Drivers 'most likely to die while working'
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by Karen Miles Truck drivers are top of the league when it comes to dying on the job, ahead of coal miners, construction and farm workers.
These are the conclusions of a report published last week by the Trades Union Congress. which is calling for tighter safety controls on businesses employing all types of occupational drivers.
Drawing on research from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. the TUC report Driven to Death says around 250 people are killed in workplace accidents each year—but another 100 light and heavy goods vehicle drivers also die in the line of duty.
Not only is occupational road use the biggest single cause of workplace death—according to the report one in 12 of all drivers killed on Britain's roads are lorry drivers. Some 300 lorry, bus and occupational car drivers die in their vehicles while working. accounting for one in four of the drivers killed each year.
Those driving more than 25,000 miles a year are "at least as likely to be killed going about their business as a coal miner or construc tion worker", says the report. It reveals that 10°o of collisions involve someone suffering from fatigue and goes on to argue that EU governments should quickly agree to limit the working week of CV drivers to 48 hours.
The TUC believes transport companies should be forced to explain to the Health and Safety Executive how they plan to discharge their obligations to run a safe operation; only when the HSE is satisfied with the submission should it issue the licence, the report says.
Collisions involving light and heavy goods vehicles are involved in the deaths of about another 885 people a year. "showing that it isn't only working drivers who suffer as a result of occupational road risk", the report concludes.