WEST LOTHIAN COUNCIL FINED FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY BREACHES
- 31 August 2017
West Lothian Council has been fined £10,000 for health and safety failings, which left a worker with severe injuries. The local authority pleaded guilty to a single charge under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Livingston Sheriff Court. The court heard on 9 July 2013 a painter for the council was painting external window […]
STEC IN SCOTLAND 2016
- 17 August 2017
STEC in Scotland 2016 Health Protection Scotland (HPS) have published a surveillance report for “STEC in Scotland 2016: enhanced surveillance and reference laboratory date”. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), also known as Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC), are a group of bacteria which can cause gastrointestinal illness in humans. Although large foodborne outbreaks have occurred in […]
STATE OF THE UK CLIMATE 2016
- 17 August 2017
The MET Office have published their third annual “State of the UK Climate” report which shows 2016 was the 13th warmest year with records starting back to 1910. 2016 has been 0.5oC warmer than average and the last decade 0.3oC warmer (1981-2010) over the UK as a whole and for many it was also sunny […]
WORLD’S FIRST FLOATING WIND FARM EMERGES OFF COAST OF SCOTLAND
- 17 August 2017
The world’s first full-scale floating wind farm has started to take shape off the northeast coast of Scotland. The revolutionary technology will allow wind power to be harvested in waters too deep for the current conventional bottom-standing turbines. The Peterhead wind farm, known as Hywind, is a trial, which will bring power to 20,000 homes. […]
OBESITY INEQUALITIES PERSIST IN SCOTLAND
- 17 August 2017
NHS Scotland have published new information to show how levels of obesity in Scotland have changed over time. The new analysis: ‘Obesity in Scotland: A Persistent Inequality’ also highlights how obesity levels differ according to socio-economic status. The Scottish adult population as a whole has become heavier over time. The most recent figures for 2015 […]
EFSA CONSULTATION ON LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IN READY TO EAT FOODS
- 14 August 2017
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched an open consultation on its draft scientific opinion on Listeria monocytogenes contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and the risk for human health in the EU. This document summarises and critically evaluates the most recent information on L. monocytogenes in RTE foods, and evaluates the factors related to […]
SCOTLAND’S DRINKING WATER- DWQR ANNUAL REPORT
- 14 August 2017
The Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) for Scotland’s latest annual report published on 27 July concludes that Scottish Water’s compliance with the stringent standards for drinking water in 2016 was extremely high at 99.91%. The Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 requires DWQR to publish an annual report describing the Regulator’s activities during the preceding year. […]
EFSA CALL FOR SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS
- 14 August 2017
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has invited scientists with expertise in food and feed safety related issues to apply to join its ten Scientific Panels and its Scientific Committee. The call for experts closes on 8 September 2017. The EFSA Scientific Panels and the Scientific Committee are composed of 15-25 people and provide high-quality […]
FIPRONIL IN EGGS
- 14 August 2017
Following concerns raised in the Netherlands about a substance called Fipronil, which has been used inappropriately in cleaning products on chicken farms, a number of contaminated eggs have been identified as being distributed to the UK from the farms affected. Fipronil is not authorised for use as a veterinary medicine or pesticide around food producing […]
LONDON 2017: NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK
- 11 August 2017
London 2017: Norovirus Outbreak Public Health England says 40 athletes and support staff at the World Athletics Championships in London have been affected by Norovirus, with three cases confirmed by laboratory testing. Several competitors were forced to withdraw from events in the first half of the tournament after suffering symptoms including vomiting. The athletes and […]
HORSEMEAT SCANDAL: BUSINESSMAN FOUND GUILTY OF FRAUD
- 30 July 2017
A London business man has been found guilty of conspiring to defraud customers by adding horsemeat to batches of beef and relabelling them as pure beef. Andronicos Sideras was convicted on Wednesday 25 July 2017 at Inner London Crown Court of mixing horsemeat and beef before selling it through his company Dino’s and Sons, following […]
BURDEN OF DISEASE ANALYSIS SHOWS WHAT WE ARE LIVING WITH AND DYING FROM IN SCOTLAND
- 14 July 2017
Researchers from NHS Health Scotland and the Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland have published new analysis of Scotland’s health. The publication shows the extent to which different diseases affect Scotland’s health and life expectancy. The researchers have used a globally recognised approach, referred to as ‘Burden of Disease’ to quantify the difference […]
