Transport safety campaigners are calling on the European Union to accelerate progress in reducing the number of people killed in cars every year in the EU, as new research shows 12,345 car occupants were fatally injured in 2012.
Statistics recently published by Transport Scotland have revealed that road casualties in Scotland have fallen to their lowest level on record.
The Council of the European Union has adopted a directive on the safety of offshore oil and gas operations. The new regulatory framework aims at reducing the occurrence of major accidents related to offshore oil and gas operations and to limit their consequences.
The Crown Prosecution Service in England has announced that gross negligence manslaughter charges are to be brought following the death of a cricket ground worker.
A major scotch whisky manufacturer has been fined after two workers had to flee a warehouse fire.
The family of a man who died while taking part in a clinical trial has been awarded an undisclosed amount in compensation, reports Orange News.
Injuries inflicted with needles and other sharp instruments in the healthcare sector could be avoided if regulatory loopholes were closed, campaigners have claimed.
The European Commission has reached agreement with international partners on new internationally harmonised rules on Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) and Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS) for commercial vehicles.
A Bill designed to close the legal loophole allowing partnerships to evade prosecution by dissolving, as happened in the Rosepark fire in Uddingston, has been introduced to the House of Lords by the Advocate General for Scotland Lord Wallace of Tankerness.
Lighter nights all year round could help to arrest the rising number of road deaths, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
A Nottinghamshire demolition company and one of its employees have appeared in court after a worker suffered severe injuries when he was hit by a falling excavator bucket on his first day on site.
Government plans to abolish safety inspections in thousands of businesses across the UK will put the health of millions of workers at risk, the TUC has warned.
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on plans to reform the system of NHS compensation claims by introducing a no-fault compensation scheme in Scotland.
The change would mean patients who have suffered loss, injury or damage as a result of healthcare treatment could be compensated without having to resort to court action.
The proposed new system would still require proof that harm was caused by treatment but would remove the need to prove negligence.
Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said:
"We know that the vast majority of the care delivered in our NHS is of the highest quality, but it is important that people who have suffered as a result of clinical mistakes should have some form of redress.
"It's in no-one's best interests to have that redress delayed because a compensation claim can take years to go through the courts and nor is it in anyone's interests to have precious NHS resources spent on expensive legal fees.
“That is why we are considering the introduction of a no-fault compensation system. It is important that we seek wider views in order to help in our understanding of what the practical implications would be and to ensure that those affected receive appropriate redress without the need to go through a lengthy court process.”
No-fault systems are already in place in countries such as Sweden, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark and Norway, and parts of the United States.
A Cheltenham contractor and a retailer have been prosecuted after a construction worker was exposed to asbestos during a refurbishment project.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in Scotland has welcomed a reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured at safety camera sites following camera enforcement, but is concerned that some drivers are still not heeding the safety messages at 40-, 50- and 60mph locations.
Britain's dock workers could be left without the specialist safety protection they need if plans to water-down safety regulations go ahead.
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) says proposals by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to axe safety rules specific to dockyards could have “tragic consequences”.
“Five times more dock workers die than the national average for workplace deaths so the last thing the port industry needs is weaker safety measures,” said APIL president Karl Tonks.
Under the plans, regulations which are specific to docks, such as those ensuring ladders are in place as a means of escape if workers fall into the water, will be scrapped and replaced with guidance.
“Guidance isn't compulsory, and an industry as dangerous as this needs robust rules to protect its workers,” said Karl.
An Aberdeenshire roofing boss has been fined after one of his workers was seriously injured when he fell five metres from the edge of a flat roof.
