Bill to help cancer victims
The government is to rush through legislation to help people get full compensation if suffering from cancer as a result of a negligent employer – even if it cannot be proved the employer was solely responsible for their condition. Tony Blair said the government would overturn the decision by the House of Lords limiting the amount of compensation payable to victims of mesothelioma.
Crash costs firm £54,000
An employer has been fined 30,000 after one of its workers was killed in a car accident outside working hours. Produce Connection admitted breaching health and safety legislation. Employee Mark Fiebig was believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel after working three consecutive 20-hour shifts and for 11 days without a break. The company was also ordered to pay 24,000 in costs.
More die of cancer caused by work
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Research published in Australia has indicated that many more people there are dying as a result of cancer caused by their jobs than official estimates suggest, the TUC has said. The findings, by the Queensland Cancer Fund and the University of Sydney, backed a similar study into UK cancer deaths published by the TUC last year, it added.
Loud pubs affect hearing
Some 44% of 16- to 30-year-olds have experienced ringing in the ears on at least one occasion, often after visiting noisy pubs and bars, according to figures from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People.
