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One day Healthcheck to Kickstart a Safer Workplace Transport Operation

Blogs | 9th May 2019
One day Healthcheck to Kickstart a Safer Workplace Transport Operation

Workplace accidents are often avoidable, but if you are burying your head in the sand about the safety of your transport operations and hoping nothing will happen, help is at hand.  In just one day*, we can give you clear guidance on how to make changes that will help protect you and your staff and make your operation more efficient.

The potential for workplace transport accidents is a daily concern for employers. For some, the operational risks will be well managed and controlled, but for others, the risk is ever present.

When an accident does happen, the common cause can often stem from a lack of analysis of current workplace transport operations, lack of training, failure to upkeep standards of machinery or racking, or failure to keep pedestrians and vehicles safely segregated.

Don’t be another number on the HSE statistics

We’ve all seen the statistics from the HSE and the government which are often difficult to identify with in real terms in relation to your business. But these statistics include figures from business of all shapes and sizes across the country, and many of the stories are tragic, and avoidable:

  • In 2017/18, 30.7 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
  • An estimated £15 billion costs of injuries and ill health recorded from current working condition (2016/17)
  • According to the Labour Force Survey, 555,000 injuries occurred at work during 2017/18 period

These incidents can have a massive impact on the bottom line of a business, as a result of lost time, absences and in some instances, fines (depending on the nature of the incident).  And unfortunately, there are events that lead to death, with a statistic of 144 workers killed at work in the 2017/18 period, none of which should have happened.

Don’t think it will happen to you?  Neither did these businesses.

Many businesses get complacent and don’t always review their operations as they should. Below are some examples of incidents with a report of the findings.

Find out what’s wrong (or right) with your operation

The RTITB Workplace Transport Operations Healthcheck service identifies issues within an operation to help reduce the chance of future incidents. It will highlight current unsafe activities that could lead to an incident and provide guidance on change, with suggestions for improvements to help achieve specific business objectives, improve safety, compliance and efficiency.

The service is especially important if you have experienced a recent incident or a near-miss that is reoccurring, or likely to happen again as a result of current practices.

The Healthcheck is carried out by a training specialist and qualified auditor who has significant real-life experience in logistics, transport and distribution applications.

What does the RTITB Healthcheck look at?

The Healthcheck audit will look at the following areas:

  • Key custody arrangements
  • PPE
  • Management and supervision of operations, operators and drivers
  • Incident and near miss reporting
  • Operator training – basic, specific job, familiarisation
  • Driver training
  • Record keeping
  • Authorisation to operate
  • Re-assessment/refresher training
  • Pre-use inspections
  • Risk assessment
  • Instructor qualifications

In addition to a physical review of operational areas, it looks at the operational standards and processes on all machine types and vehicles used.

There is an analysis of the management and supervision of operators, and a review of operator and driver processes being followed for the completion of tasks.

We also look into training issues and processes that may be causing any current issues relating to accidents and damage to stock, racking and infrastructure. It also looks at the current process for reporting incidents or near-misses.

You get a report and guidance

Upon completion of the audit the employer is provided with an impartial, independent report of the current operations and guidance on what could be changed, the benefits of these changes and much more.

Often, a suggestion for accredited training can help rectify issues relating to MHE operations due to standardised training, testing and auditing. By bringing accredited training in-house, businesses can improve safety even further with better control, compliance and the use of engaging, business-specific training materials. It can also help reduce costs and improve overall efficiency.

To book a Workplace Transport Healthcheck contact the RTITB Solutions team on +44 (0)1952 520207 or email the Solutions team here.

* Note that the Healthcheck takes just one day for the majority of applications. For larger sites, two or more days may be required.

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