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Last call for safety
Page 41
Page 42
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On 15 September senior health & safety managers and company executives will be gathering at Villa Park for CM'S unique conference "Driving Accidents Down". Can you afford to miss it?
If you need reminding of the dangers in road transport, consider this: according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), an average of 70 people a year are killed and 1,000 suffer major injuries in accidents involving vehicles in the workplace.
The effects of being involved in such an accident are devastating for all parties and, inevitably, the police and the HSE will be asking a senior manager: "What caused this accident?"
Don't assume accidents are the sole preserve of large distribution centres; it can happen to any operator big or small, says David Glover from lawyers Aaron and Partners."All employers have a duty to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the safety of their workers and members of the public who might be affected by their activities,he adds. "So the need to have safe systems of work applies to anyone who operates vehicles or has any vehicle movements take place at their premises or as part of their activities.
"If the only system you currently have is the one devised by lady luck then perhaps now is a good time to start to think seriously about undertaking a risk assessment."
So where can you get solid advice on how to stay out of the killing zone? And what's a good place to start that risk assessment process? The obvious answer is the forthcoming -Driving Accidents Down" safety conference,organised by Contmercial Motor and our stablemate journal for the construction industry, Contract Journal.
Why transport and construction? Because, as regular reports in CM show only too well, both industries have an unenviable record, PI■ particularly when it comes to workplace accidents and deaths.
That's why our conference programme is packed with practical case studies from operators and companies who have taken an active approach to reducing accidents. It will be particularly interesting to all those operators who have hit a 'plateau' on their company's accident levels.
Speakers will spotlight the most common causes of injuries and death in road transport and construction, including: II Vehicle reversing accidents • Falls from HGN's • Road accidents • Slips, trips and falls • Forklift incidents Experts will explain how to cut down accidents in those areas and what work they and their companies have done in achieving that goal. There will also be papers on how to cut accidents through better claims management, saving money along the way; and encouraging your workforce to take a personal interest in safety issues.
More than 80 people have already signed up for the conference, including some of the biggest names in transport. If you've hit a brick wall on reducing workplace accidents, then don't delay call our -Driving Accidents Down" Conference hotline and book your place now.
The CM/CJ Driving Accidents Down conference is being sponsored by industry equipment suppliers Vision Techniques; conference exhibitors will include Safetystop and leading transport solicitors Backhouse Jones. •