Safe driver, safer workplace

HSE Press Release E199:02 - 17 October 2002

The results of a discussion document on preventing workplace transport accidents have been revealed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

On average around 70 people are killed and 1,200 seriously injured each year in workplace transport accidents. It is hoped that the ideas generated through the document will help to reduce these appalling figures.

More than 100 responses to the 'Preventing workplace transport accidents' discussion document, published in January by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), were received from industry. These indicated three key areas where action is needed:

• Respondents asked for more specific, clearer and more accessible guidance on workplace transport;
• HSE could work with designers, architects and planners to take workplace transport problems into account in initial design stages of a premises, rather than employers having to deal with it as an afterthought;
• Driver training is crucial to reducing workplace transport accidents, and that HSE should consider vehicle specific requirements along the lines of the existing fork lift truck training code of practice.

These results were revealed and discussed with industry representatives at a conference at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London on Wednesday 16 October.

Bill Gillan, HSE's workplace transport priority programme manager, said:

"Most accidents are due to 'people' failures, but people are inherently imperfect. Changing behaviour is possible, though difficult, but we have to try! Environmental and vehicle factors are also important. Now we will act on what we have learnt from the discussion document and formulate proposals on how we can proceed.

"But the dialogue still isn't over. We still want to hear from anybody that has anything to say about improving health, safety and welfare in this industry."

A new interactive virtual reality CD-ROM, which was developed to help it assess health, safety and welfare standards in workplace transport, was also introduced at the conference. Delegates were issued with a presentation copy and asked to evaluate it as a training/assessment toolkit.

Kevin Jewitt, HSE project officer for the development of the CD-ROM, said:

""Virtual reality is unchartered territory for HSE - this is a new venture and we need to know what our stakeholders think of it. Four virtual worlds have been created to reflect the industries that workplace transport has the biggest impact on. They are a construction site, a farm, a large distribution depot and a warehouse.

"Some of the simulated accidents are based on real cases reported to HSE over the last five years. They include examples of near misses, crush injuries, falling objects and overturns. In addition, the viewer can watch examples of poor driving and bad working practices - intended to draw attention to some of the 'avoidable' accidents that occur in many workplaces."

Notes to editors

1. The CD-ROM, as well as feedback from the discussion document, was presented at a conference attended by industry in the Mountbatten Suite of the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, Westminster, on Wednesday 16 October 2002.

2. 'Fatal Traction', INDG 279(rev1), an HSE leaflet which gives practical advice on avoiding agricultural transport accidents, is available from HSE Books.

Copies of the approved code of practice and guidance 'Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training', L117, ISBN 0 7176 2455 2, price £5.00, are available from HSE Books.

Copies of 'The Safe Use of Vehicles on Construction Sites', HSG 144, ISBN 0 7176 1610 X, price £7.95, are available from HSE Books.

Copies of 'Tractor Action', ISBN 0 7176 1884 6, a video training pack on safe working practices for tractor operations, price £29.78, are available from HSE Books.

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