A message from Lex Russell, Chair of the UK Health & Safety Committee…..  October marks the anniversaries of two fatal road traffic collisions involving vehicles working on our behalf. These tragic losses of life should act as a very stark reminder to everyone about the importance of health and safety across our business and particularly for road users.

Whilst there are some very clear observations for anyone who drives a haulage vehicle, there are also observations we can apply to how we oversee contractor operations and for each of us as road users, whether driving a vehicle, or as a pedestrian or cyclist.

One of these tragedies was specifically linked to the safe use of mobile phones and this is something we can all ensure we apply – there is no phone call that is so important that it ever need put a life in jeopardy.

Even if you do not drive, there are lessons that can be applied to pedestrian behaviour – do you use a mobile device whilst walking around busy traffic, do you use headphones and how could this effect your ability to hear vehicles approaching?

There were 1,760 fatalities resulting from traffic collisions across the UK road network last year, please think about what you can do to ensure you are using our roads as safely as possible to ensure you do not contribute to this number.

By making Health & Safety our number one priority and caring for each other, we can achieve our Zero4Life goal and ensure all our colleagues return home to their families safely.

Full details of the tragic incidents can be found on the UK News download page: here