Andy Taylor recently circulated a Global Safety Alert which relates to a fatal road traffic collision back in October 2018 in the UK involving a truckmixer Driver working on our behalf. We delayed circulating the Alert https://cemexuknews.co.uk/downloads until the full facts were confirmed in the recent court case, where the Driver pleaded guilty to Death by Dangerous Driving and was imprisoned for 40 months.
As you will see from the Alert, a member of the public, Mr Brian Riley (65 years old), died when the truckmixer struck him as he pushed his bike up a hill; the Driver was looking down at his phone in the moments before the incident as his truck swerved into Mr Riley. In addition to the Alert, there is also a video footage from the truck camera system which was released by the Police – this can be viewed by visiting https://cemexuknews.co.uk/downloads. It shows the moments before the incident and also the Driver placing his phone in the storage locker behind the cab of his vehicle before going to check on Mr Riley… the Driver denied a second charge of committing an act with intent to pervert the course of justice (by concealing the phone) and prosecutors opted to not pursue this matter following his admission of the other offence and it will lie on the file.
Matthew Yaxley, General & Commercial Manager for the Area, describes the day of the incident as the worst in his 26 years in the business, adding: “We started Friday 19th October 2018 the same as we did every other day, and through one event and phone call the entire workload, mood and emotions changed. It took some time for me to come to terms with what had happened, somebody had lost their life through the day to day activities that we undertake, and the outcome was totally out of the deceased’s control. Images of the scene I can still recall today the same as I witnessed on the day itself and is something I will never forget.”
Two out of our three most recent fatal incidents in the UK have been road traffic collisions resulting from mobile phone use. The World Health Organisation estimate that mobile phone use increases the risk of road traffic collisions by four times, irrespective of whether they are handheld or hands free. Please ensure you are aware of and follow our Policy on the use of mobile phones while driving and discourage family, friends and colleagues from using them too… by taking the time to STEP IN, you may prevent further tragic incidents like this.
The UK standards for the Safe Use of Mobile Phones are found: here
Please discuss the Alert with your teams, including contract hauliers who work for us, and display it on relevant noticeboards.
Before starting any new task always STOP, THINK…& CHECK it is safe, and always STEP IN if you see anything unsafe. LOOK AFTER YOURSELF AND EACH OTHER.