29 September 2004 - Transport Safety Blitz: HSE and Kent Local Authorities
An announcement was made by Mr. Bill
Callaghan, Chair of Health and Safety Commission (HSC), of a partnership
initiative which will run the UK's biggest ever workplace transport safety
campaign.
The initiative between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local
Authorities in Kent, aim to campaign and target transport safety from the
producer, importer, through to the customer and throughout the
complete food chain in Kent.
Figures for transport incidents of 44 farmers and 30 employees having been
killed between 1992 and 2002, show the biggest causes of deaths to be in the
agriculture and food industries.
The campaign will target hundreds of sites throughout Kent over the coming
two weeks.
Around 70 HSE inspectors and local authority officers will carry out spot
check inspections over the two week period and will be visiting hundreds of
sites within the Kent area, covering businesses such as farms, packaging
companies, retail sites and warehouses.
If these checks findings are such that the HSE inspectors feel duty holders
are putting people at significant risk, then enforcement action will be
taken.
The Kent Police Force will also help in the campaign, by stopping goods
vehicles at roadside safety checks within the county.
HSE plan to extend the campaign to other regions, if the Kent initiative is
successful.
The campaign was launched at the Museum of Kent Life in Cobtree, Maidstone,
where Mr. Bill Callaghan commented:
"Kent has long celebrated its reputation as the Garden of England, and due to the huge amount of food that is either produced in the county or arrives at its ports, food transport is an important business which can generate a significant risk. The campaign message is simple: safe site, safe driver, safe vehicle.
"This is the first time that HSE and Local Authorities have collectively used resources on such a major initiative. By sharing expertise and information and working together to tackle every activity in the transport chain in a jointly managed project, we hope to make a real difference to transport safety in Kent".
Some facts and figures:
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Transport accidents cause 21% of fatal injuries to employees
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Over the past two years there have been 98 fatalities
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In 2002/3 there were 1,600 major injuries to employees and the self-employed
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Over 3,300 injuries serious enough to keep people off work for more than three days
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These accidents cost the country over £540 million
Further information on workplace transport injury statistics can be found in the Health and Safety Commission's Comprehensive Injury Statistics in support of the Revitalising Health and Safety programmes
There will be a dedicated HSE telephone line for enquiries relating to this safe transport initiative, which will be operating until 15 October 2004, on 01233 653930.
Article by Alexandra Johnston
