Author: Peacock Carter

Earlier this week, on the 14 January 2019, the UK Government published its Clean Air Strategy, outlining how England will set out reducing the prevalence of harmful air pollutants.

Air pollution is one of the biggest threats to public health in the UK – behind only cancer, obesity and heart disease – and the measures set out in the Clean Air Strategy will cut the costs of air pollution to society by £1.7 billion every year by 2020, rising to £5.3 billion every year from 2030.

This document builds on an extensive consultation process undertaken last year.

Unlike previous plans which have focused on transport and energy emissions, the strategy aims to tackles a number of smaller, more diffuse sources. As a result, emissions from agricultural, domestic and smaller industrial sites are now included the strategy. 

Key measures include:

• Ambitious long-term target to reduce exposure to particulate matter (PM) in line with World Health Organisation recommendations. It will publish evidence early in 2019 to examine what action would be needed to meet the WHO’s guideline limits.
• Tackling the UK’s biggest source of PM – open fires and solid fuel stoves – by banning the sale of wet wood, prohibit the most-polluting fuels and ensure only the cleanest stoves are available by 2022
• A reduction in ammonia pollution through supporting farmers to invest in infrastructure to reduce emissions, introduce low-ammonia agricultural regulations
• Reporting annually on the impacts of air pollution on natural habitats
• Requirements for the rail industry to produce a road map to phase out diesel-only trains by 2040
• Producing guidelines in 2019 to help ports develop air quality strategies

International air quality commitments have been agreed at a UK level. However, air quality is a substantially devolved policy area. Wales and Northern Ireland are currently in the process of drafting their own strategies.

Meanwhile, Scotland has already produced its own Air Quality Strategy Cleaner Air for Scotland – The Road to a Healthier Future(CAFS) – Scotland’s first separate air quality strategy. CAFS sets out in detail how Scotland intends to deliver further air quality improvements over the coming years. 

The most recent CAFS annual progress report was published in August 2018 and summarises progress on delivering the actions. 

The Scottish Government announced that a comprehensive review of CAFS will be undertaken and completed by the end of 2019. Scotland has largely seen reductions in emissions of the five NECD pollutants in recent years. 

A National Air Pollution Control Programme will be developed in partnership with the UK Government and Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as required under the National Emissions Ceilings Directive for publication in 2019.

The Scottish Government have recently published the National Low Emissions Framework (NLEF).  

The Framework provides a methodology for local authorities to undertake air quality assessment to inform decisions on transport related actions to improve local air quality, where transport is identified as the key contributor to air quality problems. 

The NLEF supports and builds on the work already being done through the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) system

Local authorities in Scotland should have regard to NLEF when undertaking their local air quality management duties and developing their air quality action plans.

The NLEF will contribute to the vision set out in Cleaner Air for Scotland The Road to a Healthier Future (CAFS) for Scotland to have the best air quality in Europe by assisting in the consideration of actions that will reduce the impacts of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) 

The NLEF also has a correlation to the National Transport Strategy key strategic outcomes, which has a particular focus on reducing emissions to tackle climate change, air quality, health improvement, along with cross over to elements such as congestion and accessibility. 

The NLEF can be found on the Air Quality Scotland Website here.

Abattoirs will need to install CCTV cameras in all areas where there are live animals are present under new legislation to be introduced by the Scottish Government.

It has pledged to bring forward legislation later in the year.

This is intended to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare in abattoirs, by helping those responsible for enforcing welfare legislation.

The proposal was backed by the vast majority of respondents to a recent consultation carried out by the Scottish Government.

Announcing the news ahead of a Parliamentary Statement on Animal Welfare, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment Mairi Gougeon said:

“More than eight out of ten slaughterhouses in Scotland have already installed CCTV coverage in their premises voluntarily, and over 95% of all animals slaughtered in Scotland are covered by some form of CCTV. However, the standards of that coverage can differ from location to location.

“This government is committed to ensuring the highest standards of welfare for all animals. And we are pleased that so many respondents to our consultation backed our proposals to make this compulsory. It was important also to consider the financial implications of such a move for industry, and whether other options might be available to improve animal welfare.

“Following a positive response to the consultation, I’m delighted to announce that I will introduce legislation to the Scottish Parliament in 2019, which will help to improve further the already high standards being followed by the livestock sector in Scotland.”

Animal rights groups have claimed that the abuse of animals is widespread in slaughterhouses, and believe independently-monitored CCTV cameras will help to limit their suffering.

The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers welcomed the Scottish government announcement, but said more than 95% of animals slaughtered in Scotland go through abattoirs that already use CCTV systems.

It also insisted the industry had an “open and transparent approach” with the veterinary authorities and follows the strict welfare controls which are monitored by Food Standards Scotland.

A spokesman for the association said some existing CCTV systems may need to be upgraded or completely replaced under the proposals, and called for assurances that the industry will be given help to meet any additional costs as has already happened in Wales.

Two patients have died after contracting a fungal infection linked to pigeon droppings at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The individuals are thought have caught the airborne disease at the hospital after inhaling the fungus cryptococcus, typically found in soil and pigeon droppings.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has launched an investigation into the outbreak. It said the likely source of the pigeon droppings was a non-public room, thought to contain machinery, which has now been cleaned.

NHSGGC said “control measures” had been introduced. Portable HEPA air filter units have been installed in specific areas as an additional precaution. In addition, a small number of vulnerable paediatric and adult patients are receiving medication to protect them against the airborne infection, which is a Cryptococcus species.

The health board said that the second patient who died was elderly and the death was due to an unrelated matter. It said it could not share further details of the case because of patient confidentiality.

A NHSGGC spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with the families at this distressing time.

“Due to patient confidentiality we cannot share further details of the two cases.

“The organism is harmless to the vast majority of people and rarely causes disease in humans.”

Teresa Inkster, NHSGGC lead consultant for infection control, said: “Cryptococcus lives in the environment throughout the world. It rarely causes infection in humans. People can become infected with it after breathing in the microscopic fungi, although most people who are exposed to it never get sick from it.”

She said there had been no further cases since control measures were put in place. “We are continuing to monitor the air quality and these results are being analysed. It remains our priority to ensure a safe environment for patients and staff,” she added.

Speaking to the BBC, Professor Hugh Pennington, of Aberdeen University, said he was surprised to learn of the infection.

The epidemiologist said: “It is very unusual in the UK.

“It is quite common in other parts of the world, particularly in tropical parts and in the US and in countries like that, where they have more problems with this particular kind of fungus.”

Prof Pennington said people with weak immune systems are most at risk.

He added: “When it gets into the blood stream a lot of people have fairly straightforward infections and it settles in the lungs but the big problem with this is that it can cause meningitis and, as we know, meningitis can be a very serious infection.”

Prof Pennington said anti-fungal drugs are used to treat the infection but warned it can be fatal if it is not diagnosed.

The expert said a key priority would have been stopping the airborne infection from entering the hospital’s ventilation system.

He added: “Obviously they have stopped the pigeons getting into the machine room.

“It surprises me slightly that there was any there in the first place.”

Several restaurants listed on the food delivery app Just Eat have been providing incorrect information concerning food allergens, a BBC Panorama investigation has discovered.

The research, also found that over 100 restaurants listed on the app had a food hygiene rating of zero, despite some being promoted by Just Eat as a “local legend”. 

Just Eat does not require restaurants to provide any allergen information on their app or website. Customers are expected to contact the restaurants directly to directly to find out allergen information.

However, even when customers do so, they’re not guaranteed to receive accurate information about the ingredients that their food contains, the documentary finds.

BBC Panorama reporter Tina Daheley pretended to be a customer with food allergies when ordering food at restaurants through Just Eat. 

She ordered a chicken chow mein dish from Tong Feng House in Greater Manchester, a restaurant that has five-star customer views on the Just Eat app but a zero-star hygiene rating.  Despite being assured that the dish didn’t contain any wheat, this claim proved to be false when the food was sent for scientific testing.

Daheley also ordered a burger without a bun from Mama Mia Pizza in Birmingham, another restaurant with a zero-star hygiene rating. The reporter was incorrectly informed by an employee that the burger didn’t contain any wheat.

In another instance, Daheley called Karo’s Pizza in Liverpool to ask whether it would be safe for her to eat their cheese burger as an individual with a wheat allergy, a question that the employee on the phone was unable to confidently answer.

JustEat says it has launched an investigation into the matter and said that it was concerned to discover restaurants were not giving accurate information, saying it had “we have already offered further support and training”. The company told Panorama: “We are investigating how this has happened to stop this from happening again.”

Shirley Cramer CBE, the chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said: “The food hygiene rating system is vastly important for us understanding how good a restaurant is. I don’t think in anybody’s mind [a zero-rated restaurant] would be a ‘local legend’.”

BBC Panorama “Takeaway Secrets Exposed” was aired on 14 January and can be viewed here.

REHIS, as part of the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee (SFELC) has endorsed guidance produced by SFELC’s Joint Specialist Cheese & Risky Foods Short-Life Working Group on the production of cheese from unpasteurised milk. 

The guidance is the output of thousands of hours of work focussed on controlling the microbiological risks in the production of artisan cheeses made from unpasteurised milk, specifically Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) including E coli O157.  

The guidance applies to all establishments producing cheese from unpasteurised milk from made from cows, goats, sheep and buffalo.

Cheese made from unpasteurised milk has been linked to outbreaks of human illness and in particular, illness caused by STEC organisms including E Coli O157. The guidance has been developed in relation to the control of STEC and is intended for use during the inspection and enforcement of food safety controls applied by cheesemakers producing cheese made from unpasteurised milk.

The guidance reflects current scientific knowledge and understanding in relation to STEC and the production of cheese from unpasteurised milk. As scientific information and evidence on STEC evolves, the guidance will be reviewed. In addition, the guidance will complete a pilot implementation phase before a scheduled review.  

REHIS welcomes the introduction of the guidance and will continue to support the work of SFELC and its working groups on the production of guidance and standards that maintain and improve public health.

The “Guidance for Local Authority Enforcement Officers on the Production of Cheese from Unpasteurised Milk” can be accessed here.

Highland Spring has announced its water bottles will be produced from 100% recycled plastic following a successful 2018 trial.

This month will see the permanent launch of the Highland Spring eco bottle across supermarkets.

The bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic, excluding the cap and label, which are themselves recyclable, the company said.

The bottle, which will be a permanent part of the company’s UK products range, will be slightly cloudier than standard versions.

They are also more expensive to manufacture, which may add around 5p to the total cost when they are sent out into stores across the country this month.

Highland Spring said customers had expressed a “significant desire” for more eco bottles when trialled at Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores last summer.

Group chief executive Les Montgomery said: “We are grateful to shoppers who gave us their thoughts and feedback.

“Increasing our use of recycled plastic is an absolute priority for Highland Spring and this is a hugely exciting step in our mission to provide healthy hydration choices in environmentally sustainable ways.”

Waste collection systems used throughout the UK could be causing significant long-term musculoskeletal issues for workers, research has shown. 

Researchers from the University of Greenwich and Glasgow Caledonian University surveyed more than 200 refuse workers over four years investigating musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) arising out of different recycling and waste collection systems.

MSDs cover any injury, damage or disorder of the joints or other tissues in the upper or lower limbs or the back and can be made worse by workplace conditions.

In the research published by in the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Policy and Practice in Health and Safety journal, it was found that recorded pain from collection injuries rose by 25 per cent in 2014 following a growth in garden refuse and food waste collections.

It shows that wheeled bin-based services are associated with fewer MSD injuries than services including boxes, baskets and sacks and suggests Local Authorities should discontinue 'box type' collections on MSD grounds as a matter of urgency.

The team observed workers' experiences of MSDs through body mapping, with workers identifying where they collectively felt pain or discomfort during their work activities and recording the results via a chart or questionnaire. The study is the first time body mapping has been applied as a risk assessment toolfor MSDs in waste collection.

The study identified a relationship between pain quantity and distribution experienced by the workforce undertaking different collection systems.

Dr David Thomas, of the University of Greenwich and a Member of IOSH’s Environmental and Waste Management Group Committee said: "The findings of this research present a timely opportunity for organisations to consider how they protect their workforces. Rather than organisations focusing on generic 'capability' for a 'fit youngster' they need to consider how they accommodate an ever-increasing ageing workforce when developing systems of work.

"It is also an opportunity for organisations to accept that their current methods of managing work can create ill-health problems and consider ways to make workforces more sustainable in the future including changing systems of work."

As part of the study, three surveys were carried with the same local authority workforce over the four-year process.

The first survey examined the pain experienced by workers using waste management methods in use in 2010. The second two surveys examined the workforce after the implementation of a new waste management system in 2013 and then in 2014 after it had become embedded.

The overall severity of pain dropped significantly when comparing 2010 and 2013, and only increased in 2014 by approximately 25 percent. This latter increase included demands from additional garden waste and food waste collections over this period.

Workers reported the parts of the body with highest APC were the lower back, shoulder, neck and upper spine, which decreased with a reduction in manual handling following the removal of boxes and baskets and an increase in the use of wheeled bins.

Less pain and reduced risk was also experienced when there were aspects of job rotation, due to the variation of task and the reduction in static loading for drivers.

The research confirms previously established links between awkward occupational postures and lower back pain, which can often be a result of bending, twisting, lifting boxes and sorting recycling into different components and bins.

Andy Robertson, IOSH Environmental & Waste Management Group Chair, said: "Figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show around 70 percent of all workers in the Waste Management industry are involved in municipal household and commercial collections. These collections account for about 80 percent of all the reported injuries, with the most common being musculoskeletal disorders.

"Having been key to IOSH Environmental & Waste Management Group's development of a free training package for Local Authorities, which is aimed at the development of Line Managers' competence to safely manage teams carrying out municipal waste collection, this research further supports the direction Local Authorities should be taking in order to protect the health of workers collecting municipal waste on their behalf."

The paper, "Using body mapping as part of the risk assessment process – a case study," appeared in the journal Policy and Practice in the Health and Safety, which is published by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. 

The majority of Scots support action to reduce the levels of sugar, fat and salt in food, according to the latest Scottish Social Attitudes (SSA) survey.

Findings from the survey “Public attitudes to reducing levels of overweight and obesity in Scotland” found the majority (91%) thought cheap fast food was too easily accessible. 

The SSA survey commissioned by NHS Health and carried out in 2016, included a module on obesity to find out what people think about action to tackle obesity.

The most popular measure to tackle obesity (86%) was more free weight management courses and the second most popular measure (82%) was for limiting the amount of fat, sugar and salt that can be added to food and drink by manufacturers. 

The study found 62% supported a tax on sugary fizzy drinks, however, it found there to be less support (47%) for taxation on foods high in fat, suggesting that, currently, the public perceive foods high fat differently to those high in sugar. 

Seven out of 10 people agreed that levels of people being overweight and obese was a problem that needed to be addressed. 

About 80% of those asked agreed with the statement that most people are overweight because they eat too much and exercise too little.

Even more (91%) said people were overweight because of the type of food they ate. Less than a fifth of people surveyed said being overweight was something inherited from parents or because of low metabolism.

When asked who is responsible for reducing obesity in Scotland most thought individuals who are very overweight (obese) themselves were responsible. The next most frequently selected groups were healthcare professionals (e.g. doctors or nurses), food and drink manufacturers, schools and family and friends of people who are very overweight (obese).

The survey also found that 66% backed restricting unhealthy foods at supermarket checkouts. There was also majority support for restrictions on advertising and sponsorship, and restrictions on portion size.

According to the survey, people "underestimated" the health effects of being overweight and obese. Less than half the population understood the risk of cancer from being obese, it said.

Scotland has one of the highest levels of overweight and obesity among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.  The percentage of adults in Scotland who are overweight and obese rose from 52% in 1995 to 65% in 2016, including 29% that are obese.

The obesity module in the SSA survey included 40 questions which were developed in consultation with colleagues from NHS Health Scotland. A random sample of 1,237 individuals aged 16 years and older in Scotland took part in the survey.

Environment secretary Michael Gove has launched draft legislation to set up an independent environmental watchdog which will “hold government and public bodies to account” after Brexit.

Under the environment bill, the independent statutory body Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) will be created to safeguard environmental standard.

This will include taking on legal powers of enforcement instead of the European Commission.

At the moment, if the UK breaks green laws – like over air pollution for instance – it gets taken to court by the EU. Under the provisions of the draft Environment Bill, the new watchdog will have a similar legal power.

The bill also sets down in the UK some of the key principles of European law – like the polluter pays principle, which establishes who is responsible if the environment is harmed.

The government says European law will remain in place in the UK until the new environment bill is passed, and any law-breaking will be dealt with by the OEP when it opens for business.

The bill will get debated after the scheduled Brexit date of 29 March.

Mr Gove said the draft clauses in the bill placed “our environmental ambition and accountability at the heart of government”.

He added: “They set out how we will create a pioneering new system of green governance, placing our 25 Year Environment Plan on a statutory footing. We will explore options for strong targets to improve our environment, and provisions on air quality, waste and water resource management, and restoring nature.

“Our ambition is to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than that in which we found it. We will keep building on our successes by enhancing our environmental standards and delivering a green Brexit.”

Scotland’s first low-emission zone (LEZ) was introduced in Glasgow on 31 December 2018.

The first phase of the LEZ will set emission standards which must be met by 20% of buses which pass through the city centre. It means local bus services must comply with European emissions standards.

Phase Two will come into effect in December 2022 and will apply to all vehicles entering the zone. The scheme is being enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).

Glasgow’s LEZ will eventually adopt the following emission standards:

• Euro 3 for motorcycles and mopeds
• Euro 4 for petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles
• Euro 6 for diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles
• Euro VI for lorries, buses and coaches and other specialist heavy diesel engine vehicles

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said the council’s approach was a “manageable, yet robust” way to reduce pollution.

‘Glasgow is committed to cleaning up the air and is leading the way by introducing Scotland’s first low-emission zone at the end of the year,

‘Glasgow’s LEZ is modelled as being capable of making significant reductions in levels of air pollution in the city centre. Focusing initially on local service buses, the strict emission standards required to enter the LEZ will apply to all vehicles by the end of 2022.

‘This pragmatic and phased approach will ensure a manageable, yet robust timetable for implementation that looks at the city’s overall needs to ensure it won’t have a detrimental impact on people’s lives, businesses and the vitality of the city centre.

‘Other cities across Europe adopted similar lead in times for their low-emission zones, so it’s seen as a reasonable amount of time to get the message out to businesses and residents so they are informed and can prepare. Glasgow’s LEZ is a progressive policy that will deliver cleaner air for the people of Glasgow.’

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson described the development as a “milestone moment” and said the government was committed to introducing low emission zones into Scotland’s four biggest cities by 2020.

He added: “Glasgow is the first city to implement a zone, working with the bus industry to respond to the particular air quality challenges within their city centre.

“This is incredibly important for the oldest and youngest in our society and those with existing cardiovascular or respiratory conditions – but is also relevant to all of us who wish to enjoy cleaner air and less polluting emissions.

“We will continue to support local authorities and the bus industry in delivering transformative steps to improve the quality of our air in places that we live, work and visit.”

The Scottish Government has pledged to introduce Low Emission Zones into Scotland’s four biggest cities; Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee between 2018 and 2020.

Sniffer dogs are being used to help find leaking water mains for the first time in Scotland and have scored a big success with two discoveries.

Scottish Water have deployed a team of specially trained dogs to help locate leaks in pipes in rural areas where the water does not always show on the surface.

Two spaniels, called Snipe and Denzel, aged two and three, have been trained by ex-military dog handlers to detect the smell of chlorine in treated water.

Scottish Water is conducting trials with Cape SPC, a pest control company based near Warrington, England, who provide the service and own the dogs.

Snipe, a cocker spaniel, and Denzel, a springer, are finishing a trial programme in parts of Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire surveying Scottish Water’s trunk mains and searching for leaks before the utility decides whether to use them on an ongoing basis.

During the trials in the past week, the dogs found leaks on a 24-inch steel main in the Dalmellington area and on a nine-inch main near Lochmaben.

The dogs’ sense of smell is about 40 times greater than human beings’ because they have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses – compared with humans who have six million.

They are trained by scent association and rewarded for smelling chlorine, which rises to the surface from pipes, with ‘prizes’ of balls, toys or treats. The training starts off with tap water and then extra chlorine levels are put into the water to make it stronger and the dogs understand that the strongest odour is the one they are expected to find.

Craig Garment, a Scottish Water network analyst in leakage delivery, who has been working with Cape SPC, said: “We take our responsibility to manage water very seriously and since 2006, leakage has been reduced by over 50%.

“We use modern technology such as ground microphones, correlators, hydrophones and other devices to pinpoint the exact location of underground assets and leaks.

“However, some bursts in rural locations are more difficult to pinpoint and we are always looking for innovative ways to do the job more effectively and to continue reducing leakage.

“That’s where these sniffer dogs come in and we are hoping that Snipe and Denzel can continue to demonstrate during the trial period that their sensitive noses can detect treated mains water at very low concentrations.

“When the dogs help pinpoint the exact locations of leaks we then come back to that point, investigate, excavate and repair the bursts and if their work in certain rural locations helps us achieve that, then they could prove to be great assets to Scottish Water.”

Luke Jones, managing director of Cape SPC, who are carrying out similar work for United Utilities in the north west of England, said: “The dogs’ noses are an amazing tool that can be used in many different situations.

“Using dogs to help people like the police and border security search for drugs and explosives is well known, but there are a host of other applications that we are only just starting to explore.

“We’re really excited by this trial with Snipe and Denzel for Scottish Water and we hope that, if successful, they can be used to help locate leaks in some of the more remote parts of the rural network going forward.”

Scottish Water has 30,246 miles of water mains and its water supply system is very different to the majority of systems in England, reflecting the geography and topography of the country.

Since 2006, the utility has reduced leakage by 51 per cent due to increased investment and pressure management and currently spends almost £8 million annually tackling leakage.