Author: Peacock Carter

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have published a rapid outbreak assessment following a multi-country outbreak of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Agona (S. Agona) in the European Union (EU).

Overall, 147 outbreak cases have been reported by five EU countries, namely, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK). Cases have retrospectively been identified back to 2014. 122 cases since 1 January 2017, and 25 historical cases between 2014 and 2016. The United Kingdom is reporting most outbreak cases (129), with Finland (15), Denmark, Germany and Ireland (one case each) reporting the other cases. The Irish case was probably infected while visiting the United Kingdom. 

Based on the information available, the microbiological evidence suggests ready-to-eat products containing cucumbers as a possible vehicle of infection but, at present, there is insufficient epidemiological information available to support the microbiological evidence. Epidemiological investigations in the other affected countries did not generate any strong hypothesis about the vehicle or source of infection.

The rapid outbreak assessment is available here.

The Scottish Government has launched a video for  tick awareness. Top tips for fighting ticks can be accessed here.  

A family from Paisley have been awarded £247,000 in a ground breaking legal case after losing their mother from mesothelioma caused by second-hand exposure to asbestos.

This is the first time in Scotland in which a case has been successfully pursued on behalf of someone who suffered from secondary exposure to asbestos from their spouse’s clothes.

Mrs Adrienne Sweeney, who died in 2015, seven years after her husband passed away, was exposed to asbestos after coming into contact with dust from her husband’s work overalls. William Sweeney had worked for Babcock & Wilcox Limited at their boiler-making factory in Renfrew in the 1960s.

He brought his work clothes home to be washed by his wife who then suffered secondary exposure to asbestos and contracted mesothelioma.

Lawyers for the family said they were left in the difficult position of proving their case with their father not there to provide evidence of the working conditions at Babcock's.  However, a former colleague came forward on Mr Sweeney's behalf.

Mrs Sweeney’s daughter Kay Gibson said: “We are pleased that our case against Babcock International was successful. Most importantly this gives our late mother the justice she wanted in life and that we sought on her behalf after her painful and unnecessarily premature death.

“Our loving mother like so many other women in Scotland in the late 1960s and early 1970s supported her family by caring for her children and washing her husband’s overalls when he returned from a hard day’s work for employers who used deadly asbestos.

She added: "These women were unaware how unsafe it was to be handling the asbestos dust that came from these work clothes or of the contamination risk to their own and their families' lungs.

"We, her children, await to see if we will suffer the same fate.

"Babcock International have not won their case but it is wrong that ordinary bereaved families still have to individually battle the might of global corporations for justice for their late relatives in such situations."

The family’s lawyer Nicola Macara from Thompsons Solicitors said: “It is very regrettable that Babcock International Limited made the family go through the full court process hoping that, with all those central to the case being dead, they would successfully defend the action.

“Fortunately, we were able to lead credible and reliable evidence as a result of having taken both Mrs Sweeney’s and the late witness’ statements. This landmark case is a very positive outcome not only for the Sweeney family but for all Scots fighting to ensure that justice is done for sufferers of asbestos-related disease.”

The Green Apple Environment Awards, which began in 1994, is an annual campaign that aims recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world. 

Scottish companies and projects have two chances of success, because if you apply for a Scottish Green Apple Environment Award, that entry is also submitted into the UK category of the International Green Apple Awards. So, you could win a Scottish Award, presented in Scotland and a UK Award, presented in Houses of Parliament in London.

Beyond that, your entry could then be chosen to represent Scotland in the European Business Awards for the Environment, and Green Apple Award winners have an excellent success record in this Brussels-led initiative.

Not only do you have a unique opportunity to win three awards from one entry, you have three chances of success in each campaign, because there are Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in every category.

These awards are supported by REHIS and are free to enter and open to anyone who is helping the environment.

Any company, council or organisation can enter.  If they are successful, they also have the opportunity to have their winning paper published and become a Green World Ambassador.

Among the numerous benefits, this also gives them free entry into the Green World Awards where they represent their country as well as themselves. This prestigious awards ceremony is hosted in a different country each year.  Last year it was Dubai, and this year it will be in Turkey.

National Organiser Karl Tullett commented: “We have categories for every type of business, plus opportunities for councils, industry, community groups, charities and even individuals.

“Everyone stands an equal chance because our judges always take into consideration the different levels of resources that contenders have available, so small companies often beat their bigger competitors.”

Anyone can claim a free entry up to 30 September, but late entries are accepted until 31 October on payment of the £100 + vat Late Entry Fee.

If you, your company or council is doing anything that benefits the environment, then enter now for free for a Green Apple Award. Full details and online entry forms can be found here. 

The campaign is run by The Green Organisation – an international, independent, non-political, non-profit environment group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world.

The world’s most advanced electric taxis, designed and built in the UK, have started appearing on the streets of Edinburgh, thanks to a deal that has been signed by the city’s Union Motor Company.

The electric taxi called the TX, designed by LEVC, uses eCity technology which combines a small petrol generator (known as a “range-extender”) with a class leading battery and proven electric powertrain. The vehicle is only ever driven by its powerful electric motor, however, the small petrol engine on-board can top-up the battery, should the driver be unable to charge.

As a result, these TX eCitys, which promise to dramatically cut driver’s fuel bills, will increasing appear on the capital’s roads.

As well as improving the city’s air quality, the TX’s new multi-filter system works to remove gases and particles from the incoming air. Also, an in-built air quality sensor also automatically closes the external air intake if it detects increased levels of pollution in the outside air.

The first TX was handed over to the Edinburgh cabbie, David McMillan, as part of the opening of the new dealership. Mr McMillan, who has been a cab driver for seven years, said: “These types of vehicle are the future – promising a smoother, more comfortable ride for passengers and will help clean up cities too. The fact I will be financially better off is a big bonus too.”

The technology will give drivers a range of up to 377 miles, and a zero emissions range of 80.6 miles. This set up means that the move to electric will save drivers on average £100 a week in fuel. The PCP finance contract the vehicle will cost £177 per week, which compares with £167 per week for the outgoing diesel vehicle. Mr McMillan, who usually covers 100 miles a day, estimates that he will save £458 per month from making the switch. Further cost savings come from service intervals that jump from 12,000 miles to 25,000 miles.

Union Motor Company have been chosen by LEVC to sell and service the next taxi in the city. They have installed two electric charge points at both their retail sites and have employed four new members of staff to sell and service the vehicle. In addition, several staff members have undergone rigorous training to ensure they are ready to service these electric vehicles.

Danny Flynn, founder of The Union Motor Company, said: “This is the future of all vehicles – they will be essential to protect our urban environment and improve air quality. We have always been a forward-thinking company and we like to be involved in the pioneering of any new technology. We are very excited to come on board and work on the new electric taxi and LEVC.”

There were also be added benefits to the passengers who will notice less vibration and noise in the passenger cabin, alongside charging points for mobile phones, wi-fi and space for six passengers.

Chris Gubbey, CEO of LEVC said: “Our purpose-built, passenger focused taxi, has been designed with the intention of getting more people in the back of cabs – offering the safest, cleanest, quietest and smoothest taxi ride yet. We are delighted to have had the support of Union Motor Company to deliver this vision for the taxi trade in Edinburgh – and I look forward to hearing about how drivers all get on in the new cab.”

The Scottish Government has published their A Healthier Future: Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan.

The vision set out in A Healthier Future: Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan is for a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight. As announced by the First Minister in May 2018, the delivery plan includes a guiding ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030. This a bold but necessary ambition to ensure that more of our children have a healthy weight, and avoid health complications later in life. 

The actions set out within the delivery plan provide clarity on how the Scottish Government, together with partners across the public and private sector, will help everybody in Scotland make healthier choices about food. This includes actions to ensure: 

• Children have the best start in life – they eat well and have a healthy weight 

• The food environment supports healthier choices

• People have access to effective weight management services 

• Leaders across all sectors promote healthy weight and diet

• Diet-related health inequalities are reduced

My Beach, Your Beach, Keep Scotland Beautiful's latest campaign to improve bathing waters at three well known beaches has been launched.

The campaign, funded by Scottish Government, will aim to make a difference by tackling littering, dog fouling and feeding gulls by those visiting the beach.

The campaign will be focusing on three beaches in particular:

• South Beach, Ayr
• Portobello Beach, Edinburgh
• Fisherrow Sands, Musselburgh

All three of the beaches selected for this campaign trial have faced challenges in improving the quality of their seawater as measured by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), whose research confirms the strong link between behaviour on the land and the cleanliness of the local seawater.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:

“This campaign is one of a number of measures to improve three of Scotland’s best loved beaches and bathing waters, which are enjoyed by thousands of people on a daily basis. Sadly, some of those users leave more than just footprints behind, with dog fouling and littering, which attracts gulls, impacting on water quality.

“Keeping our beaches and bathing waters clean is a priority for the Scottish Government, which is why we’re helping to fund Keep Scotland Beautiful’s campaign, and working closely with stakeholders to provide long term solutions to the problem.

“I know the people of Scotland will be keen to support the campaign, and I would encourage them to do so by carrying out some simple actions to help us all continue to enjoy Scotland’s amazing beaches and bathing waters.”

The campaign team were on Ayr South Beach at the launch to meet and inform local beach users of the importance of responsibly collecting and removing their rubbish from the beach at the end of their visit, not letting dogs foul the beach, and discouraging the feeding of gulls which then leads to further negative impact on the local environment.

Members of the public are urged to get involved in a #2MinuteCleanUp and share their successes on social media, and dog owners are encouraged to enter the ‘doggy portrait’ competition which could see their pets feature as the face of a dog fouling campaign  – reminding dog owners to ‘bag it and bin it’.

Nicola Turner, Community Projects Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, commented:

“We can all play a part in cleaning up our nation’s bathing waters, improving the experience at the seaside for locals and visitors alike. Whilst visitor behaviour is only part of the solution, by taking our litter home, bagging and binning dog poo, and not feeding the gulls, we can all be part of the solution and get cleaner water for us all to enjoy.

“The launch of our ‘My Beach, Your Beach’ campaign emphasises our shared responsibility, and we look forward to meeting lots more local beach users as the campaign period unfolds.”  

The pilot project covering the three beaches will trial a number of interventions, including:

• Business packs for local business including stickers, posters and information on how they can get involved,
• Colourful bin wraps with key campaign messaging,
• Signage around the beachfront raising awareness of the campaign,
• A series of community engagement events involving dogs, litter and gulls, communicating how these can seriously impact on water quality.

Councillor Ian Cochrane, South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and the Environment, added:

“We’re extremely proud of our beaches in South Ayrshire and work incredibly hard throughout the year to keep them looking their best and to ensure   – as far as we can – that our bathing waters meet national standards.

“Where standards aren’t quite what we want them to be, we work closely with SEPA and other partners to address pollution issues – and visitor behaviour is one way to do that. By being responsible and picking up after ourselves and our dogs and making sure that we feed our bins, not the gulls, we can help reduce the amount of dog and bird poo and litter that makes its way into our waters.

“That’s even easier this year thanks to hundreds of new bins that are being put in place at our beaches in South Ayrshire. And, with tens of thousands of people flocking to our beaches during the summer, people power really can make a difference and allow us all to enjoy our stunning coastlines and My Beach, Your Beach.”  

The campaign is also designed to complement the range of work currently undertaken by SEPA on bathing water quality.

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said:

“Every day SEPA works to protect and enhance Scotland’s stunning environment, and we are committed to ensuring all of Scotland’s designated bathing waters meet water quality standards.

“By targeting behaviour on land that can affect bathing water quality Keep Scotland Beautiful’s ‘My Beach, Your Beach’ campaign will complement SEPA’s work. Recently Scotland has seen the best rates of compliance since the Bathing Water Directive began and by working in partnership we can further improve the quality of Scotland’s bathing waters including at Ayr South Beach, Portobello and Fisherrow Sands.

“Working with partners, we’re continuing our focus on bathing waters rated as ‘poor’, with tailored improvement plans prepared by SEPA. These projects will result in major improvements to bathing water quality in the future and should see improvements over the coming season.”

To watch as the campaign unfolds this summer, check out the My Beach, Your Beach pages and if you see any of the beach interventions tag with #MyBeachYourBeach.

Scottish Government funding will be made available to Local Authorities and Scottish Water to ensure that emergency supplies of drinking water are provided to communities where their private water supplies have run dry.

Although the vast majority of Scotland has access to public water supplies, nearly 4% of the population rely on private water supplies. The majority of these are from springs and burns which are vulnerable to lengthy periods of dry weather.

The recent Water Scarcity Report from The Scottish Environment Protection Agency shows that the river flows are low in many areas, increasing the risk that private supplies will run dry.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham, and Finance and Economy Secretary Derek Mackay have written to all local authorities to ask them to work with Scottish Water to ensure that affected communities are provided with emergency supplies.

Announcing the additional funding, Finance and Economy Secretary Derek Mackay said:

“An adequate supply of drinking water is something that most of us take for granted. However, for those who are not connected to the public supply, this is not the case particularly in prolonged dry periods.

“We are determined to ensure that no one goes without drinking water because of the current dry spell. For this reason, I have confirmed to Local Authorities and Scottish Water that the Scottish Government will cover the additional costs incurred where emergency supplies need to be provided.

“Where communities are experiencing difficulties, they should contact their Local Authority for advice and assistance.

“I would urge everyone across Scotland, whether connected to the public or a private supply to use water wisely in the coming weeks to ease the pressure facing the water network and to help conserve water supplies.”

A collaboration of East Lothian Council, Scottish Fire and Rescue and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) are to form a multi-agency Rural Crime Campaign which is due to launch soon.

Derek Oliver, Service Manager – Protective Services, East Lothian Council said “This campaign is bringing partners closer together in targeting and addressing a host of activities that affect our rural communities and landscape. We believe by working in collaboration and sharing intelligence, we can create a hostile environment for those seeking to commit crime in the rural East Lothian.

East Lothian Council Leader, Willie Innes, added: “This campaign and the use of quad bikes to access our more remote areas will go a considerable way to deter those contemplating criminal acts. From the council’s perspective, we want to help reduce crime and the fear of crime by involving all members of the community and protecting those who are most vulnerable. We will be liaising with other stakeholders and opening channels for members of the public to inform us of their concerns so that we can target areas and activities most effectively.”

Police Inspector Andy Hill said “our officers based across East Lothian Police are committed to the prevention, investigation and reporting of all crimes that impact negatively on our rural communities. We are pleased to be working closely in partnership with East Lothian Council and other agencies towards this aim.”

Further details of the Rural Crime Campaign will be launched in the coming weeks.

The effectiveness of legislation Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (the 2010 Act) is to be examined by a Holyrood committee.

The aim of the 2010 Act was to ensure that dogs which are out of control are brought and kept under control by tackling irresponsible dog ownership and by shifting the focus from “breed” to “deed”.

To do so the Act makes provision for local authorities to impose measures on an owner, or person in charge of a dog, who fails to keep their dog under control.

As part of its post-legislative scrutiny of the 2010 Act, the Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee will examine the role of local authorities in fulfilling their duties, including the serving of Dog Control Notices as a deterrent to irresponsible dog ownership.

The inquiry was prompted following concerns at the number of dog attacks in Scotland, with the number of people receiving treatment for dog bites rising from 1,939 in 2015 to 2,027 in 2016.

Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee convener, Jenny Marra MSP, said: “The Control of Dogs Act was right to recognise that responsibility rests with dog owners to ensure their pets pose no risk to the public.

“Our committee wants to hear a wide range of views on whether the act has been effective in reducing the number of out of control dogs.

“We want to know how well local authorities are carrying out their duties under the act, and whether the public believe legislation can and should be strengthened to prevent dog attacks in the future.”

More information is available here.

The Sheriff Court Judgement of South Lanarkshire Council against Errington Cheese Limited has been published. 

The case is regarding cheese made by Errington cheese which was seized by South Lanarkshire Council in 2017.

The cheese was seized following an outbreak of E.coli O157 in 2016 in which Dunsyre Blue cheese made by Errington Cheese was the named the most likely source of the outbreak. 

The case focused on sheep’s milk cheese made by Errrington Cheese- Corra Linn and Lanark Blue. Dunsyre Blue which is made from cow’s milk did not form part of the case. In total 83 batches of Lanark Blue were seized and 70 batches of Corra Linn. 

The Sheriff’s ruling was the cheeses seized were produced, processed or distributed in compliance with the Hygiene Regulations with the exception of four batches- one batch of Lanark Blue and three batches of Corra Linn.

Lanark Blue was shown to contain an unidentified shiga toxin E.coli (STEC) bacterium identical to that found in one batch of Dunsyre Blue. Three batches of Corra Linn, were shown to contain other unknown strains of E.coli. 

Ross Finnie, chairman of Food Standards Scotland said he was "disappointed" the Sheriff did not rule that all the sheep's milk cheeses should be destroyed.

He said: "Food Standards Scotland is content that the Sheriff's judgment in the case of South Lanarkshire Council v Errington Cheese Ltd concluded that some of the cheeses produced by Errington Cheese Ltd were unfit for human consumption. 

"However, we are disappointed this did not include all of the cheese involved in these proceedings.

"Food Standards Scotland was part of the incident management team which worked to contain the E.coli O157 outbreak in Scotland in 2016 and which gathered the large volume of evidence required in this complex case.

"South Lanarkshire Council's decision to bring condemnation proceedings, which Food Standard Scotland supported, was not taken lightly and all the organisations involved believed there was a strong case for taking such action."

He said Food Standards Scotland would "study the judgment fully to consider its implications."

Michael McGlynn, South Lanarkshire Council's executive director of community and enterprise resources, said: "The council acknowledges the sheriff's decision to confirm the destruction of some of the cheese that action was taken against, whilst noting the sheriff's decision on the remaining batches. 

"We are considering the implications of the decision."

Air pollution has been clearly linked to spikes in breathing problem-related admissions to hospitals and visits to GPs in a research project conducted at the University of Dundee.

Researchers studied nearly 15 years of data for air pollution levels in Dundee, Perth and the surrounding area and matched it to medical records of 450 patients who suffer from bronchiectasis, a long-term chronic condition similar to COPD which can cause a persistent cough and breathlessness as well as frequent chest infections.

They discovered that many had sought medical help on the days when pollution levels spiked.

Professor James Chalmers, GSK/British Lung Foundation Professor of Respiratory Research in the School of Medicine at Dundee, who helped lead the study, said that during period of high pollution there were large increases in admissions to Ninewells Hospital and Perth Royal Infirmary for those with breathing problems, which was also witnessed at GP surgeries.

He added: “We also found that the impact of air pollution was worst in the summer, where hot and less windy days raise the levels of air pollution. It is also when people are outside more and are being exposed to pollution, and we ultimately see more people having to attend hospital or see a doctor.”

Professor Chalmers explained it was the sophisticated medical record keeping in Tayside that provided key data for the study.

“It is only in Tayside we can get such a detailed look at the data because of the sophistication of the electronic health records that have been well established for many years,” he said.

“This is the first study in Scotland where we been able to look in detail at the relationship between medical data and air pollution data, but evidence from other countries has also suggested similar links. There is every reason to believe these results would be replicated elsewhere.”

Professor Chalmers said the problem was particularly acute in those areas where heavy traffic contributed to poor air quality.

Ian Jarrold, head of research at the British Lung Foundation, acknowledged that it was well-known that people with lung conditions were the first to become breathless when exposed to air pollution.

He added: “Thanks to this study, we now know that there is a clear link between high levels of air pollution and increased numbers of patients with breathing problems at hospitals and GP surgeries.

“The additional costs faced by the NHS in treating patients with lung conditions due to high exposure to air pollution can no longer be ignored.”

He called for tough measures to be introduced to cut vehicle emissions in towns and cities across the UK.

The Scottish government has committed to phasing out petrol and diesel cars. Ministers have also committed to introducing low emission zones into Scotland’s biggest cities by 2020.

The study was a collaboration between the research team at the University of Dundee and environmental health experts from Belgium. The study was funded by the British Lung Foundation and is published in the European Respiratory Journal.