24/07 BRITISH RED CROSS CONTINUES TO HELP FLOOD VICTIMS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

BRITISH RED CROSS CONTINUES TO HELP FLOOD VICTIMS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Throughout the weekend (20-22 July), the British Red Cross has been
helping thousands of people affected by flooding.

Torrential rain led to flooded homes and major disruption to travel
routes, both on the roads and railways, leaving people stranded. Local Red
Cross trained volunteers assisted, and continue to assist, emergency
services and local authorities to help the vulnerable across England, by
providing practical and emotional support.

In Gloucestershire two British Red Cross 4x4 vehicles are helping to
evacuate patients from Tewkesbury Hospital. An emergency rest centre has
been set up in a cinema in Tewkesbury. The British Red Cross has
donated 50 duvets to this rest centre at the request of Tewkesbury Borough
Council.

British Red Cross volunteers are also supporting Gloucestershire
Ambulance Service on non-emergency 999 calls, and have been doing this since
Friday night (20 July).

As the rain continues to fall in Gloucester and water supplies are cut
off, there is a desperate need for clean drinking water. Red Cross
staff and volunteers are working from the warehouse in Warmley, Bristol to
provide bottled water that have been supplied by local supermarkets.

24/07 What should flood victims do next?

What should flood victims do next? click

06/11 Gloucestershire Fatalities Double, But Major Injuries Are Down

Gloucestershire Fatalities Double, But Major Injuries Are Down

The number of people reporting work-related ill-health in the South
West has gone down - according to figures published by the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) today.

The latest survey of self-reported work-related illness carried out in
2005/06 showed that 164,000 people in the South West suffered from an
illness caused or made worse by work. The prevalence rate of 4.2% was
lower than the national rate of 4.5% and significantly lower than the
rate of 6%for the period 2001/02.

The full statistics area available at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh0506.pdf

The HSE's annual fatal and non-fatal injuries published today show a
slight increase in the number of fatalities in the South West - 30 in
2005/06 compared to 29 in the previous year.

Major injuries at work have decreased slightly - 2,482 major injuries
to employees in 2005/06 compared to 2595 in the previous year and 127
major injuries to the self-employed compared to 130 in the previous year.

However, over a four-year period there has been an increase in the
number of fatal and major injuries. Major injuries to employees have risen
from 2,223 in 2001/02 and major injuries to self-employed have gone up
from 95 in the same year. Fatal injuries to employees, self-employed
and members of the public have gone up from 27 in 2001/02.

In Gloucestershire in 2005/06, there were six fatalities compared with
three in the previous year. The number of major injuries to people in
work went down from 291 in 2004/05 to 288 in 2005/06, but the number of
non-fatal injuries to members of the public rose in the same period
from 123 to 129.

Head of Operations for the HSE, Max Walker, said:

"Whilst we welcome the encouraging drop in work-related ill-health, we
are still concerned at the high levels of work-related injuries.
Although the injury rate in the South West and in Gloucestershire is
slightly lower than last year, it is higher than it was four years ago and
this is unacceptable. We are also concerned that in Gloucestershire the
number of fatalities has doubled and the number of injuries to members
of the public has also increased.

"Protecting the health and safety of employees and members of the
public should be a priority for every employer and HSE will, where
necessary, bring enforcement action to ensure that employers take the necessary
steps to improve health and safety or are held to account if they
don't."

Provisional figures from HSE show that during the period 2005/06 there
were 859 offences prosecuted in the South West, of which 655 led to a
conviction. A total of £5,780,276 was imposed in fines, with an average
fine of £8,825 per conviction.