We read a lot about green cleaning today and the shops are flooded with eco-friendly and biodegradable products that are specifically marketed for green cleaning. Most of these products claim to be non-toxic, non-corrosive and non-carcinogenic and are priced very high.

Before investing money on eco-friendly products, it is important to ascertain whether they are real or fake. All eco-friendly products will have the eco-friendly certification called ‘Design for the Environment’. Consumers can also look out for a green seal that certifies each of these products to be original and eco-friendly. These certifications are voluntarily obtained by the manufacturing company; hence, a product without these certifications can also turn out to be genuine.

There are currently many fake eco-friendly products in the market that are manufactured by branded companies and are in truth chemical-based. Customers are advised to bear in mind that most of the genuine eco-friendly products do not come with big branding and have minimal packaging.

On March 2, 2005, Lynda Wilkins, an employee of BAE Systems Land Systems (Munitions and Ordnance) Ltd. was working with Lead Styphnate, a dangerous primary explosive which exploded and killed her. The tragic incident occurred at the company’s explosive plant in Central Avenue, Chorley.

Subsequent investigations into this incident by HSE have proven beyond doubt that the company’s hazardous working conditions were responsible for this accident. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the explosion and they believe that there was very little supervision and monitoring of workers who handle sensitive explosives at the plant.

BAE Systems have pleaded guilty for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc ACT 1974 and for not providing a safe working area for the employees. The court has imposed a fine of £80,000 and £118,000 as prosecution cost and has ordered the company to pay the amount by Jan 14, 2010. HSE Inspector, Colin Hutchinson said, “Explosives companies must learn from this incident by making sure their safety procedures are both sufficient and rigidly followed to avoid needless loss of life in the future.”

Everyday we deposit our garbage bag in the bin, for it to be taken away. Have we ever paused to reflect on the fact that we are throwing away things that we could actually reuse? According to a study, people in the UK are throwing away rubbish that is seven times more than their own body weight.

How could we reduce the amount of garbage that we throw? Buy products that can be reused in the household. Statistics reveal that about 50% of the contents in the garbage bins can be recycled. Purchase fruits and vegetables in re-usable bags or baskets, switch to using cloth napkins and kitchen towels instead of disposable ones and avoid buying vegetables in plastic packaging.

Another key factor about disposing household waste is that many items in the garbage could be hazardous to the surroundings. Household cleaning products, pesticides, fertilisers, oil and chemicals are harmful to the environment. Besides, we casually throw away batteries, fluorescent lights, TV and computer monitors, which is a dangerous practice. Check with the local recycling banks on the correct methods of disposing such items.

One in five babies born this New Year is likely to be overweight or obese by the time it starts school. The government has launched a new Start4life campaign as a part of Change4life campaign, to avoid the sad effects of this new revelation. Start4life campaign is primarily aimed at pregnant women and parents, to educate them about giving a healthy lifestyle for their children.

The campaign stresses the importance of mother’s breast milk in a child’s development and its varied benefits for the child’s health. The program also helps the mother to recognise three signs that indicate that the babies are ready to start on solid food. According to studies, it is important that mothers introduce a variety of food to their kids, to prevent them from becoming fussy eaters at a later stage. Most important of all, the campaign also provides tips to mothers about how to avoid giving a sweet tooth to their kids.

The Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron, feels that though recent statistics show a dip in the obesity levels among kids, they still have long way to go.

Acting on its commitment to tackle respiratory diseases, the Department of Health has appointed Professor Sue Hill and Dr Robert Winter as joint National Clinical Directors for the Respiratory Programme.

Respiratory disease affects millions of people in England and is the second most common cause of death. Over six million people are affected by asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and both take a deadly toll each year. However, if diagnosed and treated early, the quality of life of people with these conditions can be vastly improved.

Health Minister Ann Keen said, “By appointing joint National Clinical Directors to oversee the development of a strategy we will ensure that clinical evidence and outcomes for patients are at the heart of our work to improve the quality of services to tackle respiratory disease.”

One of the first priorities for the duo would be to develop and implement a national strategy for COPD. Home oxygen services, sleep apnoea and asthma are other priority areas.

Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation, welcomed the appointment.