RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
February 7, 2001
CHANCE TO DISCUSS NEW FLEET SAFETY PROPOSALS
New proposals to make company car and van drivers safer on the roads will be explored at a national conference organised by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
The RoSPA Safety & Health at Work congress in May will devote a day to managing risk on the road - in the wake of the discussion document due to be published later this month by the Government task force examining at-work road traffic accidents. Three leading figures involved in the task group will be present.
The conference, in association with ScottishPower, will be held at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre, May 21-24. Other sessions will focus on establishing occupational health and safety as key business objectives, new directions in occupational safety and new directions for health at work.
But keen interest is expected to be shown on the final day when Richard Dykes, chairman of the Work Related Road Safety Task Group, will lead a discussion on its findings.
Les Philpott, the task group secretary, will also be speaking to highlight the scale of the problem and possible measures to control the risks. Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, a task group member, will take part in discussions at the conference.
RoSPA has estimated that between a quarter and a third of all road deaths may in some way be linked to people driving for work. The Society pioneered the campaign which led to the establishment of the task force when the Government announced its target of cutting deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 40 per cent in ten years.
Roger Bibbings said: "The task group will be calling for a wide-ranging debate on its consultation paper later this month, and the RoSPA congress is likely to be one of the first opportunities for experts to meet to air their views.
"Anyone with an interest in fleet safety or the dangers facing people working on or beside the road should take the chance to have their say on forming future policies."
For more information about the RoSPA Health & Safety at Work Congress - Making it Happen - telephone RoSPA on 0121 248 2000, or visit www.rospa.com.
