THE last thing on your mind when you're about to break through to a new level of Tomb Raider is improving your posture or stopping for a break. Yet children who spend hours surfing the net or sitting hunched over games consoles run a high risk of developing repetitive strain injuries (RSI).

The painful condition is well known among adults, and now the popularity of games terminals, comp...

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An RAF computer clerk who suffered a hand injury while typing in numbers has cost the Ministry of Defence £484,000 in damages and legal costs - almost 30 times what a soldier injured in combat might receive for a similar injury.

The clerk, who is in her 20s and has not been named, was diagnosed with the RSI-style condition de Quervain's tenosynovitis.

The data clerk also deve...

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A "horrifying" number of companies, government departments and other public bodies have breached data protection rules in the past year, a report says.

The UK's Information Commissioner Richard Thomas said bosses must take the personal data of both customers and staff seriously. Orange, Barclays and NatWest are three of the firms he has rapped this year.

The Ministry of Jus...

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Almost half of people living in Britain are not aware that they can prevent third parties, such as direct marketing companies, from accessing their personal information on the electoral register.

The nationwide survey coincides with advice published today by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to help individuals who are concerned about the use of their personal information on ...

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The Information Commissioner’s Office is today urging recruitment agencies to meet their obligations under the Data Protection Act.

Under the Act, organisations that process personal information must notify with the ICO. Failure to notify with the ICO can result in prosecution and fines. The ICO has successfully prosecuted a number of organisations for failing to notify, including a re...

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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found Littlewoods Home Shopping and Orange Personal Communications Services Ltd in breach of the Data Protection Act following an investigation into the way customers’ personal information is processed.

The ICO received a complaint regarding the way in which Orange processed personal information, and in particular the way in which new m...

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Richard Thomas was appointed the Information Commissioner in November 2002 and he is being re-appointed for a further term but, at his own request, only until his 60th birthday in June 2009.

The Information Commissioner serves for a term of up to five years and, after the first term, is eligible for re-appointment for a further five years.

The Information Commissioner has ...

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A variety of ill-health symptoms have been associated with work with Display Screen Equipment (DSE) including musculoskeletal disorders; mental stress; and visual fatigue.

The project sought information about the extent of such illhealth in DSE workers through a survey of employees. It compared the data with those in the scientific literature. An extensive literature review sought to i...

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New guidance to help elected councillors understand their obligations under the Data Protection Act has published by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

The guidance outlines the key points of the Act which members must consider before using residents’ personal information, such as notifying with the ICO and ensuring personal information is stored securely.

Before using r...

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The Data Protection Act 1998 came into force in March 2000 and number of 'transitional relief’ arrangements were included in the legislation.
These arrangements provided a set period of time for data controllers to bring their personal information handling practices and records fully in line with the 1998 Act. The purpose of this was to ensure a smooth transition from the original requireme...

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An investigation firm, Infofind Ltd, has pleaded guilty to obtaining and selling personal information after illegally ‘blagging’ the personal details of over 250 individuals from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Following a successful prosecution by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the firm and its Managing Director, Nick Munroe, were both convicted of 44 counts of

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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched an investigation into
Barclays Bank following the recent Whistleblower programme on the BBC which exposed alleged breaches of customer privacy at the high street bank.

It revealed the findings of a nine month investigation conducted by two journalists and focused particularly on working practices adopted by management and ...

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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found 11 financial institutions in breach of the Data Protection Act after investigating complaints concerning the disposal of customer information.

The HBOS, Alliance & Leicester, Scarborough Building Society, Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays Bank,
Clydesdale Bank, Natwest, United National Bank, Co-operative Bank, HFC Bank, Nationw...

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A study found that a third of patients admitted to a hospital with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) had jobs that involved sitting still at desks for long periods.

Office workers who spend all day sitting in front of computers may be at greater risk of developing potentially fatal blood clots than passengers on long-haul flights, according to new research carried out in New Zealand.

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according to guidance published today by the Information
Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Individuals who suffer damage following a breach of their data protection rights can
claim compensation. The guidance ‘Claiming compensation’ explains an individual’s right to claim compensation from an organisation which has breached the Data Protection Act.

Advice on how to make a compens...

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The last day of February each year is International RSI Day, This is when unions and campaigners highlight the work hazards that cause strain injuries. They also carry out workplace activities on strains prevention and campaign for preventive action by employers and governments.

Calling for action to prevent one of the top causes of work-related disability and lost time, TUC head of s...

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Liverpool Crown Court sentenced four men to prison for their part in fake data protection agencies.

Francis Boyd pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining £401,545 from businesses demanding a payment to register under the Data Protection Act between 1 December 2002 and 2 April 2004.
Between 1 March 2004 and 17 March 2005 Michael Boyd, Paul Barton and Mark Deary worked together obta...

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A Husband and wife team have been convicted of obtaining personal information unlawfully.

Stephen and Sharon Anderson of St Ives in Cambridgeshire have been convicted of illegally obtaining and selling personal information.

Mrs Anderson was fined a total of £4,200 while Mr Anderson was fined £3,300 and each was ordered to pay a contribution to prosecution costs of £3,694. ...

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Steve Wood has been appointed to the post of Assistant Commissioner.

He will join the Information Commissioner's Office from Liverpool John Moores University where he is currently Programme Leader for the BSc E-Business programme. Previously he worked for HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office as Intranet and Extranet Manager.

He will be responsible for leading the FoI policy tea...

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A recent survey of 250 SMEs has found that many are unaware of the Health & Safety regulations regarding Dispaly Screen Equipment (DSE).

Less than half ( 44% ) the businesses surveyed knew of the Display Screen Equipment requirements and their obligations as an employer, and perhaps more worrying, more than 75% of those who new of the regulations had not carried out any risk assessmen...

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Although the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations came into effect in January 1993 (some changes were made in 2002), there is still considerable ignorance among both employers and employees as to how the regulations impact on them.

Display Screen Equipment (DSE) workers can experience a range of different physical and psychological health problems including, headach...

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The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued advice for small business handling requests from individuals for information about themselves

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published advice today aimed at small and medium sized firms (SMEs

The advice distinguishes between requests that SMEs can treat as part of normal
business practice and those th...

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05 Jan 07 -
The ICO has successfully prosecuted an accountant for offences under the Data Protection Act. Abdul Ghafoor of Yorkshire Business Management was convicted following a trial and fined £350 and ordered to pay £500 costs by Bingley Magistrates' Court in West Yorkshire....

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04 Jan 07 - Protect your financial information, urges Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

As shoppers spend millions in the January sales and rely more and more on credit to make purchases, the Information Commissioner’s Office is today urging consumers to start the New Year by ensuring their financial information is accurate and up to date....

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