall Magistrates’ Court this month where they pleaded guilty to breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment...
Health and safety guidance as Brexit transition period ends
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued guidance for complying with health and safety law as the transition period following Britain leaving the EU comes to an end on 31st December 2020. When the Brexit transition period officially ends, businesses in the UK will still have the same responsibility to protect the health,...
HSE busts Christmas health and safety myths
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has busted some common health and safety myths that tend to circulate around the festive period. Keen to dispel the many myths and misconceptions around health and safety law, guidance and standards, the HSE has identified a series of festive myths through media stories and reports from the...
Mencap report reveals Covid-19 inequalities for people with learning disabilities
A new report from Mencap has revealed the “shockingly high health inequalities” faced by people with a learning disability during the Covid-19 pandemic. The report, entitled ‘My Health, My Life: Barriers to healthcare for people with a learning disability during the pandemic’, reveals a number of failings and highlights shocking figures which show that...
HSE continues safety spot checks in run-up to Christmas
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has made clear that it will be continuing spot checks and inspections as Christmas approaches. Britain’s health and safety watchdog will be calling and visiting all types of businesses across the country throughout December in order to ensure they are COVID-secure and following all health and safety regulations....
Care homes must be patient over Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Although care home residents are top of the priority list to receive the new Covid-19 vaccine, logistical issues mean there could be a delay in getting it to them. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has called for patience over the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for Covid-19, which was approved for...
Ofsted warns of ‘invisibility of vulnerable children’ in lockdown
Ofsted have warned that vulnerable children at risk of harm have “slipped out of sight” during the national coronavirus lockdown. England’s Chief Inspector of Schools, Amanda Spielman, has warned that, when schools were closed during the first national lockdown, children may have missed out on the help they needed due to teachers being unable...
CQC publishes Covid-19 inpatient survey
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published the results of it’s coronavirus (Covid-19) inpatient survey. The key findings reveal that the majority of people were positive about their experience of hospital care during the first wave of the pandemic, but that those who were diagnosed with coronavirus did have poorer experiences than those who...
Care home fined £100K for failure to provide safe care
A care provider has been fined £100,000 for their “serious failure” to provide safe care in what the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has described as a “very distressing case.” Sunrise Operations Esher Limited, which operates the Sunrise of Esher care home in Esher, Surrey, appeared at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court where they were ordered...
Children more likely to catch Covid in second wave
Children are now more likely than adults to be infected with Covid-19 and bring the infection into a household, it has been revealed. The government’s scientific advisors say that the number of school-age children with coronavirus has risen “significantly” during the second wave compared with the first, and that people living with secondary-school-age children...
More than 100 online sex crimes against children recorded each day
The NSPCC has revealed that online sex crimes recorded against children have passed the equivalent of 100 per day. Analysis of the latest Home Office data shows that, between January and March 2020, the number of online sex crimes against children recorded by police reached the equivalent of 101 per day across England and...
How to protect home workers during Covid-19
As hundreds of thousands of workers continue to work from home in line with government guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has updated guidance for protecting home workers. Employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as they do for any other workers. The HSE explains...
IOSH urges firms to manage carcinogens during Covid-19
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has urged businesses to ensure they are safely managing carcinogens in their workplaces during Covid-19. The warning came as the world’s largest professional health and safety body marked the sixth anniversary of their No Time to Lose campaign, aimed at highlighting the causes of occupational cancer...