Safety experts in blitz
on town’s building sites
by David Skentelbery
HEALTH and safety experts are targeting construction sites across Warrington as part of a campaign to improve safety.
Sites where a significant risk to employees is discovered could be closed down ? and some firms could be prosecuted.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is undertaking a construction inspection campaign in Warrington throughout July.
A considerable amount of construction activity is currently going on in Warrington, from the Golden Square redevelopment and the new bus station to the new housing being built at Burtonwood and elsewhere.
HSE construction inspector Nic Rigby said: “During July many of the active construction sites in Warrington can expect to be visited. The inspectors will be concentrating their attentions on those risks that are responsible for the majority of the serious and fatal accidents each year.
“Contractors need to be sure that they are managing the significant risks on their sites, in particular those involving falls from height and vehicle movements. There has been an improvement in the standard of good order on sites in the last year, but this also has to be maintained.
“If HSE’s inspectors come across situations where there is a significant risk to those working on the site, or to members of the public affected by it, they will take action to ensure the problem is resolved.
“In many cases this will involve the service of enforcement notices that may close the site down completely. On others, particularly where contractors have a record of poor performance and they don’t appear to have got the message, prosecution may be more appropriate.
“I hope that contractors will take this message seriously and make sure that health and safety issues on their sites are being properly managed at all times – not only when we visit.”
Public service students
set for hands on training
by staff reporter
PUBLIC Service students at Warrington Collegiate are set to start ?hands on? training for their future careers after completing academic studies and taking part in the graduation day ceremony.
The students will now pursue careers in the police, army of fire service after graduating from First and National diplomas.
Carl Byrne, course leader for the National Diploma in Public Services, said: “The whole course mentality is to prepare them for public service – they attend college in uniform and are taught in ‘watches’ as opposed to classes.
?The enthusiasm and commitment they’ve shown makes them excellent candidates for employment”.
Although the students are now in a position to apply for employment in the public services, most of this year’s graduates intend to further their education, with 11 going on to university and 10 due to return to college in September to complete the HND course.
Carl said graduation day was a real highlight for the staff as well as for students.
He said: “It’s fantastic to see how proud the students are on graduation day, parading in front of their families. It really is a special day and I often sit there and think ‘I don’t need pay for this’! ?These teenagers make a mockery of the bad press this generation get, they are so proud and self-motivated – it’s a joy to teach them”.
Bravery of boy, 11, who
reported sex attack
by court reporter
POLICE have praised the bravery of an 11-year-old boy who went to police to tell them he had been sexually assaulted.
As a result, a 27-year-old man was arrested following the discovery of child pornography on a computer at his home.
Scott Michael Worrall was jailed for an indefinite period at Warrington Crown Court, with no parole possible for four years, after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting the boy.
He also admitted downloading and possessing child pornography.
The court was told the man befriend the boy over a two month period, giving him money and cigarettes at first and then inviting him to his home where they watched DVDs and where the boy was given alcohol.
The ?befriending? eventually led to the sexual assault.
Police found 217 pornographic images on the defendant?s computer, as well as pornographic video downloads.
After the court hearing, DC Gordon Wilson, who investigated the case, said: “It is because of this boy’s bravery that Worrall has been stopped from preying on other children and this sentence should send out a strong warning to offenders that we are committed to putting a stop to this kind of abuse.
“I would encourage anyone who has been the victim of abuse to tell police as soon as possible so that we can provide support and help and take positive action against those responsible.”
Heatwave warning
from health chiefs
by Lesley Wilkinson
HEALTH chiefs are warning Warrington people to take care in the current heatwave to avoid becoming ill or putting themselves at risk of skin cancer and premature ageing.
Warrington Primary Care Trust director of public health Dr Rita Robertson warns that people die in the heat and urges residents to take action to protect themselves whilst enjoying themselves in the sun.
She said: “You can’t be blas? about the weather in this country. People die in the heat and there is an onus on everyone to take sensible precautions to protect themselves and their families and to look out for the welfare of older relatives and neighbours.
“Severe heat poses an immediate threat to vulnerable people and can have long-term health consequences for anyone who ignores the risks. Excessive exposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer and premature ageing,” she added.
She said that approximately 27,000 people died in the last heatwave to hit Europe in 2003 and 2,000 of these excess deaths were recorded in England.
Tips for keeping safe include ensuring that babies and young children have plenty of fluids and do not become overheated. She asks people to check on the well-being of frail older neighbours, friends and relatives.
People are advised to avoid travelling and sun bathing in the hottest times of the day, usually between 11am and 3pm.
Drivers are advised to take supplies of drinking water for the journey and not to leave children in parked cars, which can become overheated.
If going out in the day people are advised to stay in the shade and to wear a hat and light, loose fitting clothes, preferably cotton. They should apply sunscreen of at least factor 15 protection level and to use sun glasses that offer 100UV protection to protect the eyes.
She advised people to take cool showers or baths and splash themselves several times a day with cold water, particularly the face and the back of the neck. They should also eat more cold food when possible, particularly salads and fruit, which contain water.
Dr Robertson added: “There is also a heavy burden of responsibility on NHS and social care staff, and staff in residential homes to take care of vulnerable people who cannot fend for themselves. More than 85 per cent of the people who died in the 2003 heat wave were aged 75 or over.”
Road to be improved
after two year battle
by Lesley Wilkinson
A TWO-year battle to get improvements on a “substandard ” section of Loushers Lane, Warrington, has finally proved successful.
The work follows a campaign by Latchford East councillor Hans Mundry. He called for the work to go ahead urgently, at a recent council meeting.
“Along with local residents I have campaigned for a number of years for this stretch of road to be resurfaced,” he said.
“I have fought tooth and nail to secure the funding necessary to complete the work. That’s why, I raised this matter at full council because I was concerned that the new Lib Dem/Tory coalition would withdraw the scheme from the work programme for this year.? He said he has received assurance that the improvement will go ahead during
the current financial year. But he will be monitoring the situation to ensure it happens.
Budding engineers team
up with industry experts
BUDDING engineers at Warrington?s Priestley College teamed up with BNFL industry experts in a ?hands on? engineering-in-education project.
The students were set tasks based on real industrial problems and their group work included a residential stay at the University of Liverpool.
They then went on to make a presentation of their achievements to engineers at the University of Manchester.
Said Alan Durbin, chemistry tutor at Priestley: “Real life experience in an engineering setting is invaluable. The opportunity for our students to team up with BNFL was fantastic. The students’ work during a year-long project clearly show that we have recognised engineering talent”.
Pictured are some of the students on the project.
Lions send the elderly
“message in a bottle”
by Terry Johnson
WARRINGTON Lions have delivered 6,500 ?messages in a bottle? to elderly and infirm people across the town.
The bottles contain information on medication they are receiving from their GP which can prove vital to emergency services.
Lions members will be on familiar territory on July 13 when they take 32 ?disadvantaged? schoolchildren to Chester Zoo.
They will also be holding a barbecue on July 16 at the home of Lion Mike Holden.
Tip fire
FIRE crews from Warrington and Birchwood were called to Silver Lane, Risley during the night to deal with a fire involving the landfill site there. Three appliances were involved in the operation.
