In this talk from the Health and Safety Executive's Nina Day, delivered at our Fleet Risk Forum at London's Churchill War Rooms in December 2016, Nina discussed how companies can manage their transport to lessen their risk. Transport is key to most companies, and even small issues in the transport chain can quickly become big problems if they are not tackled effectively. Nina talked about how companies can manage their transport to reduce the risks and costs associated with vehicle movements on site, working on customer sites, safe loading and unloading, and driver behaviour. Nina’s talk encapsulated this issue across all fleet types, including advice for cars, light commercial vehicles and HGV operators, providing a wide-ranging scope for all fleet managers.

1. Health and Safety
Executive
© Crown Copyright, HSE 2016HSL: HSE’s Health and Safety Laboratory
Safe transport is good business
5th
December 2016
Nina Day CEng MIMechE
Senior Engineer, Road & Workplace Transport

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•For many otherwise low-risk companies,
transport will be their most dangerous
work activity.
•Over half of all RIDDORs reported to HSE
are transport-related.
•Transport is one of the highest risk work
activities in terms of accident rate.

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• When things go
wrong in
transport the
consequences
can be severe.

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What are the problems?
• Unintended vehicle movements
• Vehicle collisions
• Falls from height
• Slips and trips
• Load movement
• Stress, fatigue, and time pressures

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The costs of these issues can be
substantial:
•Injuries and fatalities
•Product and vehicle damage
•Damage to work sites and
public spaces
•Litigation and compensation
costs
•Reputational damage

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Past performance does not guarantee future safety
• “I’ve been driving for 25 years and never had a problem.”
• “We’ve been moving them like this for 15 years and it’s never been a
problem.”
• “We’ve always done it like this.”
Drivers involved in KSI incidents tend to be experienced drivers.
The ‘perfect storm’ of events can happen at any time.
There likely have been problems – just minor ones.

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Why do incidents occur?
• Fatal and serious injury incidents are rarely ‘one-off’ events.
• Usually they are the result of a ‘perfect storm’ of events.
• A failure to adequately assess and control the risks is a
primary contributor to most incidents.
• In transport there is also often confusion over responsibility,
and failure to communicate information.
• Condition of equipment is also a contributory factor.
• Time pressures, stress, and a culture of ‘getting the job done’
can increase the risk of a minor problem developing into a
serious incident.

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Legislation relating to transport
• Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended
• Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986
• Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
• The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations
• The Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations
And any other regulations that might apply (eg LOLER)

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• The risks of transport must be assessed and controlled as far
as is reasonably practicable.
• Information must be communicated and different parties
must co-operate.
• Training and equipment must be provided to do the job.
• Everyone has a part to play.

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So how can we control the risks of transport?
• Risk assessment is key.

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It is always better to look at removing the risk rather than
mitigating it. For example:
•Ground-level coupling
•Parking brake interlocks
•Re-routing pedestrian walkways

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• Communication and clear lines of responsibility help to avoid
problems.
• Near-miss reporting and a robust system of recording minor
incidents can help to flag up issues.
• Be aware of particular needs of workers – younger workers,
vulnerable workers, and temporary workers/visitors may
need additional support.

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• Make sure your site signage is clear and understandable.
• There should be enough light on the site for everyone to be
able to work safely. Additional lighting may be needed in
certain areas.
• Keep work areas clean and tidy – even small, light pieces of
debris can lead to someone tripping up.
• Consider barriers or bollards to protect pedestrians from
forklift trucks or vehicles.

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• Load movement is a significant
risk for commercial drivers.
• Unsecured loads can fall from the
vehicle in transit or during
unloading.
• Load movement can also
significantly increase the risk of
vehicle rollover.

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• Is this load secure?

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• All loads must be secured to
withstand normal forces on the road.
• Loads that are not secured can and
do move under normal driving
conditions.
• Heavy loads can and do shift under
normal driving conditions.
• Even small items can be lethal.
• Load movement tends to occur when
the vehicle is changing speed and
direction at the same time, eg on
roundabouts.

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What good practice looks like
• Risk assessment for loading and
unloading
• A load securing system that meets
the requirements of the DfT Code
of Practice, Safety of Loads on
Vehicles
• Training for loaders/drivers (if
drivers are involved in loading)
• Communication between all parties
in the transport chain

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A new enforcement approach on the road
• First developed by HSE in 2009
• Aimed to introduce consistency to
decision-making at the roadside
• Risk-based
• Iteratively refined over 3-year period
• Trialled by DVSA in 3 areas in 2012
• Introduced nationally by DVSA in
2013
• Now being rolled out to police forces

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• Industry innovation in load
control technology has also
helped to reduce risk in other
areas
• Systems like this remove the
need to throw straps over the
load, and help to avoid the
need to work at height

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• Getting transport right is in everyone’s interest.
• Risk assessment is key
• By taking simple, straightforward steps, you can significantly
reduce the risk of serious incidents.

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Thank you