The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released its annual figures for work-related fatalities. The provisional annual data for work-related fatal accidents revealed that one hundred and thirty-seven workers were fatally injured between April 2016 and March 2017 (a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 workers), the second lowest year on record.

Of these:

Construction sector – Thirty fatal injuries were recorded. While this accounts for the largest share, this is the lowest number on record for the sector. However, over the last five years the number has fluctuated, and the annual average for the past five years is thirty-nine. The annual average rate over the last five years in construction is around four times as high as the all industry rate. Agriculture – Twenty-seven fatal injuries were recorded. This sector has the highest rate of fatal injury of all the main industry sectors, around eighteen times as high as the all industry rate. Waste and recycling – Fourteen fatal injuries were recorded. Despite being a relatively small sector in terms of employment, the annual average fatal injury rate over the last five years is around fifteen times as high as the all industry rate.

 

Ninety-two members of the public fatally injured in accidents connected to work in 2016/17. Almost half of these occurred on railways with the remainder occurring across a number of sectors including public services, entertainment and recreation.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has given development consent for  the Keuper Gas Storage Facility, at Holford Brinefield, north of Middlewich, Cheshire to provide resilience to the UK gas supply network.

The underground gas storage facility will consist of up to nineteen underground caverns, gas processing plant and associated development with capacity to store up to 500 standard million cubic meters (mcm) of natural gas, having an import and export capability of up to 34 mcm per day.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has launched its latest guide of UK pharmaceutical regulations, EU directives and guidance.  Aimed at manufacturers and distributors of human medicines the Orange and Green Guides have been revised and updated to keep industry informed of the latest regulations.

The Orange Guide (Rules and Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Distributors), now in its tenth edition, contains information and legislation relating to the manufacture and distribution of human medicines. The new 2017 edition of the Orange Guide has been updated to incorporate changes and additions made to the detailed European Community guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and the revised EU Guidelines on Good Distribution Practice (GDP)http://www.pharmpress.com/product/9780857112859/orangeguide?utm_source=mhra_email&utm_campaign=orange17&utm_medium=email The Green Guide (Rules and Guidance for Pharmaceutical Distributors) provides information on the broader distribution of human medicines. http://www.pharmpress.com/product/9780857112866/green?utm_source=mhra_email&utm_campaign=green17&utm_medium=email