HSE press release E213:03 - 29 October 2003
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Freight Transport Association (FTA) have opened a new workplace transport safety advice centre designed specifically to give information and advice on all aspects of workplace transport safety.
FTA transport Advisers are now on hand to give guidance and advice to vehicle operators, drivers and those responsible for site safety on this major cause of British workplace injury and fatality.
Workplace transport is the second biggest cause of fatal incidents in British workplaces, killing many people and injuring thousands every year. The majority of these incidents fall into four common types, vehicle strikes, overturns, falling people and falling objects.
The advice centre is designed to run for 12 months as part of an initiative/project to identify areas of most concern to employees and employers using and involved with workplace transport, and to help HSE target resources in this area more accurately. The service will be reviewed towards the end of this period.
Bill Gillan, Project Manager of HSE's Workplace Transport Priority Programme said: "I look forward to working closely with FTA. The information that we get will help us target more closely the problems that industry have involving workplace transport."
Rodger Bird, FTA's Issue Manager for Workplace Transport said, "FTA is totally committed to helping reduce the number of fatalities and injuries which result from workplace transport incidents. This joint initiative is designed to assist with this important safety related objective and FTA is pleased to have such an important role to play in the project."
1. The workplace transport advice centre was officially launched at the Freight Transport Association's National Council Meeting that took place at the Park Lane Hilton London on 28th October 2003.
2. HSE is organised into a number of directorates. The key HSE directorate concerned with workplace transport policy nationally is the Policy Group. The Field Operations Directorate (FOD), which is the main operational arm of HSE and consists of Inspectors, industry sector groups and support staff/departments and FOD Safety Unit based in Manchester, which gives operational policy advice inspectors on a day to day basis. Workplace transport risks in specific industries are dealt with by staff in one of FOD's five Sectors, each of which specialises in a different employment sector.
3. The Freight Transport Association represents the transport interests of industry and members of FTA operate half the UK lorry fleet. It offers a wide range of safety related services and operates an advice centre from its Leamington Spa office. The advice centre forms part of FTA's Centre of Excellence for Road Transport Law.
4. Photographs of the launch of the advice centre will be available to the media on request from Paul Clements at the HSE or Geoff Dossetter at the FTA.
All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office
