Prince Edward Visits NI

There's a royal VIP in NI today with The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward already at his third engagement of the day on the loyalist Shankill Road to visit The Spectrum Centre to celebrate the success of the Belfast Activity Centre (BAC) with their 'Youth Building Programmes. His Royal Highness was greeted by Dame Mary Peters DBE Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast and was accompanied by Julie Andrews, General Manager, Spectrum Centre to meet representatives of the Greater Shankill Partnership Board, local community representatives, FASA/Safe Together suicide awareness group, funders and supporters, and Sure Start/Early Years representatives. Earlier, he presented 13 inmates at Hydebank Young Offenders' Centre in Belfast with Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) award certificates having visited Belfast Activity Centre (BAC), Barnet Demesne in south Belfast to join the celebrations of the organisation's 21st birthday.

Appeal Launched Over Suspected Homophobic Assault

Police in Camden are appealing for information and witnesses following a suspected homophobic assault on Monday 14 February. A 36-year-old man was assaulted near Camden Lock Bridge in north west London after spending the evening with friends in The Black Cap. Shortly after leaving the venue with two friends, he was approached by a group of four men. One of the suspects asked the victim 'Are you gay?', and after being ignored the suspect walked off. Minutes later the suspect returned and stabbed the victim in his chest and leg. The victim was taken to a Central London hospital where his condition is described as stable. Although police believe this assault was a homophobic attack, it is being treated as an isolated incident. Additional police patrols are being conducted within the area by Safer Neighbourhoods officers. Police LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Liaison officers have visited local venues to reassure the LGBT community. The suspects are described as four black men aged between 20 and 25.

Care Home In Court After Toilet Cleaner Death

A Sheffield care home operator has admitted breaching safety laws after an elderly resident died after inadvertently drinking toilet cleaner. Retired accountant, Derek Johnson, 80, died on the same day he was found to have drunk the dangerous chemical. The liquid had been left unattended for several hours in his room at Newfield Care Home, Cat Lane, Sheffield. He had been living at the home for just over a month before his death in July 2009. He was frail, registered blind and had symptoms of dementia. 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the care home operator, Palms Row Healthcare Ltd, for putting vulnerable people, including Mr Johnson, at risk by failing to properly manage the use of cleaning fluids.

 Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard that Mr Johnson began vomiting blue liquid and was taken to Northern General Hospital where he died just hours later. The liquid was later found to be toilet cleaner which had been noticed in his room earlier that day but not removed.

 The HSE investigation found the company had an inadequate system to control such chemicals and to prevent access to areas of risk by vulnerable people. Inspectors discovered that trolleys carrying hazardous substances were often left unattended, sometimes for considerable periods, and there were no proper procedures in place for cleaners to check trolley contents were intact. 

The investigation also showed it was too easy for vulnerable residents to get into areas such as the laundry and kitchen which should have had controlled access. 

Following the incident, HSE served Palms Row Healthcare with three Improvement Notices as well as bringing the prosecution.

 Palms Row Healthcare Ltd., was ordered to pay costs of £14,472.02.

Birmingham Firm Fined For Unsafe Work At Height

A Birmingham construction firm has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for putting its staff at risk when working at height. An HSE inspection on 16 October 2009 revealed that three employees from Spanclad Construction Ltd, of Nursery Road in Birmingham, were replacing skylights at Adroit Modular Buildings plc in Worcester at a height of over 5m, with no protection from falls as they walked to their place of work across a fragile roof. Worcester Magistrates' Court heard that the workers had to walk along 60cm wide staging boards on the building roof to the skylights. The boards had no guard rails, there was nothing for the workers to hold onto and there was no safety protection underneath, such as netting, soft landing bags or a birdcage scaffold, to prevent them from falling through the fragile roof onto the concrete floor. This work had already been in progress for at least three days when an HSE inspector attended the site following an unrelated incident involving another company. Spanclad Construction pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £5,271 costs.

(BMcN/GK)