News

The widespread use of hand-held devices at work has spawned a new repetitive strain condition known as 'BlackBerry thumb'.

The condition is leading some lawyers to warn that employers can expect a series of lawsuits from staff claiming compensation. Karen Jackson from the law firm, Roberts Jackson, said, "If no one knows about the risks involved, they won't sue, but more and more people are becoming aware of health hazards in the workplace. BlackBerry thumb is the overuse of a mobile phone for work purposes and we envisage potential work in this area as more people are using their handsets when they're on the move, which is leading to repetitive strain injury. A lot of people displaying symptoms associated with repetitive strain injury do not realise they are work-related, but the number with symptoms is increasing."

The firm is increasing its staff numbers to cope with what it believes will be a sharp rise in BlackBerry thumb claims. Traditionally, industrial disease claims have related to asthma, asbestos-related illnesses, dermatitis, allergies and occupational deafness and tinnitus.

Doctors have previously cautioned that repetitive Blackberry use could cause arthritis or harm tendons in the thumb. Sean Hughes, professor of orthopaedic surgery at Imperial College London, said prolonged use could potentially cause wear and tear on the thumb. He commented, "People who use them a lot could suffer from osteoarthritis."

US experts have also raised concerns about repetitive Blackberry use. Professor Alan Hedge, director of the human factors and ergonomics research group at Cornell University in New York, noted in the early 1990s that people had complained of sore thumbs from playing computer games too much. He stressed, "It is the same principle. The thumb is not very flexible and repetitive use of it can lead to damage to the tendon on the outside of the thumb. The Blackberry is much more demanding than texting on phones because users tend to use them to type out emails. Maybe they should be limited to 50 words or so."

Professor Hedge warned it was quite easy to use the devices too much since, "You should not be making more than a few hundred thumb movements a day, so that does not amount to that many words when you think about it."

The latest official figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change show that Britain saw the largest increase in greenhouse gases for two decades in 2010. 

The figures show a rise in the six major greenhouse gases last year of 2.8% to 582 million tonnes. The increase was blamed on an economic recovery, which enabled businesses, factories and households to pay for more power. However, green groups pointed out that the rise in carbon dioxide was much sharper than the limited growth in the economy.

Carbon dioxide increased by nearly 4% to 492 million tonnes, representing the second largest rise since 1990. Most of the rise was blamed on residential gas use as people turned on the heating following the coldest start to the year for decades. Further, more electricity was generated from coal and gas-fired power stations, due to technical problems at some nuclear power stations.

Doug Parr, the chief scientist for Greenpeace, said emissions should still be falling despite the cold start and economic growth and that, "A struggling economy and rising carbon emissions are exactly the conditions that require significant levels of green investment that can boost the economy, create jobs, but simultaneously cut pollution. That's why it's worrying that, in the last 12 months, clean energy investment here has fallen by 70%."

Overall, the greenhouse gases for the UK have fallen by 25.6% on 1990 levels, double the level required to meet the country's commitment to cut emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. In addition, emissions from heating homes have increased by 8% in the past two decades, while transport emissions have also increased slightly. Andy Atkins, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, commented that emissions are not falling fast enough. He said, "Three-quarters of the public want the Government to prioritise investments into energy saving and renewable power. It is time to end the UK's dirty and dangerous addiction to old energy and invest in a brighter, cleaner future."

Chris Huhne, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said the key to cutting greenhouse gases is more efficient homes. "Britain's blighted by inefficient and draughty homes, which is why we want to help people waste less energy through the Green Deal and install new cleaner technologies to heat their homes. As we come out of recession the Coalition's determined to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. That's why we are pushing on all fronts to turn around Britain's woeful record on renewables."

For more information, see the:

• Climate Change Act 2008.

From 1 April 2011, the UK's first environmental tax increased by £8 per tonne, making the cost of sending waste to landfill £56 per tonne.

The landfill tax was originally introduced by the Conservative Environment Minister Lord Gummer in 1996, with the aim of forcing local authorities to recycle and attempting to help the UK meet its European targets under the Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC.

In 2008, it was announced that the tax would increase by £8 per tonne per year until 2010. This date was later revised and 2014 is now the end date for any increases, by which time landfill tax will stand at £80 per tonne.

Environment Minister Caroline Spelman, earlier this year, said, "The landfill tax has been an important factor, and will continue to be, not only in reducing landfill, but in achieving recognition that what we call waste is actually a resource and a valuable one too."

For more information, see the:

• Landfill Tax Regulations SI 1996/1527.

Two companies have been fined £14,000 for illegal offences in Northern Ireland.

Foyle Recyclers, one of its directors and Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners were fined at Londonderry Crown Court earlier this month. The companies were found guilty of four breaches of waste management legislation, namely the Waste and Contaminated Land Order (Northern Ireland) SI 1997/2778, in a case which was the subject of a Northern Ireland Environment Agency investigation.

The offences related to the operation of an unlicensed scrap yard at the premises owned by Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners between November 2006 and November 2007. Each party was made the subject of a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Foyle Recyclers were fined for depositing and knowingly causing or permitting waste to be deposited without a waste management licence. The company was also found guilty, along with its director and the Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners, of keeping, treating or disposing of waste without such a licence.

This is the first confiscation order to have been obtained in the UK against a port authority.

In conjunction with the long-awaited arrival of British Summer Time, the Environment Agency has launched a new online tool which provides information on the water quality of 500 beaches in England and Wales.

The new bathing-water profiles allow beach goers to check whether designated coastal and inland bathing sites meet the water quality standards contained in the European Bathing Water Directive 2006/7/EC, in an attempt to help the public "make more informed choices about the best locations to visit and enjoy".

Ed Mitchell, Environment Agency director of environment and business, said that as a result of an £8 billion investment from water companies to improve Britain's sewage system, as well as constant water monitoring, the UK's beaches have seen a "huge improvement".

However, he admitted that there was still "more work to do to drive further improvements in water quality."

He also added, "The Environment Agency is working hard to tackle all sources of pollution, alongside beach users, local authorities, farmers and water companies."

For more information, see the:

• Bathing Water Regulations SI 2008/1097.

A metal fabrication firm has been fined this month, after a 22-year old man's hand was severed by a machine.

Jamie Raynor of Queensbury, Bradford, who worked on a casual basis for RDB Fabrication and Engineering Ltd, had his left hand amputated when the top of a pressing tool from a hydraulic press brake he was operating came down on his wrist. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the machine used to bend sheet metal was fitted with an electronic motion guard to stop it moving if any part of a person entered the danger zone. However, when Mr Raynor reached into the machine to re-position a part, it had failed to operate and stop the movement of the tool.

Halifax Magistrates' Court heard this was the first time Mr Raynor had worked on the machine and he had been given less than ten minutes' instruction on its operation.

HSE inspector Paul Newton said, "A young man has had his life changed forever by a terrible, avoidable accident. The dangers of working with press brakes are well known in the industry and there have been many instances of workers being seriously injured. That's why these machines are fitted with guards to prevent access to the danger zone. In this case, the company's failure to ensure these guards were effective had tragic consequences."

RDB Fabrication and Engineering Ltd admitted breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) SI 1998/2306, and were fined a total of £14,000.