This month’s news
Human rights
Dr Gulleford also gave a paper on the Human Rights Act. This legislation is
creating a great deal of media and public interest but in terms of substantive
law it creates little that is new, he said. Its main function is to repatriate the
European Convention on Human Rights into English law. Bringing the convention
home as it was put in the government White Paper on the subject. The reason
that many are predicting an explosion in litigation as a result of the above
repatriation is that a major procedural bar has been removed in that applicants
can seek redress in the domestic courts.
Mobile concerns
Exposure to radio waves from mobile phones and base stations was the topic
chosen by Dr Simon Mann of the National Radiological Protection Board. His talk
set out NRPB’s scientific position over the twin issues of exposure to the
radio waves when using mobile phone handsets and when living or working near
the antennas of mobile phone base stations.
Risky business
Dr Robin Foster, Risk Assessment Policy Unit, HSE, gave a presentation on
developments and influences in risk assessment. His presentation ranged widely
over a variety of topical risk issues and illustrated the procedures the HSE
adopts to bring these factors together in ensuring that risks from work
activities are properly controlled.
