Latest news with #PersonalProtectiveEquipment
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
New doc on TV tonight explores the boom and bust of lingerie queen Michelle Mone
It was the ultimate rags to riches tale - but now Michelle Mone is fighting serious allegations. A new BBC documentary investigates A millionaire lingerie entrepreneur and a Baroness in the House of Lords, Michelle Mone had everything going for her but is now embroiled in a shocking PPE scandal. This two-part documentary, The Rise And Fall Of Michelle Mone, on BBC2 at 9pm tonight (May 28), tells the extraordinary story of Baroness Mone of Mayfair, charting her rise and fall. It began as the ultimate rags to riches tale, as Michelle rose from the poverty-stricken East End of Glasgow to the upper echelons of the British establishment and one of Britain's most successful businesswomen. But she is now trying to clear her name of allegations about her role in a lucrative Government contract to supply Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the pandemic, that made millions from the taxpayer. Former colleagues, advisors and journalists wade in to give their view, having witnessed the boom and bust up-close. This first episode focuses on her early life, her breakthrough into business after leaving school at 15 without any qualifications, and how she established herself as a celebrity entrepreneur. She worked in a fruit shop, as a model and as a boxing ring girl before creating the lingerie company MJM and the push-up bra Ultimo. In the cleavage-obsessed age of the iconic 'Hello Boys' Wonderbra advert in the 1990s, Michelle managed to get her new bra into department stores like Selfridges and the business also got a push up. We get the inside track on her whirlwind success and the pressures that arose in the company and also in her home life. The cracks were already starting to show, but is she a villain or a victim? *The Rise And Fall Of Michelle Mone is on BBC2 tonight (Wednesday 28 May) at 9pm There's plenty more on TV tonight - here's the best of the rest.. BRITAIN'S MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSES, CHANNEL 4, 9pm Super prime property, eye-watering price tags, jaw-dropping interiors - this is a peek at how the uber-rich live. As this series continues, real estate agent Mark Coulter is selling a £3.5 million Baronial-style castle in West Lothian, near Edinburgh. The 19th-century castle, set in 15 acres of countryside, has recently been transformed with no expense spared, and has its own panic room, cinema and equestrian centre. Keen to promote this showpiece, Mark invites property journalist Kirsty McLuckie to stay, hoping that a glowing review will attract buyers. 'I hope I don't break anything,' says Kirsty. Fine & Country's managing director Nicky Stevenson is visiting Jersey's most exclusive properties with top broker Margaret Thompson. They need to find a buyer for £21 million Cardington House - a mega mansion by the beach. And on the Cornish coast, agent Ian Lillicrap has listed St Dellan's, a five-bed cottage with 11 acres and stunning coastal views - a snip at £3 million. RACE ACROSS THE WORLD, BBC1, 9pm It's getting tense. Four teams have travelled almost 10,000km to the fifth checkpoint, McLeod Ganj in India, but there's no time to rest in the Buddhist hill town. They have to get to Sasan Gir, 1,900 kilometres south, in the western state of Gujarat, one of the most unique villages in India. Sasan Gir provides a gateway to Gir National Park. Rich with diverse flora and fauna, the forest is the last remaining habitat for the mighty Asiatic lion. The endangered lions, now fewer than 600, roam freely in the wild and sometimes even venture into the local neighbourhoods. To get there, the teams must navigate four of India's western states, including the largest, Rajasthan. Travelling east offers a popular tourist route through the famed 'blue, pink and white cities' of Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur. Or they could veer west for a chance to explore the Great Indian Desert, a vast area of 200,000 square kilometres - but transport options are limited. And after Sioned and Fin made a big mistake last week, sending them into last place, they will have a lot of catching up to do. EMMERDALE, ITV1, 7.30pm Just as Aaron and John are about to wed, Aaron backs out, claiming that he doesn't trust John. But phew, it's another dream. Snapping back to reality in the hospital car park, John watches Aaron drive away from him. Through his phone app, Lewis speaks to a trapped Mackenzie and Ross confesses to orchestrating the robbery. Billy thinks Dawn and the kids should move out of Home Farm to get away from Joe. Jacob tries to comfort Sarah about her diagnosis. EASTENDERS, BBC1, 7.30pm After a car veered off the road and into a lake, the survivors scramble bankside to try to save those trapped in the vehicle. As news of events reaches Walford, Vicki takes matters into her own hands and heads to No.1 to reveal a bombshell. Avani asks Barney if he wants to go back to her house, but is angry when he gets the wrong end of the stick and storms off. Ravi spots the run-in and gives Barney some advice. CORONATION STREET, ITV1, 8pm Lisa tells Kit that Bernie has provided Brody with an alibi. A fuming Kit collars Bernie and points out he now has two options - either tell Lisa that he was mistaken or charge her with perverting the course of justice. Fiona tells Ronnie she's got a job for him which involves selling on a stolen car. George confides in Todd how no matter how hard he tries, everything he does seems to annoy Eileen these days. Maria tells Lou she's fired.
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
4K sanitation workers in Delhi to get PPE kits with 42 safety items
NEW DELHI: As the monsoon approaches, the Delhi government has announced the distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to nearly 4,000 manual scavengers across the city, a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at improving safety conditions for sanitation workers. The move comes under the Centre's 'Namaste' (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) scheme, launched in 2023-24 to promote secure, mechanised and dignified sanitation practices. Each PPE kit will contain 42 safety items, including gas masks, helmets with lights, gloves, gumboots, protective suits, and barrier creams designed to guard against hazardous gases and skin infections. The kits are expected to be distributed before the onset of heavy rains, when manual sewer and septic tank cleaning becomes most dangerous. Delhi's Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh said that directives had been issued to ensure all sanitation workers are also enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. Departments have been instructed to speed up training and rehabilitation programmes and establish Emergency Response Sanitation Units. District magistrates have been told to settle all pending compensation cases related to sewer deaths in a time-bound manner. 'The safety of every sanitation worker is our priority. They must have access to PPE kits and health insurance before the monsoon,' Singh said. However, the announcement has sparked criticism from activists who argue that the state should move beyond temporary safety measures. Bezwada Wilson, founder of the Safai Karamchari Andolan, welcomed the distribution of safety gear but said it doesn't address the root of the problem. 'This step is welcome, but it still does not prevent the deaths of manual scavengers,' Wilson said, calling for the complete mechanisation of sewer cleaning in compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. Wilson also highlighted grim statistics: 102 manual scavengers died in 2023, 116 in 2024, and 30 have died in 2025 so far, including four deaths in Delhi alone. 'The focus must shift from protective gear to ending the practice altogether,' Wilson stressed.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Seminar on safety of contract factory workers held in Tiruchi
The importance of ensuring safety awareness amongst contract workers in factories and adoption of safety measures and usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were discussed at a seminar organised jointly by the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health and Tamil Nadu Chapter of National Safety Council here on Saturday. The seminar was organised to raise awareness of crucial aspects of occupational safety and equip frontline contract supervisory personnel to prevent workplace accidents, especially among contract workers, a segment often vulnerable due to lack of training and supervision. Inaugurating the seminar, S. Ananth, Director of Industrial Safety and Health and Chairman of National Safety Council, Tamil Nadu Chapter, said that usage of improper safety gadgets and minor errors resulted in major accidents. He advised them to take appropriate safety measures, including using proper extension cords to prevent electrical accidents, and urged the authorities to analyse accidents and find out the real causes and to take appropriate measures for preventing them in the future. R. Siddarthan, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health and Chairman of Tiruchi Subcommittee of NSC TNC, highlighted the importance of contract worker safety, stressing the role of industries in integrating contract workers into core safety systems through structured training and supervision as contract workers were mostly affected. C. Karthikeyan, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Annamalai University, and Kasi Visvanathan, Chief General Manager (Marketing), Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited, urged supervisors to ensure safety awareness, safe method of task and usage of PPE amongst contract workers. Experts from various agencies elaborated on aspects such as fire safety and emergency preparedness, supervisor's role in accident prevention, electrical safety and risk control and healthy lifestyle for industrial workers. Around 450 participants from various factories across the region participated in the seminar, according to an official press release.
New Indian Express
10-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Provide safety gear to all sanitation workers before monsoon, says minister
The minister emphasised the government's commitment to safeguarding the dignity and lives of sanitation workers. 'All sewer and septic tank workers must receive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and safety devices before the monsoon,' he instructed. He also stressed the need to accelerate training and rehabilitation programmes for workers and to set up adequate Emergency Response Sanitation Units. The MCD has been tasked with fast-tracking the survey in unauthorized colonies, using sanitary inspectors to identify manual scavengers. All departments were also directed to ensure that workers are brought under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. Singh noted that the State Level Survey Committee for the identification of manual scavengers is in its final stages of formation. A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is expected soon. He also urged District Magistrates to clear all pending compensation claims on a priority basis. The minister criticised the lack of action by previous administrations, despite a 2014 notification on manual scavenging.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mone accuses Covid inquiry of 'cover-up'
Baroness Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman have accused the Covid inquiry of an "establishment cover-up" after their second attempt to be given an official role in the inquiry was rejected. The couple claimed they were the targets of a "politically motivated witch hunt" after the inquiry's chairwoman, Baroness Hallett, refused their application to be made "core participants". PPE Medpro, a firm led by Mr Barrowman, was awarded government contracts worth more than £200m after Baroness Mone recommended it to ministers. If approved, the official status would have allowed the couple to access inquiry documents, make statements and apply to ask questions of witnesses. Baroness Hallett first rejected their approach in February, saying it came 468 days after the deadline for applications, and she did not accept they had a large enough role "in the matters to be investigated by the inquiry". She had previously said her main focus is on the approach of ministers and the government, rather than Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suppliers. The Covid inquiry is conducting four weeks of hearings looking at deals to buy £15bn of PPE during Covid. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has been investigating PPE Medpro since May 2021 over suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement process. To date no charges have been brought and the Crown Prosecution Service has not been instructed in the case. Baroness Mone, 52, and Mr Barrowman, 59, have both denied wrongdoing. A special inquiry hearing about the company will take place behind closed doors next week after Baroness Hallett said she was satisfied there was a risk of prejudice to the ongoing NCA investigation if "sensitive evidence" was made public. In a joint statement, Baroness Mone and her husband said the decision to hear evidence in private was "a blatant betrayal of transparency and justice" and accused the NCA of waging "a ruthless smear campaign". The couple said: "While the inquiry refused to exclude PPE Medpro, it handed the NCA the power to dictate the proceedings behind a wall of secrecy, ensuring that only their version of events is heard – while we are denied the right to defend ourselves." In a social media post, Baroness Mone said she did not realise that the company would be "specifically profiled" by the inquiry until the end of February. "Until then, it was understood that discussions were general, covering overall PPE procurement, not targeting any individual entity," she added. The couple's statement was released after their second approach to be made core participants was rejected. Baroness Hallett said allowing the application to proceed would have led to a "further diversion of resources" and have caused "significant disruption" to the inquiry's timetable.
