RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
October 27, 2003
PLEA TO NORTHERN IRELAND BOSSES TO CUT ROAD DEATHS
Bosses are being urged to play their part in reducing the number of people killed and injured on Northern Ireland’s roads.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents believes that employers will have to make a major contribution if the province is to achieve its target of cutting road deaths and serious injuries by a third - from the current average of 1,750 to 1,200 by 2012.
It is estimated that between a third and a quarter of road accidents in Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK may in some way be work related. High-mileage company car and van drivers are among those most at risk.
To show how employers can help, RoSPA is staging a seminar at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast, on December 4. Entitled Focusing on Performance, it is sponsored by Volvo. The seminar is aimed particularly at fleet managers, transport operators, safety advisers, the emergency services, insurance brokers and solicitors.
New guidance from the mainland Health and Safety Executive has made it clear that employers have duties under health and safety law to manage the risks faced by employees when on the road.
Charles Davis, RoSPA Head of Driver and Fleet Solutions, said: “Employers can no longer ignore the fact that managing at-work road risk is a mainstream health and safety issue.
“All employers in Northern Ireland, whether large or small, public or private, need to develop a systematic approach to managing occupational road risk. RoSPA has led the field in this area and that is why we are ideally placed to help them.
“As well as the moral argument for protecting their own employees and those on the road around them, there is a strong business case for tackling occupational road risk. Road crashes cost time and money in terms of absent staff, lost production and damage to commercial reputation.
“Improvements in road safety require the co-operation of the whole community – and that includes employers.”
An updated version of RoSPA’s own document to help employers manage occupational road risk will be available at the seminar. It deals with issues such as setting realistic schedules for drivers, training needs and selection of vehicles.
The RoSPA seminar will also look at what companies need to do to prepare for legislation on the use of mobile phones while driving. For bookings and details call 0121 248 2120.
