• EDITOR'S COMMENT
Page 5
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
When a man like James Tye gives a warning over safety, he should be listened to (see lead story, page 4-5). As director general of the British Safety Council he is well aware of the difference between acceptable and nonacceptable risks.
Judging by his latest comments on the design of the rail wagons that will carry HGVs through the Channel Tunnel, anything less than a fully enclosed design constitutes a serious threat to the vehicles and, more importantly, their drivers.
Maybe we shouldn't be too surprised that information on the design changes has been so slow to emerge.
Some aspects of the project, such as its funding and the high-speed rail link, have attracted exhaustive media coverage. But precious little information has been released on exactly what it will offer truck operators.
There has been a distinct lack of fine print on loading arrangements, driver facilities and, above all, exactly which cargoes will be allowed through it on the back of a truck.
If the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority has decided that enclosed wagons are needed, then Tye is right to insist that there is no deviation from that plan.
Meanwhile the ferry companies must be rubbing their collective hands with joy. "Towering Inferno" horror stories over Chunnel fire risks will provide them with another convenient stick to beat Eurotunnel with. Along with claims of better driver facilities, more time for legal breaks, cheaper rates and the like, they will be only too pleased to add safety to their armoury.
But they would do well to remember the events of four years ago, in particular the night of 6 March, when the Herald of Free Enterprise went down off Zeebrugge with the loss of several drivers.
Safety must not be influenced by operational criteria. No one in their right minds would argue with that — but Eurotunnel and the ferry companies should both reflect upon the fact that when it comes to safety, few people can claim to be perfect.