A waste and recycling company has appeared in court in Teesside on health and safety charges after a worker received severe burns to his upper body and face.

European transport ministers have formally agreed to set a target of halving the number of serious injuries on roads in the EU by 2030 from their 2020 level. This is in addition to the existing target to halve the number of road deaths on EU roads by 2020 from the 2010 baseline.

The dangers posed by distracted drivers have been well documented, with many road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorbike riders caught up in accidents caused by a driver’s lack of attention.

The European Commission has been urged to bring forward as a matter of priority new minimum safety standards for new cars, vans and trucks, after years of delays.

The health and safety of workers can be put at risk in many different ways, but two common, and preventable, sources of harm at work are solar radiation and silica dust.