diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/TestHelpers/inc/MantidTestHelpers/WorkspaceCreationHelper.h b/Code/Mantid/Framework/TestHelpers/inc/MantidTestHelpers/WorkspaceCreationHelper.h
index 369ab62df2d262308cc2f2ea7f9a502b0e806c87..be30445c3da7bfc07d136537c23f89f3df747cdf 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/TestHelpers/inc/MantidTestHelpers/WorkspaceCreationHelper.h
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/TestHelpers/inc/MantidTestHelpers/WorkspaceCreationHelper.h
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@ namespace WorkspaceCreationHelper
    * pervious. 
    * Data filled with: Y: 2.0, E: sqrt(2.0), X: nbins of width 1 starting at 0 
    */
-  Mantid::DataObjects::Workspace2D_sptr create2DWorkspaceWithFullInstrument(int nHist, int nBins,
-                    bool includeMonitors = false, bool startYNegative = false, bool isHistogram = true,const std::string instrumentName= std::string("testInst"));
+  Mantid::DataObjects::Workspace2D_sptr create2DWorkspaceWithFullInstrument(int nHist, int nBins, bool includeMonitors = false,
+                    bool startYNegative = false, bool isHistogram = true, const std::string& instrumentName = std::string("testInst"));
   
   /**
    * Create a test workspace with a Theta numeric axis instead of a spectrum axis
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/TestHelpers/src/WorkspaceCreationHelper.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/TestHelpers/src/WorkspaceCreationHelper.cpp
index 2e2f130b3000fd4b8bede3e91bde7c3481ddb3ac..5a3c1b45bc8e0ea68a2c317018d5a89e8c75b1b7 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/TestHelpers/src/WorkspaceCreationHelper.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/TestHelpers/src/WorkspaceCreationHelper.cpp
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ namespace WorkspaceCreationHelper
    * Data filled with: Y: 2.0, E: sqrt(2.0), X: nbins of width 1 starting at 0 
    */
   Workspace2D_sptr create2DWorkspaceWithFullInstrument(int nhist, int nbins, bool includeMonitors,
-                                                       bool startYNegative, bool isHistogram,const std::string instrumentName)
+                                                       bool startYNegative, bool isHistogram, const std::string& instrumentName)
   {
     if( includeMonitors && nhist < 2 )
     {
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/MantidQt/SliceViewer/src/SliceViewer.cpp b/Code/Mantid/MantidQt/SliceViewer/src/SliceViewer.cpp
index 52f4f8cf82142602641ff3ab717d10db52173969..6e108ce83c664100b4fd8f94e20a8b2f4318279b 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/MantidQt/SliceViewer/src/SliceViewer.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/MantidQt/SliceViewer/src/SliceViewer.cpp
@@ -2253,11 +2253,11 @@ void SliceViewer::clearPeaksWorkspaces()
         m_peaksPresenter->addPeaksPresenter(
             boost::make_shared<ConcretePeaksPresenter>(viewFactorySelector->makeSelection(), peaksWS,
                 m_ws, transformFactory));
-      } catch (std::invalid_argument& e)
+      } catch (std::invalid_argument&)
       {
         // Incompatible PeaksWorkspace.
         disablePeakOverlays();
-        throw e;
+        throw;
       }
     }
     updatePeakOverlaySliderWidget();