Transcript Slide 1

STOP AND THINK TALK
WATCH YOUR BLIND SPOT!
Last year a driver working
for a contractor driving a 8
wheeled tipper was travelling
through a town centre when
he was involved in a fatal
collision with a pedestrian.
Due to temporary road works, the driver was in a queue of slow
moving traffic and when the traffic came to a halt, he had stopped
on the pedestrian crossing, closely behind one of his colleagues in
a similar vehicle.
When the traffic started moving
again, the driver moved off at
which point he collided with a
83 year old woman who was
crossing, with the aid of a
walking frame, in front of his
vehicle. Sadly, she died from
her injuries.
The driver has recently been charged with death by driving without
due care and attention .
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT – WHAT IS IT?
Equipment to Protect YOU Personally!
A sub-contract haulier delivering palletised building products to a
major builders merchant was hit by a reversing forklift truck during
vehicle off-load. The driver had remained in his cab, but on seeing a
loose strap on the floor, got out of the vehicle to move it. At this
point, the forklift truck was reversing and collided with the driver who
was unable to get out of the path of the forklift. The driver sustained
a broken ankle and leg and was off work for several weeks. The
driver had not been wearing hi-vis at the time of the incident even
though this was a site requirement and a company minimum
standard.
A truck mixer driver got out of his vehicle on site and stepped onto a
slightly raised build-up of material. The driver went over on his ankle
sustaining a break. The weather conditions were dry, yet the driver
was wearing rigger style wellingtons rather than the required lace up
safety boots. On investigation, the middle step of the vehicle did not
appear as worn as the top or bottom step suggesting that it wasn’t
used very often.
A briefing tool for managers
SAFE DRIVING TIPS
Weather driving an LGV or a car ,
when driving in busy areas,
particularly in built-up town centres,
you need to be aware of the hazards
which can arise from the sides of the
road. Dangers come from anywhere,
but you will generally have less time
to react to hazards coming from the
nearside. In narrow roads and oneway systems you need to be equally
attentive to both sides of the road.
Roadside Hazards
Common roadside hazards that you
should be aware of are:
Pedestrians, especially children,
steeping off the footpath
 Parked vehicles and their
occupants
 Cyclists, especially children
 Concealed junctions
If you identify hazards on the
nearside, try and steer a course
closer to the middle of the road. This
has two benefits:
 It gives you a better view
 It provides more space in which to
take avoiding action should this
become necessary.
As a driver of an LGV, this is not
always possible. If oncoming traffic
makes it unsafe to adopt this
position or if the road is too narrow,
reduce your speed. The less space
you have the slower you should go
When driving along a row of parked
vehicles get into the habit of asking
yourself ‘Could I stop in time if a
child ran out?’
FACT - One third of children
involved in road accidents did not
look first.
STOP AND THINK TALK
Preparation
This stop and think talk can be used individually or with a group of drivers. It could be delivered in the vicinity of a vehicle to
enable wider discussion of other issues, taking care that the area is isolated from traffic and people can hear what you are
saying. Participants should receive a copy of the talk for their CPD files as well as signing the training declaration.
Introduction (After reading out the case studies)
In 2005 MYSPACE was introduced as an aid for LGV drivers to manage their safety on site whilst carrying out their daily
duties. This involved carrying out a 1-2 minute risk assessment before carrying out any task on site and encouraged the
use of the Near Miss Hazard Alert process to highlight and improve those conditions. Even though the MYSPACE initiative
was initially a success there are still incidents occurring which could quite easily be avoided – these result in both personal
injury and property damage. The principles of MYSPACE can easily be adopted on the road too, by just taking that little bit
extra time to look ahead, look around you and ask yourself – How Can I Be Hurt, What/Who can enter or influence what I
do in MYSPACE and Who/What can be injured / damaged in MYSPACE
THE TALK
Use the questions below to open the discussion under each heading and then go through the
lists explaining in detail each hazard / control and what is expected
Hazards
Question 1 – What are the hazards you face everyday
on the road?
• Actions of other drivers – sharp braking, lane discipline,
travelling too close
• Vulnerable road users – horse-riders, cyclists,
pedestrians, children
• Fatigue / Stress
• Adverse weather conditions
• Distractions
• Congestion / road works
• Concealed junctions
• Vehicle Breakdowns
Controls
Question 2 – What are the controls of these hazards
• Concentration and anticipation – always expect the
unexpected? Leave sufficient space between you and
the vehicle in front in case you need to stop suddenly
• Give vulnerable road users that extra bit of room where
possible. Slow right down; do not assume that they have
seen you because of your size. Children in particular
can be very unpredictable
• Don’t drive tired. Take your legal breaks inline with EU
driving hours and working time directive. Fresh air and
plenty of coffee are not a remedy for fatigue – only sleep
• Drive in accordance with the weather conditions – slow
right down if necessary and use your lights when
visibility requires them
• Avoid distractions such as mobile phones, sat navs and
loud music. Do not fiddle with the radio, eat or drink –
keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the
road.
• Take extra caution on busy roads and at road works. If
you travel through an area where particular hazards
exist, inform others about them back at site. Notices can
be put up to warn other drivers or special instructions
can be put on delivery tickets. If training a new driver,
advise them of the regular hotspots
• Plan ahead and be aware of vehicles pulling out at
concealed junctions. Look for clues such as a single lamp
post on its own can depict the exit point of a junction
• Vehicle breakdowns are not uncommon and can happen
at any time to you or other road users. Always carry out a
pre-start check before commencing work and during
the course of the day walk around and check your vehicle
• Concentration and anticipation – always expect the
unexpected.
Question 3 – How Can PPE help you?
PPE is defined as ‘all equipment which is intended to be
worn or held by a person at work and which protects them
against one of more risks to their health and safety’.
We will shortly be bringing out new PPE rules to improve the
standard of protection currently maintained.
The example overleaf explains how a driver may have
avoided injury had he been wearing hi-visibility clothing. We
now consider that the level of visibility in wearing a hi-vis
waistcoat is not sufficient and standards will be long sleeve
Class 3 hi-vis top and also Class 3 hi-vis trousers.
Wellingtons should only be worn in exceptional
circumstances. Statistics prove that since the ban on rigger
boots, foot and ankle injures have decreased
1.Clarify any points as required
2.Ask if there are any other safety related issues that
should be discussed
3.Thank everyone for their
participation
STOP AND THINK TALK
The people listed below have received instruction in MYSPACE as detailed on the previous pages. By
signing below they are confirming that they understand the safe systems of working discussed and will
adhere to these in the workplace.
Date
Name
Signature
Instructed by