The Health and Safety Executive is launching a new campaign in Devon and Cornwall to reduce the number of people killed and injured by delivery vehicles in the two counties.
Three people died in 2007-08 and 219 people were seriously injured by moving vehicles in their workplace between 2004 and 2008 in the region.
To highlight the dangers, the HSE and local authorities are holding two safety awareness events for local businesses and are urging lorry owners to fit reversing aids, such as CCTV cameras, to their vehicles.
The campaign has the backing of Frances Reeve, whose husband, Bert, was killed by a reversing lorry at the skip waste site where he worked. Mr Reeves was in a large blind spot in the lorry's mirrors when he was struck by the rear of the lorry and run over. He died later the same day in hospital.
Bert's widow, Frances Reeves, said:
"Life for me can never be the same. I feel that his death was so preventable. If his employer had taken the time to ensure that safety rules were in place, that the yard was being managed so that people were out of the way when vehicles operated, then Bert would not have been able to have been killed. If the lorry that hit Bert had a reversing bleeper (or a camera so the driver could have seen him) then Bert would still be with us.
"As a family, we believe that if there is any good that can come of this, it will be that we've helped to spread the message that waste and recycling sites are incredibly dangerous places.
"Safety rules need to be in place to keep people out of the way of vehicles. If managers of these sites listen to this message, and act, hopefully we can stop other families from being ripped apart. Nobody should have to go through the things that we've been through."
Bert's employer, Shanley and Sons Ltd, of Trowbridge were fined £80,000 with £25,000 costs last month (Sept) after pleading guilty to failing to have a safety management system in place at their waste transfer site and not segregating pedestrians and vehicles so far as reasonably practicable.
Plymouth-based HSE Inspector, David Cory, said: "A key part of transport safety and employers' legal duties is organising for a safe site by keeping vehicles and people apart, segregating them so that they can move about in safety.
"Having clear traffic routes, barriers and appropriate crossing points, speed bumps or other measures are needed."
He added: "Loading and unloading areas are a high risk activity where vehicles, forklifts and their drivers are often in close proximity. These areas are often the site of serious incidents due to poor control and falls from vehicles during loading. Forklift trucks are often used by staff or drivers who are unauthorised or untrained.
"Workplaces need clear site rules about how vehicles and people move about safely to underpin the physical precautions they put in place. They also need clear rules on who is allowed to use vehicles such as forklifts.
"However, if site rules and procedures are poorly understood, confusing or just not followed and enforced then no matter how good they are in theory an incident is often just around the corner."
The risks posed by transport are not limited to industrial or commercial premises. Lorry drivers often find themselves in difficult situations when trying to deliver goods, often involving large vehicles driving in narrow roads and attempting awkward reversing. Pedestrians can be at risk irrespective of the skills or attention paid by the driver.
David Cory said: "A blind spot exists in which the driver simply can't see anybody or anything, even when he looks in his mirrors.
"Reversing aids are now available which can eliminate or reduce this blind spot, including CCTV which have a camera overlooking the back of the wagon and a small TV monitor in the cab. Ultrasonic or radar reversing sensors are also available."
The use of reversing aids can also help drivers avoid obstacles, fences and other road users, reducing damage and insurance claims. The average cost of reversing incidents on commercial vehicles is £600. Reversing aids cost around half of this per vehicle.
One large South West fleet operator estimated the fitting of camera's had reduced by half the number of traffic collisions the fleet had suffered in a year.
As an investment in a transport fleet, reversing aids can pay for themselves very quickly and continue to save a business money in addition to increasing pedestrian safety.
Manual handling, slips, trips and falls also cause ill health and injury to delivery drivers.
Poor provision of handling aids for awkward loads or pallets can lead to strains or falls. Poor steps can tempt drivers to climb up the side of a vehicle. Jumping rather than climbing out of a lorry cab can cause a twisted ankle which will keep a driver off work for many days.
Tail lifts are much more common on delivery vehicles but also pose some risks from falling loads or falls of people.
Two fatal accidents have been recorded in Devon and Cornwall involving tail lifts in the last year - both currently under investigation by HSE.
Specifying the right design of tail lift is an important consideration. Many tail lifts don't have built in guard rails. The provision of rails should be part of any vehicle operator's risk assessment. Suitable rails can prevent staff and loads falling off the lift or stop a load hitting a passing pedestrian.
Delivery driver A - "I always backed up to the unloading bay at a regular drop/collection at a hotel. Before we had reversing cameras I used to use fixed points on the building as visual clues to get into the right place plus my mirrors. On this one occasion a guest to the hotel had parked a little further forward which I couldn't see and so when I reversed into my 'usual spot' I crunched the front of their very expensive car (Merc) with the tail end of my wagon. Now we have cameras I don't think this sort of thing will happen again."
Delivery driver B - "I was delivering in a street in a busy SW sea side town. I had no choice but to reverse down the high street which was busy with members of the public. Our wagons have reversing alarms, but still a member of the public walked out right behind and into the wagons path. I'd not seen them step out - I must have been looking in the opposite mirror but I did see them when they appeared on the camera's monitor in the cab. I was able to stop in time."
Delivery driver C - "Having the reversing cameras is like having a rear view mirror in your own family car. I'd be lost without it and if you drive a wagon that doesn't have them fitted you really notice it."
Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office.
Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News and PR (South West)
Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office who act as HSE's Press Office throughout Great Britain.
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