News and Knowledge

Company fined after repeated wood dust safety failures

Timbercraft Windows & Doors recently received a £4,000 fine after it was found that it had repeatedly failed to protect workers from wood dust exposure.   Timbercraft Windows & Doors Limited, based in Essex, has received three visits from the health and Safety Executive (HSE) over the course of a twelve year period.    …

Silicosis: Warning issued over ‘trendy’ quartz kitchens as two people die

Unions have issued a warning about worktops made from engineered stone after 18 cases of deadly lung diseases have emerged, and two people have died after working with the material.   The engineered surfaces, which are often used in modern kitchens and bathrooms have already been linked to more than a dozen UK cases of…

Stonemason dies from Silicosis after working in ‘appalling conditions’

A man who developed silicosis after years of cutting kitchen worktops in ‘appalling conditions’ has died, his family has said.   Prior to his death, father-of-three Marek Marzec said the dust he inhaled while cutting benches made from quartz left him ‘unable to breath’ and ‘in terrible pain’ prior to his death.     He…

Asbestos Claims: Hundreds of asbestos inspections to be carried out in Council buildings

The Health and Safety Executive has launched a campaign to inspect hundreds of Council buildings to ensure that the risk of asbestos is being managed properly.     Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive will visit Council head offices across the country to ensure asbestos risks are being managed effectively to keep people safe.…

Rotherham Council worker Wins £15,000 compensation after work conditions cause serious back injury

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd has secured £15,000 in compensation after a client suffered an injury whilst working for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.   In a recent settlement, a former childminder and Contact Support Officer, Zena, has been awarded £15,000 in compensation after her workplace conditions at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council led to a serious back injury.…

‘New Asbestos’: Warning issued after workers die from silicosis in West Yorkshire

A warning has been issued regarding the dangers of working with silica dust, after two men from West Yorkshire died after being diagnosed with silicosis.   Their widows have now spoken out, describing silica dust as the “new asbestos”. Silicosis is caused by inhaling toxic silica dust, which is commonly found in engineered stone, such…

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month, aimed at shining a light on occupational lung diseases and the actions that should be taken to protect workers’ health.   At present, it is estimated that 12,000 people die from work-related lung diseases every year. These deaths, linked to exposure to hazardous substances at work, include lung cancer…

Stonemason who has weeks to live warns of dangers of silicosis

A stonemason who has just weeks to live after being diagnosed with deadly lung disease Silicosis has spoken out to warn others of the dangers of working in the industry.   Marek Marzec, 48 is currently in hospital receiving palliative care after being diagnosed with silicosis in April this year. He contracted the disease after…

Asbestos: Fear of ‘tsunami’ of deaths in UK schools

A new report has claimed that hundreds of thousands of people will die from asbestos exposure in UK schools after the ‘hidden killer’ still remains in public buildings.   According to statistics, at least 1,400 teachers and support staff, and 12,600 pupils have died from mesothelioma (an aggressive lung cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibres)…

Hepatitis B – What You Need To Know

In this article we look at what Hepatitis B is, symptoms, prevention and what to do if you think you have been exposed to the disease at work. What is Hepatitis B? Hepatitis B is a liver infection, which can be spread through blood, semen, and vaginal fluids. Hepatitis B normally lasts for a few…