The UK Government recently published guidance regarding an increase in the number of dogs being diagnosed with Brucella canis in the UK. Brucella canis is a bacterial infection that can be transmitted from dogs to humans, although the risk is very low. The infection can affect a dog’s reproductive system and cause tiredness, swelling and back and joint problems. In … Read More

The HSE has issued a bulletin relating to the testing of boots to the American Standard, ASTM F2412-18A. The issue being that this Standard does not adequately ensure that boots are suitable for live electrical working because the standard does not test for: Direct current (DC) voltages Use in wet or damp environments (any footwear tested to this standard cannot … Read More

The National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management in Ireland has released a new fire safety guide focused on helping building owners and operators with fire safety. The guide helps with the fire safety responsibilities under section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003, which place duties on individuals having control over all types of premises other than … Read More

London Fire Brigade have recently reported an increased number e-bike and e-scooter fires. As of the end of August 2023 there had been 116 fires involving e-bikes and scooter that is more than all of 2023 and higher than any other year. These fires included three fatalities and an additional 51 people injured. Concerns have been raised by a number … Read More

The Department for Business and Trade and the Office for Product Safety and Standards launched a consultation, starting 2nd August 2023, regarding a new approach to dealing with the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture as a replacement to the existing Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. The consultation is seeking feedback on proposals regarding: The scope of the … Read More

A new consultation has been launched by the Environmental Agency to explore the possibility of unlimited fines for those who are the worst polluters. The consultation, which opened on August 15th and runs until October 8th, is seeking views on when penalties should be used, how they should be calculated, and the appeals process. The consultation considers removing the £250,000 … Read More

A recently published study by Dutch researchers assessed a number of behavioural and physical features such as nose picking, nail biting, wearing glasses, having a beard, and the risk of Covid infection among health workers. The study involved measuring Covid specific antibodies alongside a survey of behavioural and physical features at two university medical centres in the Netherlands. A total … Read More

Following the UK’s departure from the EU, the Government developed the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessment) as a replacement for the CE marking system to show that a product complies with basic safety requirements. Voluntary use of the new standard started in January 2021. The original date for a full transfer to UKCA had been set for 1st January 2022 for … Read More

The Health Protection Notification Regulations 2010 (HPNR) were introduced to help the government respond effectively and quickly to newly discovered cases of infectious diseases and prevent their spread if they pose such a risk. In the wake of COVID, the Government has been considering adding a number of amendments to the regulations in order to ensure the discovery of infectious … Read More